Category: Communications

–Remembering Irene

I am very saddened by the news that my former boss passed away last week. Irene Hirano Inouye, President of the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), truly embodied USJC’s mission of strengthening bilateral relations through people-to-people connections. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to work with her for more than six years until last December. I especially cherish the moments when I heard her thoughts directly while discussing draft speeches, accompanying her at media interviews, or interpreting at meetings with Japanese leaders.

A Hero in the Japanese American Community

When I applied to work at USJC in 2013, I was drawn to the idea of continuing a career in Communications as well as U.S.-Japan relations. I was excited that the organization was founded by Japanese Americans–a community I consider myself to be a part of–but did not truly understand the significance of it until I worked there. I heard about the origins of USJC at Irene’s interviews, and met many members whose family members were incarcerated or fought with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II. I finally understood how groundbreaking the organization was in providing a platform for Japanese Americans–who’d long had to stay away from Japan because of the war–to proactively engage in U.S.-Japan relations. 

Irene was at the forefront of this movement. She had a great relationship with leaders like Prime Minister Abe, who met Irene and the Japanese American Leadership Delegation almost every year–and that in turn helped Japanese Americans garner more attention by the Japanese media and the public. She knew how the Japanese American community was quickly changing, becoming more diverse in cultural background and other ways, and continually found new people who might contribute to the bilateral relationship.

People-to-People Relations

Over the years, as I gradually got to know members and supporters, I found a happy side effect. I, too, was benefiting from the “people-to-people” aspect of USJC’s mission, and got to befriend many people I admire. As a friend recently pointed out, these relationships are all thanks to Irene. Irene had an aura that made others pay attention, but she was equally friendly to dignitaries and high school students. She was a great listener who remembered every detail, including the knowledge and expertise of USJC’s hundreds of members. She simply brought people together, beyond cultural background, profession, geography and more.

Optimism

Irene always believed in potential and possibilities. Through USJC, she invested in young leaders, and connected people with the belief that they might collaborate on their own projects that would support U.S.-Japan relations. She continually came up with ideas, and attracted people who wanted to discuss proposals. While I was at USJC, I witnessed a wide range of new programs: from those that connect Asian American state legislators with Japanese leaders, to events and seminars supporting women leaders, to regional economic summits. Each year, we kept getting busier, and our portfolios continued to expand. (Honestly, I griped to colleagues about that.)

But Irene always stayed positive. While so many people and projects competed for her time, her answer was almost always “yes.” Once, at a staff meeting, I brought up two potential dates for an event, and asked which she would prefer. “Let’s do both,” she said–so that people could attend whichever was more convenient. We all laughed because it was so typically Irene, always willing to do it all.

Communications

Irene was a natural communicator. During media interviews, she was able to reframe tricky, unexpected questions and weave in information on our upcoming programs. She also agreed to every interview request, responding to urgent ones within minutes, and driving on her own to studios in LA and Hawaii. 

Particularly memorable for me is the journey to an in-studio radio interview she did when we were on the Big Island for the Japan-Hawaii Economic Summit. I accompanied her as she drove 30 minutes each way from our hotel. Jagged black lava continued forever on both sides of the car, and she told me how her late husband, Senator Inouye, used to receive many rocks in the mail from people who’d traveled to Hawaii (fearing bad luck, they wanted to return the rocks to Pele, the goddess of volcanoes). We had a quick lunch before the interview at a tiny place across the street from the studio. It was called “Killer Tacos,” and I will never forget how jarring it was to see her, so well dressed, sitting on a steel chair and eating tacos in front of takeout counter.

She was also a great speaker. I drafted long speeches or those on general content, and other colleagues provided talking points for program-specific remarks. But she also gave many toasts or short speeches off the cuff. Afterwards, she knew how best to pose for the camera with other speakers or leaders of partner organizations. If my colleagues or I were there with USJC’s DSLR to take backup photos, she made sure to look at us in addition to posing for the official photographer.

Japanese Language

She was also easy to interpret for. She spoke clearly and deliberately, never forgetting to pause when it was consecutive interpretation. She said she’d forgotten the Japanese she spoke as a small child. But when I interpreted for her, she often laughed right away at jokes others made in Japanese. Still, she waited patiently for my interpretation, and once that was done, laughed again politely.

I’m really grateful that I got to build my interpreting portfolio while at USJC. Thanks to the kindness of Irene, my direct superiors, and other colleagues, I got to use vacation and work as a freelance interpreter on many occasions–including at events where Irene happened to speak (so sometimes I interpreted a speech that I’d drafted!).

Appreciation and Memories

During my final month at USJC last December, Irene happened to be in the DC office for a few days. Realizing that this was the last time I could say goodbye as a staff member, I told her how much I’d enjoyed working at USJC, and thanked her for her guidance and support. 

“We’ll continue to see each other, just in a different way,” she said. It made me so happy that she seemed to believe in my success as I continue working in the U.S.-Japan space. And in those few seconds, I daydreamed of the next time I might say hello to her, perhaps after interpreting at a USJC event. But that December afternoon was the last time I saw her in person. 

When Irene announced this past January that she would retire, she wrote that being USJC’s president was “an honor of a lifetime.” That line, which seemed to condense so many “thank yous” and “goodbyes,” made me cry. Only a few years ago, when she was asked about retirement as part of a media interview, she had said that she wanted to continue working or volunteering for as long as she could. I could only imagine how painful the decision to retire must have been. But I was also relieved, thinking that now she’d finally have time to rest.

I did not think she would be gone so soon. When I told a friend about my last in-person exchange with her, he said that I was lucky that I got to say goodbye. And I am comforted by that thought. Yet, I’m full of regrets. I wish I’d spoken more that day, instead of awkwardly trying to find the words to condense six years into a few sentences. I wonder about the moments when I could’ve done more to help her prepare for interviews or speeches, but didn’t because I was swamped. I regret the times that I said or showed that I felt overwhelmed. 

But I’m also reminded of so many happy memories. She was always poised, so on the few occasions that I made her guffaw (sometimes not on purpose!), I felt a sense of accomplishment. When a business trip to Honolulu allowed me to reunite with my wonderful elementary school teacher after more than two decades, she emailed me to ask how it was. When we returned from a business trip to Japan, where we each got a cute singing duck from one of our sponsors, Aflac, she brought hers back to DC but gave it to me–and I laughed that she knew I was likely to appreciate it the most out of anyone in the office (even though this was my second duck).  

Looking Ahead

To me, my former workplace feels like how an adult child might perceive her parents’ house–always there as a source of comfort and familiarity during difficult times. So this monumental change is incredibly close to my heart–but I also feel powerless that I’m no longer staff. I picture myself visiting the office to hug former colleagues, and feel sad every time I remember that the office is empty while everyone teleworks. I am especially heartbroken that we lost someone who championed people-to-people relations at a time when we must all remain isolated.

But Irene’s legacy lives on, as evidenced in the many people who have met and worked with her. This period of us remaining apart will eventually be over, and I have faith that USJC will continue to succeed in bringing people together, be it in person or virtually. There’s so much that I learned from Irene, including optimism in the face of challenges. I hope to continue to work on strengthening U.S.-Japan relations in my own way, and hope I can make her proud.