–Reflecting upon the 2019 USJC Annual Conference
At my workplace, the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), the biggest event of the year is our Annual Conference. This year’s conference, held in Los Angeles last month, was an even bigger deal because it was our tenth one. The organization was founded a decade ago by Japanese Americans, many of them based in LA, who sought to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations. We’ve held our Annual Conference in many cities, but never before in Southern California–so this was a homecoming in many ways.
Working in Communications
It is always rewarding to see various projects we’ve worked on for months turn into something tangible. More than a dozen video interviews of members, which we had conducted in Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and Tokyo in celebration of our 10 year anniversary, turned out well–and members eloquently described how USJC has impacted their lives. As always, it was exciting to hold the print program (with 50 or so speakers whose bios we edited in both languages) in our hands, and I enjoyed witnessing how various scripts and speeches I drafted were incorporated into the announcements of emcees and board members. I only had a minor role in media relations this year, but it was nice to sit in with interviews by The Washington Post or others, or see how excited some speakers were to be covered by NHK.
Members and supporters
As a staff member, I always find it rewarding to catch up with members and supporters who contribute to U.S.-Japan relations in unique ways. Their backgrounds vary widely, but all share an interest in wanting to bring our countries closer together. One of our speakers was Ted Homma, a Silicon Valley-based Japanese entrepreneur working on smart homes. We’d first met a few years ago through the kind introduction of his friend, Daiki Michishita–who in turn was part of a State Department delegation (themed on inclusive education for children with disabilities) that I had been interpreting for. Back then, Mr. Homma was about to found his new company, and his friend was a member of the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly. Since then, Mr. Homma’s company has been thriving, and he has supported a lot of people-to-people exchanges between Silicon Valley and Japan, including the Silicon Valley Japan Platform. Mr. Michishita has since become a Diet Member, and kindly stopped by our Annual Conference in Tokyo last year. I’m honored to know them both! Even if conversations are brief, where we mostly greet each other while rushing by, I gain a lot of energy and inspiration from these face-to-face moments.
The Conference also brought rare opportunities to talk with people we wouldn’t meet otherwise. When some of us staff members had the opportunity to talk to the ShibSibs backstage, I was amazed by how friendly and polite they were in person. I was also lucky enough to join a backstage photo with friends and alumni from my alma mater (Iolani School in Honolulu), where we surrounded a fellow alumnus who spoke at the Conference: Bobby Webster, General Manager of the Toronto Raptors (2019 NBA Champion).
Leadership
As staff, we rarely get to fully see or hear the content of the Annual Conference as it happens. But for part of the Conference, which was a series of workshops on leadership, I was one of the observers whose job was to listen and evaluate the content. One of the sessions I observed was about how to serve on boards. The speakers–including the USJC Board Chair–shared their experience with corporate, government, nonprofit and academic boards. One of my favorite parts of the discussion was this slide–made all the more perfect because, as one of the speakers pointed out, it looks like a plum blossom! I took copious notes on the back of my evaluation form (and took a photo for my records!).
Food and fun
After the conference, us staff members enjoyed lots of Japanese and East Asian food. Some were a bit different from what’s usually served in Japan–but that made it all the more interesting! It was nice to have such easy access to Japanese dishes, books, stationary and other items that are so scarce in DC. I also got to catch up with my middle school friend who moved to LA last year, and met her two-month-old daughter.
While preparations leading up to and during the Conference were grueling, it was still nice to see many familiar faces and learn new ideas!