Japan-America Society of Tennessee, Inc.

コロナウィルス（COVID-19）についての州政府と州内各地域アップデートのページ（日本語）を作りました。州内と各地域での状況のリンクを集めてあります。ご利用くださいませ。 We have added a State and Regional Update page in Japanese onto our website. Please share if you know any Japanese family, friends, or colleagues who need information regarding COVID-19. https://bit.ly/2U4Zzb2

The Embassy of Japan in the USA and Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC) are co-hosting the the inaugural Japan-U.S. Career Webinar on July 18th at 7:00 p.m. CDT. This webinar is open to everyone, including high school and college students. Hear from four professionals in a variety of industries how an interest in Japan can lead to an amazing career. To register for the webinar: https://lnkd.in/gv6yRPwn

Ambassador of Japan to the United States Shigeo Yamada joined U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty and JAST Board Chair Masami Tyson for a “fireside chat” on the vital significance of U.S.-Japan relations at the 2024 JAST Annual Meeting on May 24th. Consul-General of Japan in Nashville Shinji Watanabe delivered remarks, and Dr. James E. Auer was remembered and honored for his decades of contributions to the U.S.-Japan friendship. Tributes to Dr. Auer were offered by Torkel Patterson, Suzanne Basalla and his daughter Helen Girard. Many thanks to our sponsors for supporting JAST and for the resources to make this event a success: Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund, DENSO, Philip Morris International and Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development. A video of the event can be found on the JAST YouTube Channel: https://lnkd.in/g6s6bM6Y

Congratulations to JAST Board Chair Masami Tyson! Masami is on the Nashville Post's In Charge 2024 Leaders Breakout List and one of the people to call on to make Nashville the best it can be. Masami was chosen by the Nashville Post as one of Nashville's In Charge 2024 Legal Industry Leaders for the second year in a row. Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, Masami leads Womble Bond Dickinson's Japan Practice and provides clients with a wide range of corporate and economic development counsel. Global companies look to Masami for guidance when doing business in the U.S. market as a trusted legal and business advisor. Masami uses her deep understanding of both U.S. and Japanese business cultures and her extensive experience with the Japanese business community to help business leaders operate successfully in the U.S. and in Japan. Masami is a former Global Director of Foreign Direct Investment and Trade for the State of Tennessee where she liaised with international, diplomatic, and economic offices, maintained strategic oversight for overseas teams, supported companies in Tennessee and advised state leadership on foreign affairs. Masami has also served in several in-house counsel roles, and her experience includes closing a number of large corporate transactions with Japanese Fortune 500 companies. A native of Yokohama, Japan, Masami received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University and her M.A. and B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. Masami is a Board Member and Council Leader of the U.S.-Japan Council. For the In Charge 2024 Legal Industry List: https://lnkd.in/gwUuYXkw

On March 5th, Victoria Hirschberg hosted an online session of The Mitsui Lecture Series about TNGO - an economic development tool designed to make Tennessee the premier destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast and the next generation of high-quality jobs. Watch the video recording of the webinar on the Japan-America Society of Tennessee YouTube Channel - https://lnkd.in/gzQtHqkY. Victoria was joined by mobility experts and special guests Bob Booker, Director, North America Government Relations, DENSO International America, Inc.; Jon Kimpel, Vice President of Firestone Airide Global Engineering, Bridgestone Americas; Lance Ferguson, Director, Engineering & Innovation, JTEKT North America Corporation; and Jeff Hughes, Deputy General Manager, Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. Assistant Vice President for Research, Outreach and Economic Development at the University of Tennessee System, Victoria is working alongside the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development as Interim Director to oversee the rollout of TNGO - The Transportation Network Growth Opportunity. The Mitsui Lecture Series is made possible thanks to the generous support of The Mitsui U.S.A. Foundation.

The Good Ole Tennessee Bar in Tokyo is all about the love of the University of Tennessee and the state of Tennessee. Yoshitoshi Momoki graduated from UT in 1993 with a broadcasting degree and an appreciation of Southern hospitality. On February 14th, Yoshi opened the Good Ole Tennessee Bar with a “Welcome Y’all” sign at the front door, Tennessee whiskey, Neyland Stadium-style chilli-cheese dogs and country music on Knoxville’s FM 107.7 WIVK. It was a dream of Yoshi’s to bring his days in Tennessee home to Japan. Inspired by the 2022 UT/Alabama football game, he never gave up. He wants an evening at his bar to feel like being back in Tennessee and to spread the word about Tennessee to the people of Japan. They will see pictures of Elvis and Tina Turner, Vols and Titans football helmets and a replica of the iconic Neyland Stadium locker room sign “I Will Give My All for Tennessee Today” at the front door. To read more about The Good Ole Tennessee Bar and Yoshitoshi Momoki - “ambassador for Tennessee”: https://lnkd.in/guCnAKTW

The Transportation Network Growth Opportunity is an economic development tool designed to make Tennessee the premier destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast and the next generation of high-quality jobs. TNGO will diversify Tennessee’s economy by leveraging research and innovation assets to attract mobility research and development (R&D) investment to Tennessee. On March 5th, Victoria Hirschberg will host an online session of The Mitsui Lecture Series about TNGO. Assistant Vice President for Research, Outreach and Economic Development at the University of Tennessee System, Victoria is working alongside the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development as Interim Director to oversee the rollout of TNGO. Victoria has more than a decade of experience in economic development. Victoria will be joined by mobility experts and special guests Bob Booker, Senior Manager, Government Relations, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc.;  Jon Kimpel, Vice President of Firestone Airide Global Engineering, Bridgestone Americas; Lance Ferguson, Director, Engineering & Innovation, JTEKT North America Corporation; and Jeff Hughes, Deputy General Manager, Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. Click here to register for this online session of The Mitsui Lecture Series - https://lnkd.in/gjZyJtiH Made possible by The Mitsui U.S.A. Foundation, The Mitsui Lecture Series is presented to deepen the understanding of contemporary Japan and Tennessee and create community and exchange.

Congratulations to JAST Board Member Janice Snow Rodriguez, PhD (she/her) for her remarkable career and countless achievements as Executive Director of the Tennessee Language Center. Janice will retire from TLC on February 1st. A native Nashvillian, Janice holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and M.A. in Spanish Literature. She has been with TLC since 1999 and is credited with researching and recommending a certification program for court interpreters for the State of Tennessee, adopted by the TN Administrative Office of the Courts. Janice is the Title VI Coordinator for the Institute, works on the TN Supreme Court's Access to Justice Committee for Interpreter Issues and is a board member for the Metro Nashville Police Department's El Protector Program. She  recently completed a six-year commitment as a Commissioner and Chair for the Metro Nashville Human Relations Commission. Janice has conducted numerous cultural awareness and diversity seminars for social services, medical and law enforcement agencies. She also serves as adjunct faculty for Tennessee State University's College of Public Service and Urban Affairs, teaching Human Resources, Organization Theory & Assessment, and Employment Law, and Janice serves on TSU's advisory committee for International Education. Since 1986, the Tennessee Language Center has been dedicated to providing professional language services and creating a welcoming, receptive community for businesses and individuals from around the globe. They connect people through language acquisition, business & cultural exchange and ensure both Tennessee residents and partnering organizations are paired with the services they need to succeed.

For decades, Tennessee has led the Southeast in the automotive industry. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development has announced the rollout of the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast. The TNGO Mobility and Automotive Discovery is the first step in collecting and understanding the mobility challenges impacting communities and companies across Tennessee. The aim is to partner communities, companies and/or economic development applicants with researchers across the state to provide innovative solutions to the most pressing mobility and transportation-related issues. Learn more about TNECD's TNGO initiative from Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter: https://lnkd.in/eREmp5rz. Like TNGO, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee is committed to providing safe and sustainable mobility for everyone. DENSO, a Maryville-based company, produces starters, alternators, instrument clusters, automotive electronic products and inverters for hybrid vehicles. Bob Booker, Senior Manager, Government Relations, spoke to the TNGO team during the December TennSmart Mobility Expo in Nashville - https://lnkd.in/gbmHyCKG.

Congratulations to these Tennessee economic development executives, whose organizations are longtime JAST members and who were elected 2023-2024 Tennessee Economic Development Council Board Officers during the TEDC Annual Fall Conference. Marshall Ramsey, President of Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce, has been named TEDC President. Kendrick J. Curtis, PhD, Assistant Director with Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association, TEDC Vice President. Vicki Bunch, Chief Workforce Development Officer with Greater Jackson Chamber, TEDC Secretary/Treasurer. The Tennessee Economic Development Council is a statewide, non-profit organization created to unite the efforts of its members in furthering industrial development in the state of Tennessee. As the voice of economic development in Tennessee, TEDC provides networking, education, and leadership to advance economic development across the state. At the Annual Fall Conference, TEDC honored Bob Bibb, Executive Director of the Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association, with the 2023 Legacy Award. The Legacy Award recognizes those in the state economic development community who have had an extraordinary impact on the profession and their communities. Bob was recognized for his impact on economic development and his reputation within the community as a longstanding advocate for economic development in Tennessee. Bob’s vision and adoption of both new tools and methods allows a 60-year-old economic development organization like MTIDA to consistently adapt, evolve, and stay relevant as one of the leading economic development organizations in the state. For more about Bob Bibb and The Legacy Award: https://lnkd.in/e_5rtRw6