U.S.-Japan Council

Ori-gen is proud to be a key corporate sponsor for The U.S.-Japan Council’s (USJC) Kibou (Hope) for Los Angeles (KLA) program aimed at fostering resilience, leadership, and community rebuilding in Altadena in light of the devastating firestorms. By connecting a youth delegation and a professional delegation with survivors of the Tohoku Great Earthquake, KLA participants will gain invaluable skills in leadership, community engagement, and disaster recovery. At Ori-gen, we remain committed to supporting programs and initiatives that provide long-term recovery opportunities for those affected by the LA firestorms. The KLA program is a beacon of #hope in the efforts to rebuild. Read the U.S.-Japan Council press release here: https://lnkd.in/gJTpYRQz The J. Morey Company, Inc., Alliance 360° Insurance Solutions, Noguchi & Associates

The Sakanashi family would like to thank the Los Angeles Dodgers, United States-Japan Foundation, and U.S.-Japan Council for allowing us to partner in restoring hope to the youth of Altadena. Our contribution to the "Kibou (Hope) for Los Angeles" program is made in loving memory of my late father, Mark Sakanashi, who had a deep love for and belief in the youth of Altadena. Shortly before I graduated high school, my father passed away at the age of 51 in our Calaveras St. home and was laid to rest nearby at Mountain View Cemetery in West Altadena. It will be long, but please allow me to share about who he was and why he would have done everything to support the "Kibou for LA" program. (1) As a Japanese American and longtime resident of Altadena, my father's passion was to connect Los Angeles and Japan, serving as the former Chair of the Los Angeles Nagoya Sister City Affiliation, which allowed him to visit Nagoya and strengthen ties with the city's leadership on behalf of Los Angeles. I have no doubt that my father would have been a very active leader in USJC and entrusted the organization to administer this important program connecting LA/Altadena and Japan. (2) My father invested countless time, talent, and treasure into the schools that my siblings and I attended. He served on the boards of both Pasadena Christian School and Maranatha High School, passionate to continually increase the impact on youth in the Altadena/Pasadena area. This part of him has been captured through the legacy that Maranatha has honored for the past 20 years, beginning with my own graduation where they announced the Mark Sakanashi Scholarship Award and presented it to me as the first recipient. (3) Altadena was the specific place where he wanted to invest in youth, starting with his own kids and our friends. He articulated this in a journal entry about investing in a big remodel project. // "It is my task to prepare the way and provide the support that will be needed by my children (and their peers – their generation) to freely realize that which God is and will be calling them to. A major mission is to make this home a place where we can fill those years with positive memories of growing up, through the hard times and the good times, the successes and failures, so that all of my children and their friends can find this a place of sanctuary and support. We need places where we can gather, as a family and with friends, to laugh and talk and sometimes, to cry. We need places where we can work out our frustrations, places where all of us, not just I, can find growth and rest." // --- Thank you again to everyone supporting the "Kibou for LA" program, including my fellow contributors -- Joshua Morey, Mark Okada, Sachi Hamai, and especially Ryan Bates / Joe Patterson, who created the special catalyst behind our family's involvement. Program Website: https://lnkd.in/gSCbpeut #KibouForLA #Altadena #Dodgers #Japan #Tohoku

We're thrilled and honored to have the support of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the United States-Japan Foundation to provide a transformative experience for youth from Altadena by visiting Japan's Tohoku region. Excited to build on the success of Kibou for Maui, and the expertise of Miku Narisawa of Odyssey Nature Japan and Nate Gyotoku of Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi and deeply grateful to Ori-gen, Sycamore Tree Capital Partners, L.P., Sachi Hamai and Steve Sakanashi for their additional generous support.

We are proud to announce the launch of Kibou (Hope) for Los Angeles, a cross-cultural program empowering youth in Altadena, California through lessons in resilience, leadership, and community rebuilding. The program will send a delegation of high school students to Japan, where they will engage with survivors and recovery experts from the Tohoku region, which was devastated by the 2011 Great East Earthquake and tsunami. The initiative is made possible through generous support from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the United States-Japan Foundation. Additional support is being provided by Sachi Hamai, Ori-gen / Joshua Morey, Sycamore Partners / Mark Okada, and the Steve Sakanashi in loving memory of Mark Sakanashi, who believed deeply in the potential of Altadena’s youth. Learn more: https://buff.ly/ugyeTsB All photos here from previous Kibou for Maui programs.

The U.S.-Japan Council is deeply saddened by the recent removal of information documenting the historic contributions of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team from the U.S. Army’s website. The remarkable achievements of the 100th/442nd — who became the most decorated units in U.S. military history relative to their size and length of service — represent a defining chapter in both American and Japanese American history. Their extraordinary valor and patriotism, demonstrated even as their families were unjustly incarcerated, embody the highest ideals of service, sacrifice, and loyalty. These records are not just historical facts — they are living lessons in courage and character that continue to inspire generations and strengthen the bonds between the United States and Japan. Preserving this history is essential to honoring the legacy of these brave soldiers and ensuring that their stories remain a vital part of our collective national memory. To us, they will always be heroes. *As of 03.16.25: Please see comments for an update!

The second installment of the Visionary Voices Leadership Series was a resounding success! On February 25, USJC Council Leader Michael Kobori (former Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks) and USJC Board of Councilor John Onoda (Principal at iQ 360®) led an insightful conversation moderated by USJC Associate Sydney Teranishi Dake (Founder of Gntl) at the NTT Experience Center in San Francisco. Many thanks to NorCal & Nevada Co-chairs Jackie Funasaki (East Bay Economic Development Alliance) and Michael Sera (Japanese American Museum of San Jose), committee members Saki Takasu (Anaplan) and Tatsuki Tomita (Vivaldi Technologies), as well as NTT for making this event possible. Read more about the event here: https://buff.ly/G4I1Q3Z

Council Leaders Carrie Okinaga (JALD ‘14) and Scott Seu were recently honored with the Ho'opasifika Award for their outstanding community service and leadership, demonstrated through both their professional and personal contributions to the islands of Hawai’i. This prestigious award is presented by the Pacific Century Fellows, a Hawai’i-based leadership development program modeled after the White House Fellows. Carrie is general counsel and vice president for legal affairs at the University of Hawaii, while Scott is president and chief executive officer at Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. Since its inception in 1997, Pacific Century Fellows has brought together Hawai’i’s most promising leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions, fostering collaboration and the exchange of unique perspectives, ideas, and experiences. The USJC extends its congratulations to Carrie and Scott for their leadership accomplishments both as Pacific Century Fellows and USJC Council Leaders.

Our principal, John Onoda, recently joined former Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Kobori (he/him) and Sydney Dake, founder of Gntl, for a fireside chat as part of the U.S.-Japan Council’s Visionary Voices Leadership Series. From academia and nonprofit development to leading communications and sustainability, John and Michael navigated diverse career paths at some of the world’s top companies. In this conversation, they shared powerful lessons on leadership, risk-taking and driving meaningful change. Read our latest blog for four takeaways from their discussion. What is one lesson in leadership that has made a difference in your career? Let us know in the comments!

Seven & i Holdings, the company managing all 7-Eleven convenience stores across the world, recently appointed USJC member Stephen Hayes Dacus as its new president. USJC Board of Councilor member and former USJC board Chairman Paul Yonamine will succeed Dacus as chairman of the special committee, tasked with evaluating expansion efforts and future plans for the company. Congratulations, Stephen and Paul! Read the whole story from Nikkei Asia’s March 3 release: https://buff.ly/57Ouqke

The USJC was honored and grateful to welcome back Japanese American incarceration survivor Sally Ohno Sudo as a speaker — this time sharing her family story with both USJC and Portland Shokookai members. On January 24, the USJC Portland Region and Portland Shokookai hosted a hybrid webinar to learn more about Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Sally is a Nisei who experienced life in an American concentration camp and has been speaking about her personal story since the mid-90s. The USJC extends its sincere gratitude to Sally Ohno Sudo for sharing her story. For more upcoming events, please visit https://buff.ly/1IDJmDH.