# American Chamber of Commerce Japan

The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ, Japanese: 在日米国商工会議所, Zainichi Beikoku Shōkō Kaigisho) is a non-profit business organization consisting mainly of executives from American companies. Currently, the ACCJ has over 3,000 members representing over 600 companies with chapters located in the Tokyo, Kansai and Chubu regions.

## History

The ACCJ was established in 1948 by representatives of 40 American companies. Originally, the ACCJ had six committees and nine board members.
The ACCJ claims to be Japan's most influential foreign business organization, and serves as the primary forum for the foreign business community in Japan to identify and pursue shared interests and goals. There are more than sixty Chamber committees, subcommittees, task forces, and advisory councils that cover such diverse areas as: financial services, corporate social responsibility, marketing, independent business, healthcare services, e-business, transportation and logistics, legal services, the travel industry, and human resource management.

## Programs

The ACCJ committees combined hold over 500 programs annually, and these events are exclusively attended by ACCJ members and their accompanied guests. Speakers are drawn from the ranks of global business leaders, top U.S. and Japanese government officials, industry experts, scholars and pop culture icons. Former speakers Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe; JP Morgan Japan Director of Research, Jesper Koll; Rakuten Inc CEO, Hiroshi Mikitani; General Electric CEO, Jeffrey R. Immelt; U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO, Tom J. Donohue; former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger; U.S. Department of Energy Secretary, Steven Chu; Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood; Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano; U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, and many others have chosen the ACCJ as their forum for addressing Japan's international business community.

## Advocacy

As a key stakeholder in the commercial relationship between the United States and Japan, the ACCJ works to influence the discussions that frame policy in both countries. The ACCJ issues its official positions on policy issues in Viewpoint position papers, white papers, public comments and other reports. The ultimate goal of these policy positions and the advocacy carried out to communicate them and promote their implementation is to further the mission of the ACCJ to improve the business environment in Japan for Chamber members.

## ACCJ Board of Governors (as of 2021)

Leadership positions within the ACCJ are held by elected officials who represent top-level Japanese businesspeople and expats in Japan from the U.S. and around the globe.
| Leadership Position | Member Name | Company Title |
| President | Om Prakash II | Chief Executive for Northrop Grumman Japan |
| Chair | Eriko Asai | President, GE Japan |
| Vice President—Tokyo | Deborah Hayden | Managing Director, Finsbury Glover Hering |
| Vice President—Tokyo | Amy Jackson | PhRMA Japan Representative, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America |
| Vice President—Tokyo | Eric Sedlak | Partner, K&L Gates Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise |
| Vice President—Tokyo | Yoshitaka Sugihara | Director, Head of Public Policy, Japan, Netflix G.K. |
| Vice President—Tokyo | Dave West | President and General Manager, Cisco Systems G.K. |
| Vice President—Kansai | Yoko Furuyama | Executive Officer, Legal and Government Relations, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K. |
| Vice President—Chubu | Robert W. Roche | Executive Chairman and President, Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc. |
| Treasurer—Tokyo | Ryann Thomas | Partner, PwC Tax Japan |
| Treasurer—Kansai | Kay Kobayashi | Director of Human Resources, Hilton Osaka |
| Treasurer—Chubu | Jeffrey Jackson | Gyoseishoshi and Founder, Jackson Sogo Gyoseishoshi Law Office |
| Governor—Tokyo | Andrew J. Conrad | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Compliance Officer, Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. / Senior Vice President, Aflac International |
| Governor—Tokyo | James C. Feliciano | President, AbbVie |
| Governor—Tokyo | Harry Hill | CEO and President, Better-U, Inc. |
| Governor—Tokyo | Douglas L. Hymas | Senior Advisor to the CEO, Fusion Systems Group |
| Governor—Tokyo | Tad Johnson | President & Representative Director, Pratt & Whitney Aftermarket Japan KK |
| Governor—Tokyo | Saori Kanno | President, General Manager, REVLON K.K. |
| Governor—Tokyo | Mari Matthews | Representative Director, Vice Chairman, The Bank of New York Mellon |
| Governor—Tokyo | Nancy L. Ngou | Associate Partner, EY Advisory & Consulting Co., Ltd. |
| Governor—Tokyo | Victor Osumi | Managing Director, Japan, Delta Air Lines, Inc. |
| Governor—Tokyo | Frank Packard | Independent Advisor, Synnovate |
| Governor—Tokyo | William J. Swinton | Director, International Business Studies, Temple University, Japan Campus |
| Governor—Tokyo | Megumi Tsukamoto | Executive Director, Caterpillar Japan, LLC |
| Governor—Kansai | Simone Thomsen | President and Representative Director, Eli Lilly Japan K.K. |
| Governor—Chubu | Mark Hosang | Sr. Manager Enterprise Services & Security, IT Division, Randstad Japan |
| Special Advisor | Christopher LaFleur | Senior Director, McLarty Associates |
| President Emeritus | Debbie Howard | Chairman, CarterJMRN K.K. |
| President Emeritus | Charles D. Lake II | President, Aflac International, Inc. / Chairman and Representative Director, Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. |
| President Emeritus | Allan D. Smith | Head of Government Relations Asia Pacific, Assistant General Council, RGA Reinsurance Company, Japan Branch |
| President Emeritus | Thomas W. Whitson | Advisor, Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc. |
| President Emeritus | Michael J. Alfant | Group Chairman and chief executive officer, Fusion Systems Group |
| Executive Director | Laura Younger | |