JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETY
OF INDIANA
2007 PROGRAMSThe Japan-America Society of Indiana is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization of businesses, educational
institutions, individuals, and students. Its mission is to serve as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between
the people of Indiana and Japan. The Society is dedicated to providing a forum for cultural and educational
exchange, strengthening ties, and fostering mutual understanding among Japanese and Hoosiers.

JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETY OF INDIANA 2007 PROGRAMSJanuary 11January 30-31

March 7Franklin Sister City Student Visit

Tochigi “Brex” Basketball Team“Farewell and Yoroshiku Dinner” for
Seizo Okamoto“Brex” is the name of Tochigi Prefecture’s
first professional basketball team. Inspiredby Indiana’s professional team, The Pacers,
the sports management team from Japanvisited Indianapolis to learn more about
the Pacers and to develop a cooperativerelationship. JASI hosted the Brex
managers and facilitated meetings with thePacers’ management.

JASI hosted the special dinner to say thankyou to Seizo Okamoto, Fmr. Chairman ofToyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana andlong time friend and supporter of JASI. Thedinner, held at The Westin Indianapolis,
included a performance by Dance
Kaleidoscope.

February 20“Foreign Currency ExchangeSeminar”

This was the first visit to the U.S. fortwelve junior high and high school students
from Kuji City, Japan, to its sister city-- Franklin, Indiana. JASI supported thevisit by organizing travel, receptions, andinterpreting services.

January 19

Antique Japanese Flower Baskets fromthe Collection of James and Noriko
Keating

The exhibit at The Art Museum of Greater
Lafayette showcased over 60 beautiful,handcrafted antique Japanese baskets
collected by JASI members James andNoriko Keating.

“Inside-Outside Japan”

January 21

Indiana Japan Chamber Nenjisoukai

Southern District Rotary Exchange

January 26

The beautiful Artsgarden in downtown
Indianapolis provided the perfect setting forthis New Year’s party, which featured mochipounding and karaoke singing, homemade
rice cakes (mochi), sake tasting, traditional tea
ceremonies, and kids’ games.

An informative seminar conducted inJapanese by Toru Sasaki, Executive
Director, Chief Strategist, JPMorgan Chase
Bank,Tokyo, with support from JASI.

March

Annual Meeting of the IJC with musicalentertainment from the Ball State University
Jazz Band coordinated by the Japan-America
Society of Indiana.

JASI New Year’s Mochitsuki Shinnenkai

March 20JASI lecture co-hosted by the World Trade
Club of Indiana, featuring noted Japan
expert and author Tim Clark, and Takashi
Tsuchiya, Chief Executive Director ofJETRO Chicago. The program exploredJapan’s economy, its relationship with theMidwest, and how innovative Americanbusiness models are meeting the needs ofJapanese consumers.

March 7

“Leadership Seminar for Japanese
Executives”
Nagamori Tsutsumi, Business Consultants
Network in New York, presented theseminar to help Japanese executives
assess their personal leadership styles. Theprogram included a special talk by Seizo
Okamoto, former chairman of Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, Indiana, on his extensive
management experience in the U.S.

Group team members from the Tochigi
Rotary Club visited several destinations
in Southern Indiana for four weeks in thespring. The visit of Japanese Rotarians
was followed by a one-month visit of five
representatives from Southern Indiana
District Rotary to Tochigi Prefecture. JASI
supported the two exchanges by arranging
for company visits and hospitality meals,
and by providing translations and travel andlogistical consultation.

March / April

Learning to Give Philanthropy Exchange
JASI assisted IUPUI’s Center on
Philanthropy in organizing this uniqueexchange that included home-stays,
philanthropy projects, and school
partnerships with Cathedral High Schooland University High School. The goalof the exchange was to involve Japaneseand American students working together
to better understand philanthropy and todevelop projects to benefit the Indianapolis
community.

JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETY OF INDIANA 2007 PROGRAMS
SpringSeptember 30

Japanese Language Program

17th Annual Golf Classic

JASI’s Japanese classes, taught by FumikoSato, are designed to meet community
interest and focus on speaking, listening andJapanese culture.

June 15

Indy Jazz Fest with Japanese Jazz
Musician “Hiromi”

Senior Vice President, Secretary andGeneral Counsel, Subaru of Indiana
Automotive, Inc., as well as a welcome
toast by the Hon. Becky Skillman,
Lieutenant Governor of The State ofIndiana. “Bridge of Friendship Awards”
were presented to Former Lt. Governor
John Mutz, Mr. Hiromi Hemuki, Director,
State of Indiana - Japan Office., andMichiko Selby, an original JASI volunteer.

June 22-28
The 2007 Indy Jazz Fest showcased‘Women of Jazz’ which featured
internationally renowned jazz pianist
Hiromi. JASI supported The American
Pianists Association in promoting the eventto the Japanese community state wide.

June 19JASI Annual Gala

Presented by JASI and the Indiana Japan
Chamber at the Brickyard Crossing atthe Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The
scramble tournament was sponsored
by Fifth Third Bank, Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, Indiana, and Northwest
Airlines. Glorious weather and thechallenge of playing on a premiere private
course made this event was one of the bestin the history of the tournament!

“Sporting Words” Poet Visit
JASI supported this annual meeting ofAmerican Poets’ Laureate by arranging thevisit of the Japanese poet Kae Morii fromJapan to Indianapolis. “Sporting Words,a Gathering of Poets Laureate SportingWords” was sponsored by the Indiana Arts
Commission.

October 19

Japan Caravan Speaker Series: “JapanChina-U.S. Looking Ahead: East Asia’s
Political and Economic Future”

August 5

Bon-Odori Japanese Dance Festival
JASI annually supports the Bon-Odori
Festival sponsored by Ocean World
Restaurant in Indianapolis. The festival,
held for many years, provides a great
occasion for Japanese and Americans tocelebrate the summer spirit of Japan.
The 2007 event celebrated the 20th
Anniversary of Subaru of Indiana
Automotive and featured over 450 guests,
with support from Presenting SponsorDuke Energy Indiana. The keynote speaker
was the Hon. John M. Mutz, Chairman,Lumina Foundation for Education, Fmr.
Lieutenant Governor of Indiana and Fmr.
Vice Chairman of Cinergy/PSI, now DukeEnergy. Additional speakers included
the Hon. Hachiro Ishida, Deputy Consul
General of Japan, and Tom Easterday,

September 29-30

Sendai Kite Club Program

The Society served as the anchor organization
for the three-state tour of the Japan Caravanfeaturing speakers from the Embassy ofJapan, Keidanren, and NTT Corporation.
JASI brought the program to two locations incentral Indiana, co-hosted in Indianapolis bythe law firm of Ice Miller, and in Muncie byEnergize ECI and Ball State University.

November 8

Antique Japanese Bamboo Baskets

Eight kite-makers from Sendai, Japan,
traveled to Indiana to give kite-making
workshops at The Children’s Museum ofIndianapolis and at Kidscommons children’s
museum in Columbus, Indiana. They were
hosted by local artist and JASI member
Shoko Schutte. The Sendai Kite Clubbrought with them traditional Japanese kitemaking materials for hundreds of children
and gave a kite-flying demo in Columbus.

Hosted by the Asian Art Society of theIndianapolis Museum of Art with supportfrom JASI. Mr. James Keating gave a slidepresentation of antique handmade bamboobaskets from his collection.

November 8

Movie Screening of “Midnight Sun”
(Taiyo no Uta)
Together with the Japan Information Centerat the Japanese Consulate in Chicago,
JASI hosted a showing of this popular
contemporary film at the Historic Artcraft
Theater in Franklin, Indiana.

JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETY OF INDIANA 2007 PROGRAMS
November 13

November 16

November 28

JASI Corporate Know-How Series:
Michigan State Tax Seminar

Prime Minister’s “Round Table”

Southeast Indiana Automotive Expo

Presented by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, theseminar explained the new Michigan Statetax laws and how they will affect Indianabusinesses.

November 15-18

International Festival of Indiana

The Japan-America Society of Indiana
was pleased to host an interactive Japan
culture booth once again at this year’s
annual festival. Japanese volunteers createdhandmade origami greetings cards andChristmas tree ornaments covered withJapanese rice paper.

Japan’s Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda helda “Roundtable on Japan-U.S. Exchange”
in Washington D.C., which was the firsttime that a Japanese Prime Minister had
convened a meeting for the purpose ofdiscussing Japan-U.S. exchanges. Theresa
Kulczak, JASI’s Executive Director, wasinvited as the Midwest’s representative. She
also had the honor of making an opening
statement on cultural and grassrootsexchange. The U.S. invitees represented
leading think tanks, academic and cultural
institutions which have a focus on theJapan-U.S. relationship.

The first annual expo was organized by
the Greensburg Chamber of Commerce,
Greensburg Decatur County Economic
Development Corporation and JASI. It
featured industry booths and was attended
by over 600 business and community
representatives. JASI hosted the seminar,“The Nuts and Bolts of Japanese Supplier
Relationships” given by Dr. Rena
Pomaville, President of Tsunagari Services,Inc. The keynote luncheon speaker wasDr. Kim Hill of the Center for Automotive
Research, who spoke about current trends
and predictions for the auto industry.

November 17

Fifth Third Bank Personal BankingSeminar
JASI was pleased to support this special
seminar, conducted in Japanese, to impartbasic information and knowledge of theU.S. banking system to members of thelocal Japanese community.

Information Services
The Society’s office serves as an information clearinghouse for Japan-relatedresources in Indiana. The office fields questions regarding Japan and Japaneseculture from Americans and provides resources for additional inquiry. JASI’sbilingual staff provides personal support to Japanese individuals, family
members, and executives, and responds in Japanese to requests for assistance,
practical living information, and educational information.

Bureau of Motor Vehicles interpreter recruitment and Japanesepolicy bulletins
JASI monitors changes in BMV policies that may affect the Japanesecommunity in Indiana and issues Bulletins to its members informing them of
the latest developments. JASI also maintains a database of authorized BMV
interpreters who are qualified to assist individuals in taking the written test
for an Indiana Driver’s license.

Member consultation

Employment Referrals, translation and interpreting referrals.

The JASI staff and directors of the Board provide customized briefings andgroup presentations on Japanese protocol, etiquette, travel to Japan andguidance for doing business with the Japanese.

Corporate benefits include the availability of in-house translation andinterpretation services, and referral to independent vendors. The JASI officeaccepts calls from the public and from member companies for translators andinterpreters on a per-project basis.

Japanese Language Program
For the past fifteen years JASI has offered one of the largest programs ofJapanese language classes for the central Indiana area. The classes aredesigned to meet community interest and focus on the students’ speaking,listening, reading and writing abilities. Various aspects of contemporary
Japanese culture supplement the courses taught by Mrs. Fumiko Sato.

The Japan-America Society of Indiana is not an employment agency; however,through our network of members, JASI occasionally facilitates employmentconnections.

Japan-America Society of Indiana

39 West Jackson Place, Suite 50, Indianapolis, Indiana 46225Phone: (317) 635-0123 • Fax: (317) 635-1452 • www.japanindiana.org