Japanese American Leadership Seminar

Japanese Americans making a
difference in their community by“Economic development” and“Leadership” and in U.S.-Japan relations

About The Japanese American Leadership Delegation Program (JALD)
Japanese migration to the U.S. began during the Meiji
Era (1868-1912), and there are about 760,000 JapaneseAmericans in the U.S. (2010, national census). Following
the internment camps of World War II, the Sansei (third
generation), and Yonsei (fourth generation) have contributed
enormously both in their respective fields of work and theircommunities. Co-organized by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MOFA) and U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), a diverse group of
about 10 Japanese-Americans who are playing leading roles

in such fields as business, public organizations, education
and arts are invited to Japan each year. During the 1-week
stay in Japan, the group meets and exchanges information
with Japanese leaders in government, political, businessand non-profit sectors. The group visits regional cities toexchange ideas with experts in various fields and experience
traditional Japanese culture. As part of the program, CGP cohosts a public symposium or a seminar with USJC. In 2014,
10 participants are invited from March 8-15.

Date: March 10, 2014 14:00 –15:30

Venue: Fukuoka American Center

The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
4-4-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004
Tel 03-5369-6072 Fax 03-5369-6042 http://www.jpf.go.jp/cgp/

Organized by:
The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP)
Co-Organized by: U.S.-Japan Council (USJC)
Supported by:
The American Consulate in Fukuoka, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
The Japan-America Society of Fukuoka

Introduction

Remarks:

The Japanese - American Leadership Delegation Program(JALD) has been held every year since 2000 for the purpose ofpromoting mutual understanding and deepening interaction
between the Japanese - American society and Japan,
sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As
part of this program, the Japan Foundation Center for Global
Partnership (CGP) has held an annual seminar or symposium,
focusing on a different theme every year. On March 10, 2014,
we held a seminar in Fukuoka under the title “Finding a Voicein Government: Japanese - Americans Making a Differencein Their Communities and in U.S.- Japan Relations,” which

focused on “local economic development” and “leadership”
based on Japanese - American history and experience.
This report is a compilation of summaries ofpresentations, discussions, and Q&A sessions of the seminar.
The presentations by the panelists were especially insightful
and encouraged all to think about the history and the current
relationship between Japan and the U.S.
We hope that the seminar helped to develop collaborative
relationships not only between Fukuoka and the U.S., butalso between Kyushu and Chugoku area and the U.S.

Venue: Fukuoka American Center

Opening Remarks

Screening of Short Film “History of Japanese Americans”

		 14:15

Presentations

			

Ms. Keiko Orrall “Japanese Americans in US Politics”

			
			

		 14:45

		 15:30

Today, we have Q&A session after the presentations by
the panelists. So we would like the audience to make thesession lively to make this seminar a very meaningful one.

Ms. Irene Hirano Inouye,
President, US-Japan Council

Date: March 10, 2014 14:00 –15:30

		 14:05

The United States is often represented by the term salad bowl
or mosaic, which means we are a multiethnic country and US
citizens have their roots in all over the world. There were a lotof Japanese immigrants that came to the United States, theirdescendants are exceedingly active in American Society atpolitical or business fields, represented by late Senator Daniel
Inouye.

Remarks:

Program

Program: 14:00

Ms. Margaret G. MacLeod,
Consul for Public Affairs, Director, Fukuoka American Center

Ms. Carrie Okinaga “Hawaii Connections”
Mr. Brad Miyake “City of Bellevue USA”

Discussion and Q&A

Closing

On behalf of the US-Japan Council, and the 2014 JapaneseAmerican Leadership Delegation, we are so honored to join
you this afternoon.
I am especially pleased to return to Fukuoka as myfather’s parents, my grandparents were from the Fukuoka
area, they went to the United States in the early 1900s. And
as you heard, my late husband, Senator Daniel Inouye, also
had roots in Yame, Fukuoka. His grandparents went to Hawaii
as contract laborers to work in the sugar plantations. As twoof our leaders here today also have roots in Fukuoka, we areso much delighted to be here.
The US-Japan Council is a non-profit organization. It wasestablished by Japanese Americans and is headquarteredin Washington, DC. The council’s mission is very simply todevelop strong people to people relationships between the
US and Japan at the government, the business, and the civilsociety level. For example, through educational programs, thecouncil works with a diverse range of American and Japaneseleaders. Also we work on several programmatic initiatives
which include networking between Japanese businessleaders and American business leaders, and supporting
Japan’s NPO and NGO sector.
Among those activities, one of the key programs of the
US-Japan Council is the Japanese American Leadership

Delegation (JALD). This is the 14th year of this program and a
total of over 166 Japanese American leaders from throughout
the United States have participated in the program. The
leadership delegates meet with top leaders in Japan,
including the prime minister, the foreign minister, heads ofmajor Japanese companies to exchange ideas and enhance
its relationship.
I have had the honor of traveling with every leadership
delegation for the past 13 years. In 2011, the Leadership
Delegation was in Tokyo on March 11, 2011; when the Great
East Japan Earthquake struck. And in 2012, the delegation
visited Sendai, and we visited Fukushima last year.
Following March 11, the US-Japan Council establishedan earthquake relief fund and supported many NPOs in Japanthat were working on the ground to provide relief and recovery.
Many JALD alumni and the US-Japan Council have frequently
visited the Tohoku region and worked with communities fortheir recovery.
For this seminar, we will be hearing from three membersof the leadership delegation. It is so wonderful to see anabsolutely full house. Thank you very much.

Moderator:
Remarks by Ms. Margaret MacLeod, Consul for
Public Affairs, Director, Fukuoka American Center

Remarks by Ms. Irene Hirano Inouye, President,
US-Japan Council

Presentation by Ms. Carrie Okinaga

IRENE HIRANO INOUYE (Washington DC)

President, US-Japan Council

Irene Hirano Inouye is President of the U.S.-Japan Council, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.,
dedicated to building people-to-people relationships between the United States and Japan. She is the former President andfounding CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, a position she held for twenty years. A recipientof bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, Ms. Hirano Inouye has
extensive experience in nonprofit administration, community education and public affairs with culturally diverse communities
nationwide. Ms. Hirano Inouye’s professional and community activities include serving as Chair, and Trustee Ford Foundation,
Trustee and immediate past chair, Kresge Foundation; Trustee, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Trustee, Washington
Center, and Trustee, Independent Sector. She was married to the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii. Prefecture in Japan ofancestral origins: paternal side from Fukuoka, maternal side from Tokyo.

Presentation by Ms. Keiko Orrall

2 Japanese American Leadership Seminar

Presentation by Mr. Brad Miyake

Seminar in Fukuoka American Center

Japanese American Leadership Seminar 3

Abstract of the presentation:

Ms. Carrie Okinaga,
General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, First Hawaiian Bank
Aloha. Thank you very much for the privilege and the honorof addressing you here today. I am Sansei. My father’s family
was from Fukuoka and my mother’s from Kumamoto, like somany Japanese Americans from Hawaii. By the early 1900s,
Japanese Americans represented over 40% of the populationin Hawaii. By contrast, in 2010, Japanese Americans
represented just 13.6%. The most populous Asian ancestry
descendants are now Filipinos in Hawaii. As I am Hawaiian,
I am very much proud that many Japanese Americans from
Hawaii have been playing an active role in various areas.
First and foremost, there are late Senator Daniel Inouye
and Spark Matsunaga who served as Senator at the sametime. Also former Governor Ariyoshi was the first Asian
American Governor in the United States. Growing up as aJapanese American woman, in Hawaii there was no question,
we had a series of mentors and good role models for us. Patsy
Mink, who was elected to the US Congress in the 1960s and
Senator Mazie Hirono, currently is the only person of Asianancestry serving in the senate and she was born in Japan. We
are also currently represented in the House of Representatives

by Colleen Hanabusa, who is a Yonsei. We also have many
proud Japanese Americans such as four-star army general,
Eric Shinseki and baseball player, Wally Yonamine.
As you may know, Fukuoka is the first sister city of
Hawaii, and it was established in 1981 when Governor
Ariyoshi was governor. We have been supported by the
Fukuoka Kenjinkai to continue exchange programs such as
the homestay programs and, the JET program. We also cansee the strong connections between Hawaii and Japan fromthe episode which after the Great East Japan Earthquake, $9
million was raised and it was the largest amount raised for anatural disaster outside of Hawaii.
Tourism is Hawaii’s number one industry and it is a key
connection point between Japan and Hawaii. It is 20% of oureconomy, we had 8.236 million visitors in 2013, spending$14.5 billion. 18.5% of our visitors are from Japan, 1.52 million
people, and they spend approximately $2.5 billion which
is about 3.5% of our state’s GDP. We have approximately
12 flights per day. Hawaii will continue to execute various
initiatives to attract tourists. Come visit us. Aloha and mahalo.

Panelist:

CARRIE OKINAGA (Honolulu, HI)

General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, First Hawaiian Bank
Ms. Carrie Okinaga is General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for First Hawaiian Bank, the oldest and largest financial institution
in Hawaii. She is a member of senior management and oversees legal matters as well as corporate secretary functions of thebank and its subsidiaries. As the Corporation Counsel of the City and County of Honolulu from 2005-2011, Ms. Okinaga served
as the chief legal counsel and officer through three different mayoral administrations, overseeing a department of over 80 people
and a budget in excess of $9 million. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation(HART), Honolulu’s semi-autonomous governmental entity responsible for the planning, operation, maintenance and expansion of
the City and County of Honolulu’s first elevated fixed guideway mass transit system. Ms. Okinaga earned a B.A. in Government/
Public Policy from Pomona College and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she currently serves as a member of the Boardof Visitors. Prefectures in Japan of ancestral origins: paternal side from Fukuoka, maternal side from Kumamoto.

Abstract of the presentation:

Ms. Keiko Orrall, State Legislator, Massachusetts State Legislature
Konnichiwa. I am honored to be here to present to you
today about Japanese Americans in US politics. I am from
Boston, Massachusetts, and Boston is located on theeastern seaboard of the United States. Massachusetts has apopulation of approximately 6.6 million people. The medianincome is $55,602 and our annual state budget is around $34
billion. We are home to many excellent colleges including
Harvard, MIT, and my alma mater Smith Daigaku. And we also
have great sports teams as well.
My story as a Japanese American in politics begins in
Okinawa. My grandfather, Saburo Matsudo, moved to Hawaii
around 1910 and worked in the sugarcane plantations of
Hawaii. My grandmother is also from Okinawa. My father
Jinichi Matsudo is the second youngest and was the only one

4 Japanese American Leadership Seminarin his family to attend college, and he married my mother who
is German-Irish. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and am oneof five children. I was fortunate that my parents instilled thevalues of hard work in our family and I was able to attend
Smith College where I met my husband Norman. I have twochildren.
I decided to run for office in 2011 because I wanted toprovide a voice for advocacy for my community since I was
involved in local politics and organizing grassroots campaign.
In order to run for office in the United States, it takes a lot of
work, effort, perseverance, and money. My family is vital to
my life as a politician. My husband is my campaign manager,
and my children have helped tremendously on all of mycampaigns. And most importantly, my supporting team.

I am the first Asian woman in the House of Representatives
and the first Japanese American ever to serve in the
Massachusetts Legislature. Additionally, it is very difficult
to get elected because I am in the Republican Party, andMassachusetts is predominantly and very strongly Democrat.
But I believe it is important for all voices to be heard, andso I work hard to be respectful of both parties. After being
as a politician, because of my Japanese heritage, I have
many opportunities to participate in not only the Japanesecommunity but in all Asian communities in Massachusetts.
In last December of 2013, the governor of Massachusetts
made a visit to Japan to promote Massachusetts-Japan
partnership. We are renowned as a world technology hub,such as leaders in medicine, biotech expansion, clean energy,
and innovation. We are excited to have opportunities withmore than 100 Japanese companies and welcome businessleaders here from Fukuoka to investigate Massachusetts as apossibility for expansion. Domo arigato gozaimashita.

Panelist:

KEIKO ORRALL (Boston, MA)

General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, First Hawaiian Bank
Representative Keiko Orrall currently represents the 12th Bristol District of Massachusetts. She was elected as a state legislator
in 2011. She is the Ranking Minority Member of the Joint Committees on Labor and Workforce Development as well as State
Administration and Regulatory Oversight. She also serves on the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and the Joint Committee
on Public Health. Representative Orrall is the first Japanese American to serve as a member of the Massachusetts Legislature.
She has worked to encourage economic development with the cranberry industry and is focused on business expansion in
Massachusetts. Prior to office, she taught public school, was involved in politics on a local level and led several successful
grassroots campaigns. Representative Orrall earned a B.A. from Smith College. Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Okinawa.

Abstract of the presentation:

Mr. Brad Miyake, Acting City Manager, City of Bellevue
Good afternoon. I am Sansei and I am from the City of
Bellevue. Today I would like to tell you about my family
history, my experience as a Japanese American, my career incivil service, and economic development in Bellevue.
In terms of my family, my father’s parents emigrated
from Hiroshima to Sacramento, California and my mother’s
parents were from Nagano and they emigrated from Nagano
to Seattle, Washington, in the early 1900s. My parents had
five children, three girls and two boys and my father was in
the car business selling cars as well as he was the manager inthe construction business and my mother was an accountant.
Since we were raised primarily in a Caucasian and African
American community, we felt very much like a minority there.
Having said that though, my father emphasized to me andmy brothers and sisters at a very early age to be very proudof my Japanese heritage. In fact, I remember times when we
had this huge sense of pride when Japan began dominating
both the electronics and automobile industry.
Next is my career of working at the City of Bellevue.
In a number of different leadership positions, as a budget
manager I oversaw a multimillion dollar capital and operating
budget and after that I became a deputy director of ourutilities department. Currently, I serve as the acting citymanager, which is the chief executive officer for the City of

Bellevue where I lead all city functions including economic
development.
In terms of the City of Bellevue, it is located just eastof the City of Seattle and roughly 60 years old. We have a
population of 130,000. Bellevue has many ties to Japan. It
has started that the Japanese immigrated to Bellevue in theearly 1900s. We had a large Japanese farming communityand one of the large ones, they produce strawberries. We
also have ties with the consulate general of Seattle, where wework on areas of economic development. We also hold many
Japanese cultural events.
Bellevue has a very strong and vibrant economy so that
we are a major regional employment center. Why would you
invest in Bellevue? We have some of the lowest tax rates in
the State of Washington. We have access to a highly educatedworkforce. Bellevue is also voted one of the most livable
cities by a well-known magazine in the United States called
Money magazine. It is also voted one of the best places tostart a new business by Forbes magazine. It has outstanding
schools. It has some of the top public schools in the UnitedStates.
Lastly I wanted to welcome Japan to Bellevue. I will doeverything to accommodate you and would love to have yourbusiness come to Bellevue, so thank you very much.

Panelist:

BRAD MIYAKE (Bellevue, WA)

Acting City Manager, City of Bellevue
Mr. Brad Miyake has been Acting City Manager of the City of Bellevue since May 2013. He had previously served as Deputy
City Manager from 2006-2013. Mr. Miyake has played key roles in developing the city’s budget process, obtaining the Utilities
Department’s first professional accreditation and spearheading efforts to improve city management processes. He oversees abiennial budget of approximately $1.3 billion, over 1,200 positions, and all City operations including Police, Fire, Public Works,
Economic Development, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Transportation and Utilities. Mr. Miyake holds a
B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington. Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Hiroshima.

Japanese American Leadership Seminar 5

パネリストに興味があるから／
6 件／ 4%
自分の仕事・研究の参考になるから／
23 件／ 17%

QA (excerpts)
Question 1: Talking about Japanese and Americans,

we have different cultural backgrounds. For instance in the
United States you are rather straight. Casually you can say
things that you are thinking about, but many Japanese,they try to understand you reading in between the lines soto speak. For Japanese Americans, how do you see thisdifference in cultures between Japan and the United States?
And what would be a good idea to mutually understandeach other’s cultures? What needs to be done? Would you
give us advice?
Answer: Toko Serita, Americans are known to be very direct
and I think that there is a cultural understanding that needs
to take place. One of the things that I think will help thesituation is understanding where Americans are coming from,but also Americans understanding how Japanese respondand how they are reacting in situations, so that cultural
understanding between both societies is very important.
I think that Americans really do need to understand thenuances and the sensitivities that the Japanese approachvarious things, including communication with Americans so
I think that there is a level of understanding and educationthat needs to happen on both sides.

Question 2: My question goes to Ms. Keiko Orrall. If

your last name had been Japanese, would your election
have been more difficult?
Answer: Keiko Orrall, My first name is actually very
Japanese, and so every day when I go into a meeting, it ismispronounced. They call me Kiko, they call me Kaiko. And
so it has been a challenge politically because my last namedoesn’t help. So it is very important for me to make sure thatpeople understand what type of person they are electing sothat they know to vote for me.

Question 3: I moved to California and attended middle

school and high school. And then I came back to Japan for
university. I am what we called a Kikoku Shijo, which meansa returning student whose home country is Japan but has
lived abroad. And I feel we, the Kikoku Shijo, have both
Japanese and American background. So I wanted to ask
you that what do you recommend us, the Kikoku Shijo, toplay a role in US-Japan relations?
Answer: Yoriko Kishimoto, I think that people like us play avery important role, obviously, in understanding the UnitedStates and Japan in any field, in business and governmentand such. I think the important mind-frame is not to think ofyourself as being in between two cultures but that you are
the best of two cultures really. You are the future of boththe United States and Japan, because the United States
is a multiethnic country and Japan will also be looking forpeople who are multicultural to help lead the future.

Question 4: In the theme of the symposium, it says

leadership here. So what leadership do you have in mind?
What does it mean? And what is needed for leadership or

6 Japanese American Leadership Seminar

テーマに関心があるから／
94 件／ 70%

The summary for the questionnaire

what is important for being a leader or to show leadership?
Answer: Brad Miyake, You have to have integrity to be aleader, you have to be a highly values driven type of person
as well as highly principled. I think it is good to have a goodeducation and also to have good experience. It is good not
to just stay in one place when you work. I think it is good to
get a wide range of experience. And lastly I think it is goodto have a mentor, someone that takes you under their wing
and helps to you as you move throughout your career.
Answer: Derek Okubo, Being a leader, when I think of thebest leaders that I have worked with, it is really no different
than being a good parent in a lot of ways. You have to bewilling to not be popular. As a parent, with your children, if
you try to be popular all the time you are going to get yourself
into a lot of trouble, and I think as a leader it is no different.
You have to have the courage to say no or to make decisions
that are sometimes unpopular, but for the betterment of
the whole community you have to have the community’s
interests in mind rather than your own. I think the other thingis, as far as being a leader—to do that requires courage andthe courage to stand up for what you believe in the faceof people trying to influence you in different ways. As far
as you are a leader, when you really think about the bestsolution, your own credit doesn’t matter. It is important that
if you are a true leader, credit is not the main purpose formaking decisions. The main purpose is to keep the broader
community good in mind first, and that is the paramounttype of thing. And also to realize that being a leader does notmean you know all of the answers and many times you don’tknow the answers at all, but you might know the questions
that need to be asked in order to get those answers thatneed to be taken care of.

Question 5: I have a question to Irene. Unfortunately

Late Senator Daniel Inouye passed away. I was wondering
if he has left any messages about the future of Japan-US
relationship which you can share with us?
Answer: Irene Hirano, I think that the Senator was always
very proud of his Japanese ancestry and believed that therelationship between the US and Japan was very important,and he worked very hard at various levels of government.
I think that legacy is part of the reason the US-Japan
Council was started, because he felt, as do many of us,
we need to build that relationship for the long-term, and so
it is very important to have people who understand eachother’s countries and that we find ways to be sure there
is a strong foundation. So even if often the governments,
the presidents, and prime ministers don’t agree, if we havea strong foundation, that is an enduring way in which weensure the future. I think many of the organizations’ activities
that the senator was involved in, that his legacy will continue
in the way. And I hope that many people in Japan feel thatthe relationship with the United States is also very important
as well.

Q: Impression of a seminar
Dissatisﬁed 0%
Somewhat dissatisﬁed 2%
Satisﬁed 28%

Other Delegates except the Panelists
ELISA DOZONONo answer 3%
Very satisﬁed 67%

Feedbacks from the audienecs○○ I really enjoyed the seminar, the speakers and delegateswere very friendly. I assume there are many challenges
they face due to their background or their role in politicalor business fields But in despite of these situations, I
felt they had overcome them by their efforts and being
positive. I am sure their story encouraged each of us who
attended today.

○○ It was a good seminar and it was an opportunity for me to(Portland, OR)
Partner, Miller Nash
Lawyer specializes in business litigation andgovernment law
Prefectures in Japan of ancestral origins: paternalside from Fukuoka and Okayama, maternal side from
Tokushima and Chiba

YORIKO KISHIMOTO(Palo Alto, CA)
Director/Former Mayor, Midpeninsula Regional OpenSpace District/City of Palo Alto
Political leader, and worked with technology
executives across the Pacific negotiating
partnerships and technology transfers.
Prefectures in Japan of ancestral origins: paternalside from Osaka, maternal side from Shiga

TOKO SERITA(Queens, NY)
Acting Supreme Court Justice, Queens County
She is the first Japanese-American Judge in New
York State. She is a leading judicial expert on humantrafficking.
Prefecture in Japan of ancestral origins: Hokkaido

think about what leadership is beyond cultures.

○○ I learned a lot about the history of Japanese Americans

which I had never had the chance to study before. I now
would like to learn more about Japan-US relations and its
background when it appears in the news.

○○ I

was moved. I now understand well that JapaneseAmericans have been active in American Society by theirconstant effort and passion.

○○ It

was impressive that there were a lot of university
students at present and they actively asked questions.

○○ I would like to keep in mind about the future of US-Japan

relationship and make my effort to reach my goal to work
abroad.

○○ I am deeply proud of those who emigrated to the US andtheir efforts, their descendant’s activities and contributionin American Society.

○○ Pleasehold this kind of seminar as many times as
possible. Today’s seminar was full of energy and it was
brilliant! I haven’t felt this satisfied for a long time.

○○ I

now understand well about the values of JapaneseAmericans in the U.S. and their leadership.

GARY YAMASHIROYA(Chicago, IL)
Detective Commander, City of Chicago, Departmentof Police
He has spent the past 27 years with the Chicago
Police Department and worked closely withJapanese officials, assisting them in the field of
Criminal Justice and Law.
Prefectures in Japan of ancestral origins: paternalside from Yamaguchi, maternal side from Hiroshima

LEONA HIRAOKA(Washington, DC)
Vice President, Communications, Points of Light
Senior communications executive, enterprise-levelstrategist, and media entrepreneur specializing
in advancing client company goals with targeted
audiences using integrated media platforms andmarketing.
Prefectures in Japan of ancestral origins: paternalside from Hiroshima and Kumamoto, maternal sidefrom Yamaguchi

DEREK OKUBO(Denver, CO)
Executive Director, Agency for Human Rights andCommunity Partnerships
He oversees eight offices and ten community
commissions that serve as a bridge between the
Mayor’s Office, local government’s departments/
agencies and the community.
Prefectures in Japan of ancestral origins: paternalside from Toyama, maternal side from Hiroshima

KEITH WALTERS(Santa Monica, CA)
Lieutenant Colonel/Army Research Fellow, U.S.
Army/RAND Corporation
He contributes to RAND studies on U.S. strategy andpolicy in East Asia and on the development of future
Army concepts and force structure.
Prefectures in Japan of ancestral origins: Miyagi,
Tochigi

Japanese American Leadership Seminar 7