Each year, a group of students from universities in the United States and Japan spend four weeks living, traveling, and studying together. Students work to deepen the ties between the relations between the two countries through discussions about key topics in U.S.-Japan relations. The delegates collaborate with leaders in business, academia, and government on contemporary social, economic, and political issues that face the U.S., Japan and the world. JASC is student managed by 16 Executive Committee members from both countries who work in collaboration with International Student Conferences in Washington, D.C. and the International Education Center in Tokyo.
JASC is the oldest student-run exchange between these two countries. In 1934, a small group of Japanese university students concerned about the deteriorating relations between the United States and Japan initiated the first JASC in Tokyo. The following year, American students reciprocated by hosting the second JASC. This began the tradition of alternating host countries and holding JASC annually. Although World War II forced the suspension of JASC, it was revived in 1947 by Japanese and American students living in Japan. From its origin, JASC has been student-run, which ensures the creation of dynamic discussion focused on pressing current issues. Throughout its rich history, many JASC alumni from both nations have gone on to achieve distinction in business, academia, government and other circles.
The conference venue alternates between Japan and the United States every year. Over the course of four weeks participating students visit 4-5 locations in the host country. During this time, they engage in academic round-table discussions, cultural and social events, lectures and panel presentations, field trips, and community service activities. These experiences provide a foundation for mutual understanding, social awareness, cultural sensitivity, and an exchange of ideas. More importantly, the bonds that form as a result of the 72 students living and working together will offer the basis for lifelong friendships that further strengthen the ties between Japan and the United States.
In recent years the conference has attempted to include discussions of the rise of China as a major power in Asia by holding trilateral forums with Chinese students. Additionally, a new Korea-America Student Conference has been established to improve ties between the United States and its regional ally South Korea.
The core of JASC is the "roundtable," a subgroup of ten students; four from the Japanese delegation and four from the American delegation, with one member of the Executive Committee from each delegation to act as roundtable leaders. The two Executive Committee Chairs do not lead a roundtable.
Roundtable topics vary from year to year, and are decided by the Executive Committee for the conference. Roundtables aim to be diverse and cover a broad range of topics pertaining to U.S.-Japan relations. The 63rd JASC included the "Ethics of Technology and Its Impact on Human Life" roundtable, "Interpretation of History in International Relations" roundtable, and the "Comprehensive Security" roundtable, among others.
Delegates spend much time in roundtable groups. Aside from discussions and debates, roundtables also embark on field trips to locations pertaining to the roundtable topic. 63rd JASC field trips included the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture, Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and Camp Foster in Okinawa, and the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo.
Each site also features a forum where delegates engage in lectures with prominent experts and professors in numerous fields. Apart from these forums, delegates also prepare presentations for two forums of their own – the Midterm and Final Forum. These forums are chances for each roundtable to present to the entire delegation the issues they discussed throughout the conference. Local high school and university students, as well as government officials and alumni are invited to attend these forums.
Delegates also have the opportunity to engage in alumni receptions to network with past JASC alumni.
American delegates are selected from all fields of study and will range from first year college students to Ph.D. candidates. Delegates need not be Asian studies majors or studying Japanese language because English is the primary language of the Conference. In fact, students of other disciplines are strongly encouraged to apply in order to broaden the depth of student representation. Applicants are asked to submit short essays, one longer essay, a writing sample, current transcript and letters of recommendation. Upon selection, delegates prepare a roundtable-related paper prior to the Conference.
Eiichi Akamatsu – Former Senior Executive, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
Junichi Amano – President, Unisys Japan; Former Executive Vice President, Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Tokyo
Kenji Eguchi – President, San-Esu Company, Ltd.
Risshin Fukunaga – President, Nippon Kogyo Company, Ltd.
Sakie (Tachibana) Fukushima – Board of Directors, Sony Corporation; President, Partner, & Member of the Board of Directors, Korn/Ferry International
Takehito (Mike) Furuhata – President, International Digital Communications, Inc., Tokyo; Former Executive Vice President & Former Chairman, Itochu International, Inc.
Toru Hashimoto – Chairman, The Fuji Bank, Japan
Kunio Hirata – President, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd., Malaysia; Former Vice President & Chief Manager, N.A. Administration, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd., NY
Sukekazu Hirayama – President, Tobu Fudosan Kanri
Nobushige Hosooka – Former Senior Vice President, Mitsui & Co. – U.S.A., Inc.
Katsuji Imata – Executive Director, Japan Pacific Resource Network
Kichiemon Iwamoto – President, Okura Shoji Company, Ltd.
Takashi Iwata – Former President, Mazda Motor Corporation
Tetsuro Kamimura – Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Corp.; Former President, Mitsubishi International Corp.
Yutaka Katayama – Former Chairman & President, Nissan North America, Automobile Hall of Fame, Detroit
Takashi Kato – President, Nikken Chemical Company Ltd.; Director, Nitchitsu Corporation
Masaaki Kawabata – President, AK Travel Canada Ltd.
Masumi Kitahara – President, Niigata Steel
Norio Kitamura – Advisor, Mitsubishi Corporation; Managing Director, Yamatane Stock Company
Yosuke Kobayashi – President, Geneon Entertainment – U.S.A; Toei Animation
Hideki Komori – President, AIDOMA Company, Ltd.
Naomichi Korenori – President and Chief Executive Officer, Kansai Kisen Ltd.; Former Senior Managing Director & Vice President, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
Hiroshi Kuroda – Senior Vice President, GE Capital Leasing Corporation
Hideo Maeda – Senior Vice President, Sumitomo Bank of New York Trust Company
Minoru Makihara – Senior Corporate Advisor, Mitsubishi Corporation; Deputy Chief, Keidanren
Taizo Matsui – President, Milestone Corp.; Former Representative, Tasco Japan
Jun Mokudai – Vice President, Northwest Airlines, Japan
Yoichiro Mori – Vice President, Global Loans, Citibank, N.A. in Tokyo; Former Vice President, Salomon Smith Barney Inc. in NY; Former Vice President, Global Loans Trading, Citicorp Securities
Isao Nakagawa – Manager, Itochu International, Inc.
Takeshi Nakajima – Vice President, Union Bank
Shoichi Nakase – Former Senior Executive, Mitsubishi Corporation; Former Japan Representative, Federal Paper Board Company, Inc.
Tsunefumi Nakatsuji – President, Nakatsuji Limited
Yasuhiko Nara – Advisor, Merrill Lynch Japan, Inc.; Former Ambassador to Canada, S. Vietnam, and Cambodia
Shigeto Nikai – Advisor, Fuji Bank, Former Ambassador to Syria, Peru, and Turkey
Tatsuhiko Nikaido – President, Nikaido Architect Company
Naohiro Nishida – Vice President, Fixed Income Dept., Goldman Sachs – Japan Ltd.; Former Associate Manager, International Treasury Dept., Industrial Bank of Japan
Mitsuo Nishimura – President, Tokyo Tsushin Company, Ltd.
Jun Nishizawa – Deputy General Manager, Public Relations, Mitsubishi Corporation
Hideo Niwa – President, Newtopia, Inc., Tokyo
Katsuya Nohara – Former President, Japan Airlines Travel Development Company; Former Chairman, JALPAK
Pat Y. Ogosh – Executive Advisor, Hitachi Metals Techno, Ltd., Tokyo
Akira Ohtomo – Chairman, CEO & Representative Director, Pan Pacific Enterprises, Inc.; Former President, Cartier Japan; Former President, Polaroid Japan
Takashi Oshima – President, Daido Construction
Tatsumi Ohtaka – President, Meishoku Service Co., Ltd.
Toshio Ozeki – Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley, NY; Former Resident CEO, Nikko Securities
Hideya Sakai – Vice President, Pip Fujimoto
Daizo Sawaki – Managing Director, Hotel Okura
Naoaki Shibuya – President & Chief Operating Officer, Central Pacific Bank; Former Executive Vice President, Sumitomo Bank of California
Takao Shimizu – Vice President, Industrial Bank of Japan Chicago Branch
Chusuke Takahashi – Former Vice President, Sumitomo Bank, Ltd.
Masaharu Togo – Assistant General Manager, Sumitomo Corporation, Japan
Toshihiro Tomabechi – Former President, Mitsubishi International Corporation; Former Senior Advisor & Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Motor Corporation
Sueo Tsurumi – President, Mita Jitsugyo Company, Ltd.
Masahiro Watanabe – President, Japan Foreign Book Sales Company, Ltd.
Masaru Yamada – President, International Culture Center; Managing Director, Unicon Japan
Tadashi Yamada – Chairman, Association of World Trade Centers
Masamoto Yashiro – Chairman & CEO, Shinsei Bank, Ltd.; Former President, Citibank, N.A.; Former President, Esso, Japan
Teriyoshi Yasufuku – Former Deputy Chairman, Sanwa Bank, Ltd., Japan
Tatsuya Yasui – President, Kyoritsu Department
Naoya Yoda – President and CEO, Toray Corporate Business Research
Takashi Yoneda – President, Global Link Associates; Former Manager, Industrial Bank of Japan
Hiromu Fukuda – Former Ambassador to Australia
Shigeyuki Hiroki – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vice Director of Financial Affairs Division, Tokyo
Wakako Hironaka – Member of House of Councilors, Former Minister of Environment
Kenji Kobayashi – Deputy Director-General, Agency of Natural Resources & Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Hiroshi Kitamura – Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Former Ambassador to the U.K.; Former Consul General, S.F.
Sashichiro Matsui – Former Ambassador to Nigeria, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Kiichi Miyazawa – Former Prime Minister of Japan; Former Minister of Finance
Moriyuki Motono – Former Ambassador to France
Eiichi Nakao – Cabinet Minister, Economic Planning Agency; Former MITI Minister; Cabinet Minister of Construction; Senior Member, Liberal Democratic Party
Yasushi Takase – Minister, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Taichi Tajika – Ambassador to England
Yoichi Takebayashi – Researcher, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
Hidetoshi Ukawa – Former Ambassador to Brazil; Former Consul General, New York
Moto Uwano – Former Foreign Service Cultural Attaché, Washington, D.C. and London
Bunroku Yoshino – Former Ambassador to West Germany; Former Advisor to the Foreign Ministry
Kengo Yoshihara – Deputy Director of Global Environment Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tomitaro Yazawa – Director, Ministry of Finance, Customs and Tariff Bureaus
Eiichi Hayashi – Headmaster, Osaka Gaikokugo University
Aya Ishida – President, Bunka Gakuin
Toshio Kanchi – Trustee, International Education Center
Kenichiro Mogi – Neuroscientist, Sony Computer Science Laboratory Inc.
Akira Otomo – President, International Pacific University, New Zealand
Robert E. Okajima – Director, Alumni Counsel, NYU; Treasurer
Kuwako Takahashi – Recipient of The Order of the Precious Crown
Masaru Yamada – President & Founder, Center for International Cultural Studies & Education
Journalism and art
Susumu Awanohara – Editor, Nikko Capital Trends; Research Advisor, Nikko Research Center – America, Inc.; Former Washington Bureau Chief, Far Eastern Economic Review
Kyoko Hirano – Author, Mr. Smith Goes to Tokyo
Yoshinori Imai – European Chief, NHK; Newscaster, "Good Morning, Japan"
Yasumasa Ohta – Executive Editor, Kyodo Press
Yoshimasa Sumino – Publications Editor, Mainichi Daily News
Junichiro Suzuki – Former Chief Editor, The Japan Times
Kuwako Yasundo Takahashi – Author, The Joy of Japanese Cooking
Thomas Bodley, '77, '78, '79 – Vice President, Operations & Customer Services, American Express International, Inc., Japan
Bernice Bowers, '83 – Manager, Research & Administration, The NorthEast Asia Forum
Brian Bray, '82, '83 – Director of Technology, Lebanon Community School District
Eugene Danaher, '71, '72 – Associate General Counsel, DaimlerChrysler AG
Richard Elbaum, '86, '87 – Director, Legal & Business Affairs, A & E Television Networks
Leonard Fricke, '72, '73, '74 – President, Teclink International, Ltd.
Brian L. Foote, '87, '88 – President & CEO, Water Extraction Technologies
Shari Fujii, ’84 – Director, Business Development & Lead Generation Marketing, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Glen S. Fukushima, ’70, ’71 – President & CEO, Airbus Japan K.K.
Deborah Gelin, ’79 – President, Of Counsel, Inc.
Mariko Gordon, ’83 – President, Daruma Asset Management
Margaret Haas, ’69, ’70, ’72 – President, The Haas Associates, Inc.
Thomas Hendrickson, ’65, ’66 – Executive Vice President, Associated Mortgage Group, Inc
Cara Holland, ’79, ’80, ’81 – President & CEO, H&ACG; Formerly with Citicorp and U.S. Bank
Norie Huddle, ’71 – Director & Chairman of the Board, Center for New National Security
Michael Edward Hueser,’90 – Owner & Founder, Quest Productions, Inc./Core Multimedia LLC/Thoughtport, Inc.
Larry Ingraham, ’74 – President, Ingraham & Associates, Inc.
Richard Jeydel, ’73 – Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Kanematsu USA Inc.
Samuel Kim, ’83, ’84 – Vice President & General Manager, Procter & Gamble Korea
Henry A. Kissinger, '51 – Chairman, Kissinger Associates; U.S. Secretary of State 1973–1977; Nobel Peace Prize 1973
Arthur B. Knauss, ’65 – Partner, Redman, Bemis & Knauss; Former President, Oregon Bar Association
William Knox, ’73 – President, The Knox Company
Gordon Lankton, ’53 – President, Nypro Inc.
Robert Maitland, ’81, ’82 – Attorney, Maitland & Maitland PLLC
Allen Miner, ’83, ’84 – President & CEO, SunBridge Corporation
Stephen C. Moss, ’79 – President & CEO, AgustaWestland Inc./AgustaWestland North America
Hugh O'Donnell, ’39, ’40 – Senior Vice President, Crocker National Bank – now Wells Fargo Bank, San Francisco, CA
Don H. Phillips, ’55 – Patent Law, Hoechst Celanese Corporation
Chris D. Pixley, ’92 – Partner, Hill Kertscher & Pixley LLP
Kathleen Quinn, ’80 – Ceridant Intercultural/The Bennett Group
Daniel Rathmann, ’54 – American Process Design, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio
John Rogers, ’84 – Managing Partner, Jade River Capital Management, Former President & CEO, Invesco, Inc.
Louis Ross, ’92 – President & CEO, Motion Engine, Inc.
Mary Jones Rumsey, ’87 – Chief Investment Officer, Harriman Capital Management, L.L.C.
Harold L. Segall, ’78 – Director, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
John Shook, ’77 – President, TWI Network, Inc.; Senior Advisor, Lean Enterprise Institute
Robert Sigler, ‘87, ’88 – President & CEO, Global Trust Ventures
Stephen M. Snyder, ’80, ’81 – Vice President, Checkered Flag Motor Car Company Inc.
Stuart Souther, ’81, ’82, '83 – General Counsel, Hoya Corporation
Michael Stephenson, ’85 – Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Court Square Capital Partners
Robert C. Swan, '67 – Vice President & Corporate Secretary, Phelps Dodge Corporation, Phoenix, AZ
Jon Tanaka, ’84 – Director, DB Real Estate, Real Estate Opportunities Group, Deutsche Securities Ltd.
Christopher Weaver, ’75 – President, Media Technology lts.
John R. Westgarth, ’93 – Founder & President, Plangea
Joseph Willemssen, ’88 – President, Sustainable Transportation Entrepreneur
Phillip Wolfstein, ’72 – President, Wolfstein International Inc.; Former Export Manager, Bristol Foods, Inc.
Jonathan E. Yellen, ’86 – Managing Director, Global Principal Finance, Deutsche Bank
Susan Asomaning, ’81, ’82 – United Nations Budget Officer, Jerusalem
Jeffrey H. Barker, ’69 – State Representative, Oregon House of Representatives
Fred Hellberg, ’65, ’66 – Senior Policy Coordinator, Office of the Governor, State of Washington
Joni Takayo Hiramoto, ’81, ’82 – Superior Court Judge, Contra Costa County, CA; Former President, Asian-American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
Alexis D. Johns, ’85, ’86 – Legal Advisor to Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Richard S. Kanter, ’71, ’74 – Commercial Attaché, U.S. Embassy Sofia
Henry A. Kissinger, ’51 – Chairman, Kissinger Associates; U.S. Secretary of State 1973–1977; Nobel Peace Prize 1973
Arthur M. Mitchell, ’72 – The General Counsel, Asian Development Bank
Ronald Ohata, ’74, ’75 – Immigration Judge, U.S. Department of Justice
Claude G. Ross, ’37 – Former Ambassador to Central African Republic, Haiti, and Tanzania
Kurt W. Tong, ’84, ’85 – Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Tokyo
Cecil H. Uyehara, ’47 – Retired President, Uyehara International; Former President, JASC, Inc.; USAID: Vietnam, Afghanistan, Latin America; Author: Organized first post-World War II JASC Conference, 1947
Betty M. Vitousek, ’39, ’40 – First Circuit Judge, State of Hawaii Judiciary
Gregory Wolfe, ’40 – Professor, Florida Int’l University; Former White House staffs of Presidents Kennedy & Johnson, Senior positions in the Dept. of State in Latin American Affairs; Former President of FIU/Portland State University
James Hoyt, ’48 – Former Foreign Service Officer; Professor of Asian History, Western Washington University/University of Hawaii; Former Chairman of the U.S. Educational Commission in Japan
Louis Perry, ’37 – Former President, Whitman College
Donald Ray, ’39, ’40 – Director, National Institute of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Michael Reich, ’71 – Director, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies
John Shook, ’77 – Co-Director, University of Michigan Japan Technology Management Program; President, TWI Networking, Inc.
Hallam C. Shorrock, Jr., ’47, ’49 – Former Vice President, International Christian University in Tokyo
Allen Silverstone, ’64 – PA Science Advisory Board; Professor, Upstate Medical University
Robert E. Ward, ’50 – Former President, Association for Asian Studies – American Political Science Association
Tracy Dahlby, ’72 – Journalist/Filmmaker, Former Managing Editor for Newsweek International
Edwin O. Guthman, ’40 – Former Editor, Philadelphia Inquirer; Author, 1950 Pulitzer Prize recipient; Senior Lecturer, University of Southern California
Jim Impoco, ’78, ’79 – National Business Correspondent for U.S. News & World Report; Former Tokyo Bureau Chief, U.S. News & World Report
Alex Kerr, ’71 – 1994 Shincho Gakugei Literature Prize Recipient; Author, Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Modern Japan, et al.
Mary Lord, ’73 – Assistant Managing Editor, U.S. News and World Report; Former Tokyo Bureau Chief, U.S. News and World Report
Amelia Newcomb, ’79, ’80 – Deputy Foreign Editor, Christian Science Monitor, Boston, MA; Former Correspondent, Yomiuri Shimbun, Washington, D.C. Bureau
Donald Richie, ’47 – Arts Critic, The Japan Times; Author, Screenwriter and film critic
John Shook, ’77 – Co-Author, Learning to See, and 1999 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing
Lisa Shuchman, ’80 – Tokyo Bureau, The New York Times
David Thomas, ’88 – Executive Director, EssaySolutions; Former Executive Editor, Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine
Akira Tana, ’73 – Jazz Drummer, Akira Tana/Acannatuna Music
Sarah Sze, ’89, ’90 – Artist, MacArthur Genius Award
Sara Jobin, ’92 – Orchestra Conductor, Blackhawk Symphony Orchestra & Opera San Jose, first female to conduct San Francisco Opera
Wayne Miller ’89 – Vocalist, Herb Reed's Platters
Ross Chaney ’95 – Artist
