November’s Big Events
November has been a very busy month for the Japan Society, featuring two of our biggest events of the year – our first-ever conference in Japan (on precision and predictive healthcare), and our 36th Annual Award of Honor Gala. Both of these events were attended by hundreds of people, and involved many weeks of planning and logistics, and an all-out effort by our JSNC team and volunteers.
These events also reminded me that the Japan Society plays many roles. We deliver excellent and unique program content around a variety of topics to people with a strong interest in Japan. We help build bridges between individuals and companies in the US and Japan. And, as was very clear to me at our Award of Honor Gala, we serve as the connection point for a community of people who have all been touched in some way by our experience with and interest in Japan. My goal over the coming months is to find ways to deepen and extend these connections.
On a personal level, my trip to Japan for the healthcare conference was particularly enjoyable, since it was my first visit in three years. It was wonderful to reconnect in person with many friends – including many Japan Society friends and contacts. It was also interesting to see how Japan’s approach to COVID has differed from ours in the US, starting with the fact that EVERYONE is wearing masks. Nevertheless, it is clear that Japan is now open for business. If you’ve been waiting to get there, now is the time!
I also thoroughly enjoyed our Award of Honor Gala. Nearly 200 people joined us at the Nikko Hotel for a fun and fancy evening that included a magic show, an opera singer, a Silent Auction, and awards to three distinguished guests, Sen. William Hagerty of Tennessee, the former US Ambassador to Japan, Chairman Takuya Okada of AEON Group, and YouTube Japan. For me, it was heartwarming to see the level of support that the Japan Society received – and a huge relief that the event went according to plan. I hope you will take a minute to browse some of the photos from the event… and make your own plan to join us next year!
