November 13th was the official start of APEC; this year, it was hosted in San Francisco. APEC stands for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a forum over 21 Asia-Pacific economies. APEC convenes once a year, and the primary focus of this forum is to promote economic growth, trade, and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC coming to San Francisco was a big deal as this was the most prominent international event that the city has hosted since the 1945 United Nations Conference on World Organization. With leaders convening from across Asia in the city, the Japan Society of Northern California sought to host an event that would actively contribute to the ongoing APEC-related dialogue throughout the week.
In collaboration with the Asia Society of Northern California, U.S.-Japan Council, Silicon Valley Japan Platform, and Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco, we hosted our “WPS + I Symposium Program” event with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yoko Kamikawa. WPS + I stands for “Women, Peace, and Security + Innovation”. The United Nations created this policy framework to increase women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peacemaking, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding efforts. The Japan Society of Northern California strongly believes in the involvement of women in these spheres, so we were honored to have newly appointed Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa as our main speaker and guest of honor.
Yōko Kamikawa was appointed Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs in September 2023. Before becoming Foreign Minister, she served as the Minister of Justice, Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs, and is a former member of the Japanese House of Representatives. In her keynote address, she underscored the significance of incorporating women’s viewpoints in economic domains like technological innovation to address societal challenges. She also mentioned that countries with high levels of gender equality tend to be more economically stable.
After Foreign Minister Kamikawa gave her speech, the event became a panel discussion. Dana Heatherton (Waymo), Ellen Kamei (City of Mountain View), and Derek Kenmotsu (U.S. Department of Defense) spoke on the importance of including women in the decision-making process, as well as their ideas on how organizations can increase the role that women play when it comes to problem-solving. Once the panel discussion and audience Q&A session concluded, attendees could network with each other while enjoying the breathtaking views of Salesforce Tower’s Ohana floor.
As we move into the future, we at the Japan Society of Northern California will continue to host and support events that promote the inclusion of women in the problem-solving and innovation sectors.
We extend a special thanks to Salesforce for providing the venue for our event, the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco for their assistance in logistics planning, Japan Society of Northern California Chairman Larry Greenwood for being the MC, Japan Society of Northern California board member and President of the U.S.-Japan Council president Suzanne Basalla for moderating the event, and Foreign Minister Kamikawa for taking the time to present on such an important topic. We’d also like to thank our guests for attending and making this event possible.
We look forward to seeing you at more Japan Society of Northern California events in the future!
