Happy New Year!

I hope you are starting the year 2021 (the third year of the Reiwa era in Japan) in a great spirit.

As we begin the new year, I would like to thank you for your continued support of the Japan Society of Northern California in our pursuit of the mission of advancing the understanding and friendship between the peoples of the U.S. and Japan. 

It gives me also a great pleasure to announce that Ambassador Larry Greenwood has become the Chairman of the Board of the Society as of January 1, 2021, to succeed Mr. Jon Metzler. The Society is grateful to Mr. Metzler for his great leadership in the last four years. Ambassador Greenwood was the Society’s President until 2019 and worked in Japan for many years both as a diplomat and a business executive. Please join me in welcoming Ambassador Greenwood and thanking Mr. Metzler.  

The Society will continue its efforts to present many meaningful events and networking opportunities, following our successful transformation to be a digital organization in 2020 thanks to your great support and encouragement (please see the 2020 Review Presentation attached here). For that, I would like to ask you for your continued support and welcome your active participation in our community. 

I hope you and your family will stay safe and healthy in these challenging times. 

Sincerely,

Takahide Akiyama
President