Dear Friends,
It’s Golden Week in Japan. Golden Week is a very popular string of holidays from April 29 to May 6, starting with Showa Day (the birthday of the Showa Emperor) and ending with Children’s Day, that gives people an opportunity to celebrate a range of significant events.
Here in San Francisco, May 1 also marks a milestone for Japan Society. Larry Greenwood will be stepping down as Board Chair after a decade of outstanding leadership.
Shortly after I joined the board in 2016, we somehow convinced Larry to step in as President. Frankly, it wasn’t exactly a sweet gig. We had been without a president for a couple of years, were operating at a loss, membership had declined sharply, and we offered only about one program a month.
Larry came in—at what can only be described as nonprofit wages—and got to work. He rebuilt our programming, reestablished key relationships, and helped reverse the decline in membership. Drawing on his deep ties in Japan, he also expanded our Japan-focused programming, including launching our annual Innovation Reception at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence.
In 2019, Larry became Board Chair and worked closely with then-President Takahide Akiyama to guide the organization through the pandemic—while continuing to grow our programs. During this period, we added a major new pillar program in Japan with the U.S.-Japan Healthcare Conference. Under Larry’s leadership, Japan Society has expanded its reach, strengthened its membership base, and put itself on much firmer financial footing. He even had time to research and co-author the definitive history of Japan Society’s first 120 years!
I want to thank Larry for his decade of service to JSNC and for his lasting impact. On a personal level, I would like to thank him for his leadership, mentorship, and steady support. While I’ll miss him as Chair, I’m glad he’ll remain actively involved as a board member and as Chair of our Program Committee.
I’m also very pleased to welcome Suzanne Basalla as our new Board Chair. Suzanne has been a member of our board since 2020 and has very deep Japan ties. She has broad leadership experience from the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Suzanne is currently a Partner at Geodesic Capital and previously served as President and CEO of the U.S.-Japan Council, where she helped lead initiatives such as the TOMODACHI program and the Silicon Valley Japan Platform. I hope you will join me in welcoming Suzanne and supporting her as she takes on this role.
Coming Attractions
A few upcoming programs and opportunities I hope you’ll keep in mind:
- Language classes – Our new language term will be kicking off in the coming week or so, and we still have some availability. Please consider signing up for a group class or private lessons.
- Golden Week Giving Campaign – If you enjoy our programming, I encourage you to consider becoming a member—corporate, individual, or Leadership Circle—or making a donation in support of our work. We try to keep most of our programming free to attend, but we need your support to cover our costs and expand our work.
- BioPharma Reverse Pitch (May 12, 4:00–6:30 p.m., Newark) – Representatives from leading Japanese pharma companies and investors will share their investment and partnering priorities, along with a panel discussion on “Why do therapeutics in Japan.” [Register here.]
- What Silicon Valley Can Learn from Japanese Innovation (May 21, 4:15–5:30 p.m., Stanford) – A timely conversation featuring business leaders exploring lessons from Japan’s approach to innovation. This program also honors the memory of John Thomas, a longtime supporter of Japan Society and one of the main organizers of our Innovation Awards. [Register for in-person or online.]
- Japanese Metalcraft Superstars (Online, June 2, 4:00–6:00 p.m.) – Steve Beimel of JapanCraft21 returns with another fascinating look at contemporary masters of Japanese metalcraft. [Register here.]
- Diamond Diplomacy: Movie Screening and Special Director’s Talk (June 9, 5:00–7:00 p.m.) – A special screening for anyone interested in baseball and Japan, followed by a discussion with SF Bay Area director Yuriko Gamo Romer and Executive Producer Glen S. Fukushima. [Register here.]
- 16th Annual Innovation Awards (July 16, Stanford University) – One of our signature events of the year. Early-bird tickets are now available. [Buy tickets here.]
Thank you, as always, for your support of Japan Society. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming program.
Sincerely,
Steve
