U.S.-Japan: A Grassroots Perspective

When we talk about grassroots connections between the U.S. and Japan, it all boils down to people. One of the challenges we have, especially in this moment in time, is that Japan itself doesn’t feel very accessible in the United States, though its influence and soft power seems to be ubiquitous among younger generations. Japan itself needs to be personalized and personified in some way. Now, personification—a personal relationship between our two countries—often manifests between the president and the prime minister as the recently announced state visit on April 10th to Washington will undoubtedly bring. But in this current political moment that frame doesn’t serve us well, not only because of the unsettled polarized environment in both of our countries but also because it doesn’t adequately reflect the depth of the bilateral relationship.

Finding and sustaining personal relationships

I think about this in a very personal context because my family's history is generationally connected to Japan—from the time when both of my grandfathers fought in the war against Japan, to my parents, who have served in Japan for 42 years as teachers, pastors, and missionaries, and then in my own role as President & CEO of Japan Society. Grassroots exchange has always been the bedrock of the postwar relationship, with Japanese students studying in the U.S. and Americans who have gone to Japan for a whole series of reasons, including teaching English as a Second Language.

But it goes beyond this—it's about finding and sustaining personal relationships on an organizational level that create human and spiritual bonds. Particularly in a year like 2024, we need the goodwill of our people to keep our two nations and societies closer together.

Building on history

Grassroots partnerships are in the DNA of Japan Society, through our connection with John D. Rockefeller 3rd. It was John D. Rockefeller 3rd who rebuilt Japan Society in 1952 following the end of the American Occupation of Japan, first as President and then Chairman until his untimely death in 1978. He also founded many other institutions that continue to carry out his enduring hope for greater grassroots exchange in the education, politics, business and arts spaces . Rockefeller’s concept of the third way—the philanthropic role that is somewhere in-between the public and private sectors—is important to highlight.

Over the years, Japan Society has implemented many multi-year grassroots U.S.-Japan exchange programs that have worked on a societal level far beyond student exchanges. The work is aggregate: It was through the experience gained from a three-year exchange program on disaster relief, and the Innovators Network, that Japan Society was able to lead fundraising for relief efforts in the U.S. following the triple disaster in Tohoku in March 2011.

To further our connections beyond our landmarked New York City headquarters, Japan Society is building cultural bridges by partnering with other organizations such as the Japan Institute of the Portland Japanese Gardens, the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens in South Florida, and our sister organizations in NAJAS (National Association of Japan-America Societies). As the largest member of NAJAS, Japan Society is privileged to be a trailblazer and empower greater cross-pollination among like-minded institutions. Our ongoing partnership with the International House of Japan in Tokyo, also founded by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, connects our own Japan House from the Far East of Manhattan to Japan.

Current partnerships

Recent grassroots initiatives include Peace Symposium New York 2023, co-presented by Japan Institute and Japan Society on September 21st, the United Nations’ International Day of Peace. Part of the Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden’s Peace Symposia series, the event featured leaders from numerous cultural, intellectual, and diplomatic fields who came together to discuss the evolving role of art, cultural organizations, and public spaces as the platform for peacebuilding and community engagement.

Another Japan Society partner, the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens, is rooted in the legacy of Japanese Americans who contributed to the agricultural economy of South Florida in the early 20th century. An event we co-organized in early January between the K3 Council at Japan Society and the Morikami, featuring senior stakeholders from the U.S., Japan, and Israel, highlighted what U.S.-Japan could do together in strategic regions like the Middle East. Beyond the exciting high-level possibilities of what the relationship can do with like-minded partners, the event itself reflected the local community coming together, fusing Palm Beach County and New York, private and public sectors.

The partnership mindset

The same philosophy of what makes Japan Society so unique is something we aspire to bring about in more abundance. My mindset has always been a partnership mindset. In this moment, we need more friends than we ever have, as Americans, as New Yorkers, as others—we all need to find more space to collaborate in today’s world.

How can we as a society, as individuals, make this world a little bit better one step at a time? Upon a visit to a Japanese garden, a lesson is taught that each rock is placed in an intentional way and there will never be another time that you can experience them in that exact way, except in that moment that you're there. Just like some of the bridges that can be enjoyed in the wonderful Japanese gardens in Portland and Florida, the way we get from point A to point B may seem linear, but to be able to experience the pathway that the architects had in mind reveals a fresh perspective. It is people who can help create that venue to illuminate the abundance of U.S.-Japan, sharing thoughts and exchanging ideas.

Today, it is not just about inviting people to Japan House, but to go beyond our own building, including broadening our digital presence. Doing this across the U.S. with key allies and partners is a nonprofit force multiplier, allowing us to live out our mission—which has never been just in New York. We're doing this increasingly in Japan as we engage more with so many of former Board Members, supporters, and friends living there now. Please join us in strengthening U.S.-Japan through grassroots initiatives across the entire U.S.-Japan space from New York to Houston and Dallas, and from Los Angeles and San Francisco—and on to Tokyo and beyond.