Japan-America Society Of Dallas Fort Worth

TO FURTHER MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND ONGOING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN JAPANESE AND AMERICANS. WE PROVIDE QUALITY PROGRAMS IN ART AND CULTURE, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, PUBLIC POLICY, AND INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE, AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRIENDSHIP AND MEANINGFUL INTERACTION.

SOCIAL/CULTURAL PROGRAMMING (OTSUKIMI MOON VIEWING FESTIVAL, SAKE LECTURE/TASTING, JAPAN AMERICA FRIENDSHIP NIGHT, AND BONENKAI):ON NOVEMBER 20, 2021, THE OTSUKIMI MOON VIEWING FESTIVAL RETURNED TO AN IN-PERSON EVENT, FEATURING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES AND HAIKU READINGS, VENDORS SELLING JAPANESE FESTIVAL FOOD AND COLLECTIBLES, AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY THEMED ART AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES. THE EVENT WAS SPONSORED BY THE CONSULATE-GENERAL OF JAPAN IN HOUSTON. PERFORMANCES INCLUDED DRUMMING GROUP DALLAS KIYARI DAIKO, MARTIAL ARTS GROUP DENTON IAIDO DOJO, BAMBOO FLUTE PERFORMERS STAN RICHARDSON AND MUJUAN DOJO, OCARINA WIND INSTRUMENTALISTS CRIS GALE AND JON TONEY, AND GUIDED HAIKU READINGS, LED BY THE CROW MUSEUM STAFF. THEMED ACTIVITIES WERE RABBIT EARS, CALLIGRAPHY, AND ORIGAMI FROM THE JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETY TEAM AND GAMES FROM JAPAN AIRLINES. FOOD OPTIONS AND VENDOR SALES DURING THE EVENING INCLUDED BAKERY SWEETS FROM OH MAI GOODNESS, JAPANESE FUSION CUISINE FROM F&F EXPRESS, TRADITIONAL AND WESTERN-STYLE ROLLS FROM SUSHI SPIN, GREEN TEA THROUGH CORPORATE MEMBER ITO EN, POP CULTURE GIFTS FROM JOURNEYBUNNY AND BRIGHT WISH KANZASHI, AND COLLECTIBLES FROM THOUSAND CRANES. ADDITIONAL BOOTHS WERE A WOODBLOCK ART DEMONSTRATION BY KAZUKO GOTO, AN IKEBANA SHOW FROM IKEBANA INTERNATIONAL, AND A GREEN TEA CEREMONY FROM MICHIYO FITZGERALD. (PEOPLE SERVED: ESTIMATED 3,500 ATTENDEES AND 1,100 VIEWS OF YOUTUBE RECAP VIDEO)THE EARLY PART OF OUR YEAR FOCUSED ON JAPANESE CUISINE AND SPIRITS FIRST WITH AN ONLINE PRESENTATION ABOUT WASHOKU AND UMAMI. OUR ANNUAL SAKE TASTING AND LECTURE WAS AGAIN PRESENTED VIRTUALLY, THIS TIME WITH A SPECIAL FOOD PAIRING SESSION.WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO RETURN TO OUR ANNUAL JAPAN AMERICA FRIENDSHIP NIGHT, WHICH WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HELD THE EVENT AT THE TEXAS RANGERS NEW HOME, GLOBE LIFE FIELD. THE 2021 BONENKAI WAS THE FIRST IN-PERSON END-OF-YEAR PARTY SINCE 2019, AND WE ADDED A JAPANESE WHISKEY-TASTING EXPERIENCE TO BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE EVENT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE UNABLE TO HOST OUR MOCHITSUKI NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION DUE TO THE RAPIDLY SPREADING OMICRON VARIANT; HOWEVER, IN ITS PLACE, WE DID TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A MOCHI POUNDING VIDEO COLLABORATION WITH A LOCAL YOUTUBE STAR AND MITSUWA MARKETPLACE.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING:JASDFW BEGAN ITS INAUGURAL LANGUAGE OFFERINGS THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, LOS ANGELES. COURSES FOCUSED ON FOUNDATIONAL AND BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF JAPANESE. CLASSES WERE CONDUCTED ONLINE DUE TO THE ONGOING EFFECTS OF COVID-19, AND THIS HAS CONTINUED DUE TO INSTRUCTORS AVAILABILITY. THE FIRST ROUND OF CLASSES INCLUDED A KID'S SESSION, AND THIS HAS SINCE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO A NEW ANNUAL SUMMER CAMP FOR AGES 8-12. CLASSES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD ALSO INCLUDED DECEMBER WORKSHOPS ON JAPANESE IN MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT AND THE USE OF THE DESU GRAMMATICAL CONNECTOR. (PEOPLE SERVED: APPROXIMATELY 120 THROUGH SEVERAL SESSIONS OF 3 LEVELS OF CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS)ALTHOUGH THE PANDEMIC HAS ALTERED INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, JAPANESE COMPANIES CONTINUE TO COME TO NORTH TEXAS BECAUSE IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION. AN EARLY 2022 EVENT WITH HIRO HYAKUTOME, AMERICAS DIVISION CEO OF SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION, HELPED US UNDERSTAND THE APPEAL OF THE DFW AREA FOR THE JAPANESE FINANCIAL SECTOR. THIS SPECIAL PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETIES, ALSO KNOWN AS NAJAS, AND THE KEIZAI KOHO CENTER.IN SEPTEMBER, AN ONLINE PROGRAM SHARED THE RESULTS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND JAPAN ON SPACE TRAVEL AND EXPLORATION. IN FEBRUARY, A POIGNANT HYBRID EVENT MARKED 80 YEARS SINCE JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS TODAY. SPEAKERS INCLUDED KAREN KOREMATSU, DAUGHTER OF ACTIVIST FRED KOREMATSU, AND EMMY-WINNING REPORTER DAVID ONO. THE PROGRAM WAS PROUDLY PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DALLAS HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN RIGHTS MUSEUM, AJC DALLAS, AND SMUS TOWER CENTER. OUR EDUCATION STAFF AND LIVELY VOLUNTEERS INTRODUCED JAPAN TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR POPULAR JAPAN-IN-A-SUITCASE PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. ALTHOUGH MOST OF OUR PRESENTATIONS IN 2021 WERE ONLINE, WE WERE RECENTLY ABLE TO RETURN TO SOME CLASSROOMS, THEREFORE SHARING AN EVEN RICHER EXPERIENCE. FOR OUR FIRST TIME, WE RECEIVED THE RICHARD WOOD CURATOR SERIES GRANT, WHICH WE USED FOR A LECTURE FROM ART CURATOR SARAH THOMPSON. THIS HYBRID EVENT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP THE CROW MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART AND SUPPORTED BY NAJAS AND THE JAPAN-UNITED STATES FRIENDSHIP COMMISSION.

BUSINESS PROGRAMMING (JAPAN CURRENTS SYMPOSIUM): THE FIRST IN-PERSON JAPAN CURRENTS SYMPOSIUM SINCE 2020 HIGHLIGHTED THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AS A DRIVER FOR GROWTH IN U.S.-JAPAN BUSINESS AND TRADE. EXPERTS IN THE LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAINS INDUSTRY GATHERED FOR THE RETURN OF THE SYMPOSIUM ON MARCH 9, 2022, AT THE IRVING CONVENTION CENTER. THE ANNUAL JAPAN CURRENTS PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER LEADING THINKERS FROM BOTH JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES TO EXPLORE CURRENT AND LOOMING ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. TOPICS IN THE PAST HAVE RANGED FROM INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, SECURITY, AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF JAPAN'S ECONOMY.THE PROGRAM FEATURED A LUNCHEON WITH KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS BY TWO SPEAKERS CATHERINE MELLOR, VICE PRESIDENT OF UPS INTERNATIONAL, AND KANTARO TAKENAKA, GENERAL MANAGER OF LOGISTICS STRATEGY DEPARTMENT (CORPORATE PLANNING DIVISION) AT MITSUI & CO. (U.S.A.), INC. BOTH GAVE INSIGHTFUL PRESENTATIONS, WHICH WERE FOLLOWED BY AN AUDIENCE Q&A.CATHERINE MELLOR DESCRIBED UPS AS A GLOBAL INTEGRATOR INTEGRATING GROUND, RAIL, AND SEA. THEREFORE, AS A COMPANY, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE FACTORS THAT HAVE GREATLY AFFECTED THE WORLD ORDER OF SUPPLY CHAIN FACTORS INCLUDING UNPRECEDENTED CONSUMER DEMAND, THE VULNERABILITY OF LABOR MARKETS, AND THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY'S CONSTRAINED CAPACITY AT A TIME OF RECORD DEMAND. MELLOR WENT ON TO STATE THAT JAPAN HAS TAUGHT THE WORLD HOW TO MOVE FROM A JUST IN TIME TO A JUST IN CASE MENTALITY, ADOPTING NEW SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO NOT JUST EFFECTIVELY MEET EXPECTATIONS, BUT BUY AND HOLD MORE TO HEDGE AGAINST UNPREDICTABLE, DISRUPTIVE EVENTS.TAKENAKA PROVIDED AN IN-DEPTH EXAMINATION FOR FREIGHT CONTAINER LOGISTICS THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, HIGHLIGHTING THAT THE CHALLENGES FACED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ARE LIKELY TO PERSIST FOR THE NEAR FUTURE. HOWEVER, HE EMPHASIZED THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES BY VALUING OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS. HE ASSERTED THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR US TO KEEP GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH SUPPLIERS AND CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS WITH [OUR] LOGISTICS PARTNERS, SO THAT WE CAN BRING TOGETHER OUR INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND WISDOM TO COME UP WITH IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.AFTERWARD, ATTENDEES HAD THE CHANCE TO BREAK FROM THE PROGRAM TO JOIN IN THE FOYER FOR COFFEE AND NETWORKING, ALL WHILE TAKING IN BEAUTIFUL VIEWS OF IRVING'S LAKE CAROLYN AND THE LAS COLINAS BUSINESS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.THE EVENT RECONVENED FOR A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SPEAKERS TIM FEEMSTER, CEO AND MANAGING PRINCIPAL OF FOREMOST QUALITY LOGISTICS, MOLLIE HANEY BAILEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS AT TRANSPLACE (AN UBER FREIGHTS COMPANY), MASARU UCHIDA, DIRECTOR OF CARGO PLANNING AND SALES FOR THE AMERICAS AT JAPAN AIRLINES, AND MODERATOR DR. HIROKI TAKEUCHI, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND DIRECTOR OF THE SUN & STAR PROGRAM ON JAPAN AND EAST ASIA IN THE TOWER CENTER AT SMU. UCHIDA NOTED THAT, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE FOUND WAYS TO DO BUSINESS THROUGH ZOOM AND OTHER ONLINE PLATFORMS, FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS. HE LOOKS FORWARD TO MEETING JAPAN AIRLINES CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS AGAIN SOON THROUGH AN IN-PERSON FORMAT. FEEMSTER COMMENTED ON THE LARGE SIZE OF THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH MARKET AND ITS CAPACITY FOR THE LOGISTICS INDUSTRY. HE ALSO CONTENDED THAT AN IMPORTANT DETERMINANT FOR LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN IS THE SIZE OF GDP, AND THEREFORE, THE U.S. AND JAPAN, AS TWO OF THE WORLD'S THREE LARGEST ECONOMIES, WILL PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN THE GLOBAL MOVEMENT OF GOODS. MOLLIE HANEY BAILEY ADDED THAT THE POPULATION OF TEXAS AND ITS IMPORTANT ECONOMIC HUBS MEANS THAT COMPANIES WILL LOOK TO LOCATE DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES IN THE STATE. SHE ALSO SHARED THAT WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE EVENTUALITIES IN THE LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAINS INDUSTRY.(PEOPLE SERVED: 78 IN-PERSON ATTENDEES AND 132 VIEWS OF YOUTUBE EVENT RECAP)