UPCOMING EVENTS
north america-japan partnership in a new global era (9/26/2026)
This event aims to explore innovative approaches to strengthening North America–Japan partnership amid profound global change. Through their individual experiences across Canada, Japan, and the United States, the speakers will discuss strategies for reinforcing values-based partnerships within societies and among the three countries, as well as brainstorm new ideas and opportunities for trilateral collaboration that will strengthen relations over the coming century.
In a keynote address, Intercultural Exchange as a Path to Creativity and Innovation, Dr. Roseann Runte will draw upon examples from educational and institutional partnerships among Canada, Japan, and the United States to examine how international and intercultural exchange fosters creativity, innovation, and leadership across disciplines, including science, technology, education, and the humanities.
A panel discussion titled Creating Foundations Toward the Next 100 Years will follow, featuring a distinguished group of leaders from Canada and the United States. Moderated by David Janes, this panel will explore the future of North America–Japan relations in an evolving global landscape, examining opportunities to strengthen educational, cultural, philanthropic, and policy collaboration while identifying new models of partnership for the decades ahead.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte – Recipient of the Order of Canada and has served as president of a number of universities in Canada and the United States. She was also the President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Panelists
Dr. Annika Culver - Professor of Japanese History and Director of the Prince Takamado Japan Center at University of Alberta.
Dr. Frank Feltens - Susan Brotman Chief Curator at the Seattle Art Museum.
Justin Rockefeller - Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Avenera and member of International House of Japan North America Advisory Board.
Dr. Phillip Lipscy - Professor of political science at the University of Toronto, where he is also Chair in Japanese Politics and Global Affairs and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Japan at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.
Dr. Tom Mason - Executive Director of the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation and Founder of the ALLEX Foundation.
Moderator
Dr. David Janes - Vice President, North America, International House of Japan (IHJ) and concurrently Executive Director of the American Friends of the International House of Japan (AFIHJ).
This event is co-sponsored by the Japan Foundation, Toronto and International House of Japan, in partnership with American Friends of the International House of Japan and Japan Society Canada.
JDR3 Dialogues: Philanthropy in a changing world (9/29/2026)
The world is changing rapidly, while many of the challenges we face today—including climate change, demographic pressures, political divisions, inequality, and community decline—are increasingly interconnected and complex. Philanthropy and civil society can offer flexibility, long-term thinking, trusted relationships, and opportunities that governments and markets may not.
This discussion will explore how these changes are reshaping the role of philanthropy, and where greater collaboration between Japan and North America could make a meaningful difference. It will consider which challenges lend themselves to shared learning and action, what philanthropy can contribute alongside government and business, and what relationships, institutions, and other infrastructure are needed to support cooperation over the long term.
The first roundtable will feature:
Miyoko Demay - Executive Representative, Japan, World Monuments Fund; Board Director, Nintendo Co., Ltd.; Former President, Tiffany & Co. Japan; North America Advisory Board Member, International House of Japan
Glen S. Fukushima - Visiting Fellow, Stanford University; Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; and Vice Chair, Securities Investor Protection Corporation; North America Advisory Board Member, International House of Japan
Richard Marker - Founder, Institute for Wise Philanthropy; Faculty Co-Director, University of Pennsylvania’s High Impact Philanthropy Academy; Senior Fellow, North America-Japan Philanthropy Alliance
Daniela Kaisth - Founder and President, Gratias Partners; Senior Advisor, North America-Japan Philanthropy Alliance
This is the first of three webinars in the North America-Japan Philanthropy Alliance's JDR3 Dialogues 2026: Why Philanthropy Matters More Than Ever, exploring why deeper philanthropic collaboration between Japan and North America matters now, what today’s leaders can learn from John D. Rockefeller 3rd’s long-term approach to institution-building, and how those lessons can help shape the next generation of practical cooperation. Future webinars will explore JDR3’s legacy and the next generation of Japan–North America collaboration. We hope you’ll join us for all three!
The series is being held in collaboration with the Rockefeller Archive Center, the International House of Japan, the American Friends of the International House of Japan, and the United States-Japan Foundation, whose core support for the North America-Japan Philanthropy Alliance is deeply appreciated. The Alliance has additional support from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund.
10:30 AM: Optional Tour of Grace Farms
2:00 PM: Tea Diplomacy Program
Tea Diplomacy in Partnership with Grace Farms (10/17/2026)
Learn about the remarkable role of tea diplomacy in addressing humanitarian issues at Grace Farms with one of the world’s leading experts in the field, Kent E. Calder.
Calder joins James Kondo, Chairman of the International House of Japan, for a timely conversation about the way tea ceremonies build community and connection across cultures. They will also explore the inspiration behind Calder’s newest book, Chado Gaiko: Japanese Tea Diplomacy in a Global World. As part of the experience, enjoy Grace Farms Tea & Coffee, which reflects Grace Farms’ foundational commitment to sharing tea as a means of fostering grace and peace in the world.
Calder is the Edwin O. Reischauer Professor and Director of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
This program is a collaboration with Grace Farms, the International House of Japan and American Friends of the International House of Japan.
RECENT EVENTS:
Mets Japanese Heritage Night (7/24/2026)
In collaboration with the New York Mets, nine Japan-related organizations collaborated to offer an incredible networking opportunity for leaders in the U.S.-Japan and Japanese-American communities. AFIHJxIHJ participated for the first time.
Listening across time: creativity, connection, and being human (7/23/26)
Music has the remarkable power to transcend borders, generations, and cultures, reminding us of our shared humanity. Join us for a special cross-Pacific conversation exploring how creativity and the arts foster empathy, resilience, and deeper human connection in an increasingly complex world.
Featuring internationally acclaimed ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, violinist and Shining Blue Dot founder Eiko Kano, and Tony Mazzocchi, President & CEO of Kaufman Music Center in New York City, this engaging discussion will examine the role of music and cultural exchange in bringing people together across time and place. David Janes of the International House of Japan will moderate the conversation.
This roundtable is part of the IHJ–AFIHJ Cultural Diplomacy Series, a joint initiative designed to advance IHJ’s founding mission: strengthening international understanding, reducing conflict, and building trust through sustained cultural and intellectual exchange.
Origins of a Legacy: The Asia-Related Institutions of John D. Rockefeller 3rd - Book Launch (6/5/2026)
Co-published by the International House of Japan, AFIHJ, and the Rockefeller Archive Center, this new publication offers a rare and deeply researched examination of John D. Rockefeller 3rd’s vision, his extraordinary institution-building across Asia, and the enduring relevance of these efforts in today’s rapidly shifting global landscape. More than a retrospective, it serves as a call to reimagine how these institutions, and those who steward them, can work in concert to address the defining challenges of our time.
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Carl Hoffman (CEO and Co-Founder, BasisTech)
Christine Pilcavage (Managing Director, MIT-Japan Program)
Tim Rowe (Founder and Executive Chair, CIC)
Dr. Cyrus Shaoul (Co-Founder, Chief Customer Officer, Leela AI)
Moderated by Dr. David Janes (Vice President, North America, International House of Japan and Executive Director of the American Friends of the International House of Japan
IHJ x AFIHJ: Spring Gathering at BasisTech (5/19/2026)
Bringing together entrepreneurs, innovators, creative leaders with IHJ members, friends, and supporters, this event was an our first-ever program in the Boston area.
Sponsored by BasisTech, the evening included Remarks on U.S.-Japan Economic Relations by Shigeru Ariizumi (former Vice Minister for International Affairs of the Financial Services Agency of Japan), a jazz trumpet performance by Tiger Okoshi, an overview of U.S.-Japan relations by Hon. Seiichiro Takahashi, Consul General of Japan in Boston, a multi-course dinner curated by Rodrigo Blanco and Aya Rowe (two amazing culinary leaders from the Cambridge, MA area), and a panel discussion titled “The Entrepreneur’s Journey: Innovation in Japan and the U.S.”
NAGasaki: in the shadow of the flash - private screening and reception (4/28/2026)
The City of Nagasaki, UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, International House of Japan, American Friends of the International House of Japan, Ohara Construction Co., Ltd, Sky Castle Film, and Japan Society conducted a private screening of Jumpei Matsumoto's Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash followed by a reception. This was a special event for professionals connected to the business, policy, and US-Japan worlds timed around the United Nations' Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash is a dramatic film based on the real memoirs of Japanese Red Cross nurses who provided medical care to atomic bomb survivors in Nagasaki. In 1945, nursing students Sumi Tanaka (Hinako Kikuchi), Atsuko Ohno (Karin Ono), and Misao Iwanaga (Asuka Kawatoko) returned to their hometown of Nagasaki to spend peaceful times with family and friends; however, in an instant, the city is reduced to ruins, and the three rush to provide medical care to the inured. Director Jumpei Matsumoto was born in Nagasaki and is a third-generation atomic bomb survivor. The film was released in Japan in 2025, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.
Refugee Pathways to Japan (4/8/2026)
On April 8, the International House of Japan and American Friends of the International House of Japan, in partnership with the Japan ICU Foundation and United States-Japan Foundation convened an invitation-only gathering focused on refugee education, talent pathways to Japan, and the catalytic role of philanthropy.
This convening is part of the roadmap to build the North America–Japan Philanthropy Alliance over the coming year—an initiative designed to strengthen sustained dialogue and collaboration among philanthropic leaders in Japan and North America. The gathering will bring together 50–75 senior leaders from business, finance, philanthropy, higher education, and civil society. Structured in three parts—systems, voices, and philanthropy—the program moves from policy design, to lived experience, to action.
Purpose
As Japan confronts demographic and workforce challenges, structured refugee education and mobility pathways offer meaningful opportunities for displaced individuals to study, work, and contribute to Japanese society. This convening will examine existing models, elevate participant voices, and identify how philanthropy can drive sustainable, long-term impact.
The next era of U.S.-Japan Relations: Leadership for a Changing Global Order (3/30/2026)
For over 80 years, U.S.–Japan relations have been supported not only by security and trade agreements, but by think tanks, foundations, exchange programs, and civic institutions. Today, this infrastructure faces consequential pressures that are often under the radar: challenges facing exchange and academic programs, constrained nonprofit funding, generational leadership transitions, and a global order in flux. This off-the-record talk asks a fundamental question: Who will sustain the next era of U.S.–Japan relations?
CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN AN ERA OF GEOPOLITICAL UNCERTAINTY: LESSONS FROM THE OLYMPICS (2/26/2026)
VIDEO LINK HERE
Insights report here
The International House of Japan (IHJ) and the American Friends of the International House of Japan (AFIHJ) convened a virtual roundtable exploring the role of the Olympic Games as a platform for global cultural diplomacy at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
Bringing together experts from diplomacy, sport, culture, soft power, and international exchange, the discussion examined how the Olympics can serve not only as a sporting event, but as a rare moment of shared global attention—capable of fostering dialogue, human connection, and mutual understanding across political and cultural divides. Participants reflected on both the opportunities and limitations of mega-events, offered insights on how soft power works, and underscoreD the need for intentional, values-driven engagement if such moments are to contribute meaningfully to peace and international cooperation.
This roundtable is part of the new IHJ–AFIHJ Cultural Diplomacy Series, a joint initiative designed to advance IHJ’s founding mission: strengthening international understanding, reducing conflict, and building trust through sustained cultural and intellectual exchange. In today’s fragmented international environment, this mission is more vital than ever, as civil society institutions increasingly complement official diplomacy by creating durable channels for dialogue. The roundtable WAS co-sponsored by the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) in Los Angeles, reflecting a shared commitment to deepening U.S.–Japan ties and highlighting the essential role of cultural institutions in shaping a more cooperative and humane global future and given that Los Angeles is the site of the 2028 Olympics.
Lessons from the Hibakusha (1/19/2026)
The International House of Japan in partnership with AFIHJ, the International House Association, and the Nobel Peace Center held a discussion with two leaders from the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nihon Hidankyo.
Co-sponsors: Nobel Peace Center & International House Association