President’s Letter

Fall 2024

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The excitement of a new fall season is upon us! I’m writing this Newsletter on the way back from a quick trip to Japan, passing through Los Angeles on my return—more on this below.

Japan elections

Let me start by reflecting on the Liberal Democratic Party election in Japan. The election of Shigeru Ishiba as Party Leader, and so, also as Prime Minister, is a historic outcome to a contest with an unprecedented nine candidates. Anyone winning this hotly contested election would certainly have had a hard hand to play. The election of Ishiba, who is well known to all of us in the U.S.-Japan space, is surprising in many ways. At the same time, the impact of this change of leadership on U.S.-Japan is still to be seen, as we also wait for the outcome of the general election and U.S. presidential election. As is evident, all politics are local at a certain point in time.

The fact that Ishiba was one of the only candidates who didn’t have a degree from an American university, but is from Keio, and that he’s a long-time policy wonk like I am, is something that we can all take comfort in. We’re really looking forward to working with Prime Minister Ishiba and his administration, but he’s got his hands full, a little bit like Mike Johnson, in the Congress. Of course, Ishiba is no longer “just” in the Diet—he’s now the Prime Minister and the head of the LDP with all the executive and legislative responsibilities this will entail. He’s not wasting any time by taking advantage of the relatively short honeymoon period and appointing Shinjiro Koizumi to be the new face of the party from an electoral point of view along with tapping many of his previous rivals for important posts. Seeing how this all plays out against the backdrop of voter sentiment in the upcoming election with former Prime Minister Noda’s selection as the main opposition party leader will be interesting to say the least and will have major implications when combined with America’s new president elect a week later.

From the global stage

New York, of course, is front and center on the global stage, as we just saw with the UN General Assembly. And it’s not just about the UN this time, with ongoing and evolving conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine not to mention our own local politics with our Mayor under federal indictment for allegedly taking bribes from the Turkish Government! But I digress as the relative powerlessness of the UN vs. the Quad Leaders Summit hosted by President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware (with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India) is evidenced by the fact that only Biden chose to speak at the UNGA. In some ways it was more interesting to watch what Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were doing during this time, whether meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky or continuing to hone their messaging on domestic issues.

At Japan Society, rather than hosting Prime Minister Kishida for a big summit as we did in 2023, we welcomed OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman to our landmarked building at what may turn out to be the most consequential gathering of the entire UNGA, given the importance placed on the Summit of the Future this year. And, of course, there were other opportunities that week, with many of us meeting up at Bloomberg to hear from Prime Minister Kishida about how asset managers are welcome to Japan. Japan has clearly come of age.

Peak Japan

On my way back from a short trip to Japan I also visited Los Angeles, where the National Bunraku Theatre (Osaka) was kicking off a national tour organized by Japan Society. The energy from this tour is really exciting for all of us, starting in LA, where I’m happy to report they received a standing ovation to a sell-out crowd at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, traveling to Fairfield University’s Quick Center for the Arts, and then to New York for performances on Japan Society’s home stage, followed by the Kennedy Center in DC, and finishing up in Texas at the Japan-American Society of Houston. We’ve also just opened two new shows in the Gallery, Bunraku Backstage and Acky Bright: Studio Infinity, the first exhibitions originated under the leadership of Senior Gallery Director Dr. Michele Bambling, even as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our Artistic Director, Yoko Shioya who also has been honored by the Foreign Minister’s Commendation. It’s great to see these partnerships and synergies reflected in our programs! It is clear that in many ways we are now experiencing “peak Japan” —not only at Japan Society but throughout the world.

© Richard Termine

We’ve never seen anything quite like Shohei Ohtani—who I hope with his Dodgers makes it to the World Series against our Yankees—and the interest he’s attracting, which has transformed the fundamentally American game of baseball into not just a global game, but a Japanese-led game. FX’s Shōgun series made history with 18 Emmys, and the first two Asians—and Japanese—to win Emmys, Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai. Even the Japanese don’t understand why Shōgun, originally produced for TV 40 years ago from a novel written by a Brit about the Sengoku period of Japan, is so popular! In the cultural hubs, whether it’s in New York, Hollywood, or Tokyo, the energy and excitement about Japan has never been greater. The fact that we were able to have Hiro Sanada, and his Shōgun cast here in New York at a truly memorable red-carpet premiere made us feel even closer when he declared on stage in Hollywood, for the world to see, that Shōgun taught him that when you work together, we can make miracles. In many ways, the all time high of the stock market in Japan, in addition to the health of the Japanese economy, means that this is literally a golden opportunity for Japan to take a global leadership role.

I’m thrilled about the partnerships that we have for the future. Japan Society’s Board will be coming together in Tokyo for the first time at the end of October, and I’m excited to see the opportunities for which we’ve been laying the groundwork, whether with the International House in Tokyo, or the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Los Angeles, and beyond. I’m looking forward to working with everyone, and seeing you in New York, at Japan Society, or beyond. Thank you.

Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D.
President and CEO, Japan Society