
Join the Japan-America Society of Hawaii for our annual Japan Currents program, which will be a hybrid in-person and online event on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Check-in for our exclusive, limited-seating in-person luncheon will begin at 11:30AM (HST), with lunch service beginning at noon; the virtual broadcast of our speakers will begin at 1:00PM (HST) [4PM (PDT) / 7PM (EDT) / Mar. 17 at 8AM (JST)]. Please see the "In-Person Attendance" and "Zoom Attendance" sections below for more information on this hybrid program.
Our program on "Political and Economic Challenges in the U.S.-Japan Relationship" features two experts in U.S.-Japan affairs. We are honored to welcome Dr. Joshua Walker, President and CEO of Japan Society, and Dr. Mieko Nakabayashi, Professor at Waseda University and External/Independent Director of TOPPAN INC. This program will be moderated by Ms. Barbara Tanabe, founder of Hoʻakea Communications, LLC and JASH Board Director.
Mahalo to the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. and the National Association of Japan-America Societies for sponsoring this hybrid program.
In-Person Attendance
Details at a Glance
VENUE
Cupola Gallery at Stage Restaurant
Located in the Honolulu Design Center
1250 Kapiolani Blvd., 2nd Floor, Honolulu, 96814
Free Parking, entrances on Piʻikoi or Pensacola
DATE
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Check-in at 11:30AM
Lunch service begins at Noon
Program viewing from 1:00-2:00PM
SEATS
JASH Members ~ $25.00
Non-members ~ $40.00
Includes lunch plus one (1) beverage from the event menu.
RSVP DEADLINE
Reservations are now closed
For those in Honolulu, we invite you to join us at the Cupola Gallery at Stage Restaurant in the Honolulu Design Center for an exclusive luncheon viewing of our Japan Currents program on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Seating is limited and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, so we highly recommend you reserve your seat as soon as possible.
UPDATE: Reservations are now closed
Seats for this intimate in-person event are $25 for JASH members and $40 for non-members. Your ticket includes a three-course lunch and one beverage from the event menu. You may purchase tickets using the PayPal widget below. If you need assistance with your reservation, please contact the JASH Office at admindir@jashawaii.org or 808-524-4450.
Check-in for JASH Japan Currents luncheon begins at 11:30AM with lunch service to begin at noon. The Japan Currents program will begin at 1PM.

JASH Japan Currents Menu
Cupola Gallery at Stage Restaurant
APPETIZER
Island Greens
Mixed greens, cucumber, radish, grape tomato, croutons, creamy miso vinaigrette
YOUR CHOICE OF
Catch of the Day
Sake butter sauce, shiitake mushrooms, tomato, onion, ogo, capers, white rice
-OR-
Grilled New York Steak (8oz)
Mushroom demi glace, Yukon potato puree, asparagus
DESSERT
New York Cheesecake
Mixed berry coulis, Tahitian vanilla bean whipped cream, oatmeal crumble
Beverage menu will be provided on-site.


Cancellation/No-Show Policy: Cancellations made after March 3, 2022, or no-shows will be charged and will not be refunded.
Health & Safety Guidelines: Social distancing will be practiced and face masks are required. Please note that in accordance with the City & County of Honolulu's restrictions as of March 6, proof of vaccination will not be required for this event; however, this policy is subject to change with State, County, and venue requirements.
Online Zoom Attendance
JASH welcomes attendees from across the globe to join our program virtually during our Zoom broadcast of our speakers' presentations, discussion, and question and answer session. Although we would love to gather with you here in Honolulu, we are grateful that technology allows us to extend our reach to our supporters in Hawaii, the continental U.S., Japan, and beyond.
The virtual program will begin on Wednesday, March 16 at 1:00PM (HST) [4PM (PDT) / 7PM (EDT) / Mar. 17 at 8AM (JST)].
Thanks to the generous support of the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. and the National Association of Japan-America Societies, virtual (Zoom-only) attendance is FREE and open to the public.
Our Speakers

Joshua W. Walker, PhD became President & CEO of Japan Society in December 2019. Previously, he worked at Eurasia Group, the world’s leading political risk analysis firm, where he served as global head of strategic initiatives and Japan in the Office of the President. Prior to that, he was CEO and president of the USA Pavilion of the 2017 World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan; founding dean of the APCO Institute; and senior vice president of global programs at APCO Worldwide, a leading global strategic communications firm based in Washington, D.C. Before joining the private sector, he worked in numerous roles at various U.S. government agencies, including the State Department and the Defense Department. He is Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, and professor of Leadership and the American presidency at George Mason University and the Reagan Foundation. He was also Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and co-founded the Yale Journal of International Affairs. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree from Yale University, and a doctorate from Princeton University. Dr. Walker grew up in Japan where his parents still serve as missionaries, came to the United States when he was 18, and is bicultural and bilingual.
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Mieko Nakabayashi, PhD has been a Professor at Waseda University since 2013. She teaches courses related to U.S. and Japanese politics/policies at the School of Social Sciences. She is also Chairperson of the Society of Global Business, and serves as External/Independent Director of TOPPAN INC. She was named Distinguished Fellow of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation in 2018. During her tenure as a Member of Japan's House of Representatives (1st District, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) from 2009-2012, Nakabayashi served as Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Financial Affairs Committee, and the Special Committee on Anti-Piracy Measures, Prevention of International Terrorism, and Japan’s Cooperation and Support.
Prior to becoming a member of the Japanese parliament, Nakabayashi also served in the Japanese government, holding roles such as Commissioner of the Council on the Fiscal System at the Ministry of Finance; member of International Committee of the Council on Science and Technology at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; and member of the Radioactive Nuclear Waste Subcommittee at the Agency for National Resources and Energy in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. From 2002 to 2005, Nakabayashi worked as a resident fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), where she produced and published numerous scholarly articles.
In Washington, D.C., Nakabayashi served as a Republican professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget under Chairman Pete Domenici from January 1993 to April 2002. She also ran as an Olympic torch runner in D.C. for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Nakabayashi received her Ph.D. (Doctor of International Public Policy) from Osaka University and an M.A. in Political Science from Washington State University.
Moderator

Barbara Tanabe is Founder of Hoʻakea Communications, LLC (a public affairs company). Tanabe started her career as a News Anchor in Washington at KOMO-TV becoming one of the first Asian-American woman News Anchors on the West Coast. Tanabe won an Emmy Award for her piece “The Fence at Minidoka,” a documentary on Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, one of the first television documentaries to raise the issue in the U.S. In Honolulu, while at KHON-TV, she became the first female News Co-Anchor of Asian descent on July 29, 1974. She holds an B.A. in Communication from the University of Washington and an M.B.A. from the University of Hawaiʻi. She is a member of the boards of JASH, Pacific Forum, the American Judicature Society, and Bank of Hawaii.