JCIE brought a bipartisan delegation of two US state representatives to Japan for a series of activities to explore issues affecting US-Japan relations at the national and state levels and to encourage women’s leadership in the two countries. The visit was organized as part of JCIE’s US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue, and the representatives who participated were Rep. Tram Nguyen of Massachusetts (Democrat) and Rep. Laura Williams of Kansas (Republican).

During their three-day stay in Tokyo, the representatives participated in a range of conversations with leaders and policy experts in government, industry, academia, and civil society. The bipartisan visit received a warm welcome from these Japanese interlocutors who expressed appreciation for the opportunity to hear the perspectives from both sides of the aisle as well as to deepen their understanding about the relationship between federal and state policies.

The discussions found strong convergence between the interests and priorities of the United States and Japan in terms of trade and geopolitical concerns. The representatives also helped highlight the role of states and local communities in advancing key policies in areas of mutual concern to the two countries. JCIE was pleased to reaffirm the important roles that women leaders can play not only in the two countries, but also in supporting US-Japan relations.