A coalition of US-Japan groups headed by JCIE and the The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation co-hosted a reception at the US Capitol yesterday evening to welcome 10 visiting Diet members to Washington. The gathering attracted about 170 leading figures in US-Japan relations, including senior government officials, former members of Congress, business executives, NGO heads, and others. Among others, the Hon. Tom Petri (former member, House of Representatives, R-WI) and Hon. Kozo Yamamoto (member, House of Representatives of Japan) spoke briefly about the importance of the US-Japan alliance and maintaining dialogue among parliamentarians.
REMARKS
Hon. Tom Petri, Former Member, US House of Representatives
Hon. Kozo Yamamoto, Member, Japan House of Representatives
Amb. Rust Deming, Adjunct Professor of Japan Studies, Johns Hopkins University SAIS; former US Ambassador to Tunisia
GUESTS OF HONOR
Hon. Jiro Aichi, Member, House of Councillors
Hon. Yukihisa Fujita, Member, House of Councillors
Hon. Yukihisa Fujita, Member, House of Councillors
Hon. Hitoshi Kikawada, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs; Member, House of Representatives
Hon. Hiroe Makiyama, Member, House of Councillors
Hon. Masaharu Nakagawa, Member, House of Representatives
Hon. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Member, House of Representatives
Hon. Keitaro Ohno, Member, House of Representatives
Hon. Takashi Shinohara, Member, House of Representatives
Hon. Keizo Takemi, Member, House of Councillors
Hon. Kozo Yamamoto, Member, House of Representatives
The reception was organized in cooperation with the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission – JUSFC, CULCON (U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange), the U.S.-Japan Council, the Congressional Study Group on Japan, and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA.
