Misa Murohashi was appointed Executive Director in January 2025. Before this role, she led international marketing and localization projects in the game tech industry and held a general management position in bilingual media publishing. With a BA in Business Administration from Sophia University and an MA in Urban Planning from the University of Washington, Misa brings her passion and expertise in organizational management and community engagement to the society. She is raising two daughters to embrace both their American and Japanese heritage.
Dale L. Watanabe was Executive Director from May 2012 until retiring from this full-time role at the end of 2023. During his long tenure at the Society, he initiated several new programs the latest of which is the Small Business program in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce's Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN). He continues to serve the Society as its Director of the Small Business Program which was created with the help of Society Board Member Kanako Matsumoto. The other 30 SBRN partners voted for him to serve on the SBRN Advisory Council and the SBRN Policy Committee as part of the innovative co-governance structure created by the WSDOC leaders of SBRN. The Society's Small Business efforts have helped over 100 businesses through technical assistance, business training, and a food business incubation program.
Michiko spent most of her youth in Seattle, Washington in the US and received her undergraduate degree in Japanese Studies and Sociology at Middlebury College. After graduating, she worked in Yamagata Prefecture as a JET Program participant, where she gained an appreciation for ryokans, snow, sake, and good food. In 2021, she returned to Seattle and worked for JASSW as a Communications Manager until May 2024. Since then, she has worked for the Middlebury Language Schools as a Bilingual Assistant and now works part-time at JASSW and stays involved in the community. Outside of work, Michiko is an avid fan of musical theatre, live concerts, and traveling.
Satomi Mitsutomi is a program coordinator of the Small Business Resiliency Program that helps immigrant Japanese and Japanese-American owners of small and microbusiness with their operations in Washington. She began working there in May, 2024. She moved from New York, where she had lived for twelve and a half years, to Seattle during the pandemic. She worked as an occupational therapist in Japan and in New York City. She always wanted to work in jobs that help people. Now, she is looking forward to assisting hardworking entrepreneurs in Washington state.
Fred Harriman has worked as a professional interpreter and translator of Japanese and Spanish since the time he lived in Hamamatsu City of Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan from 1977 to 1994. During his years in Hamamatsu with his wife Takayo he participated in the local community as a father of 2 daughters and a son-in-law to Takayo’s Mom and Dad. He also worked in local radio and television as well as volunteering to translate and interpret for the local non-Japanese community.
Here in the U.S. Fred has continued his career as a professional interpreter. He has also worked many years recently as a contract interpreter for the US Department of State – handling DoS program work, ceremonies, conferences, and military interpreting work. He is also registered by the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts as an Interpreter of Japanese.
Fred remarked for this profile: “Japanese people have shown me patience and kindness throughout my life. My fellow Americans can learn much from Japanese culture and the Japanese worldview, and I hope I can play a role in bringing those to the Pacific Northwest.
Imogen was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Looking for a path to take at university, she chose to study International Studies and Japanese, hoping to study abroad in Japan. She studied Japanese for two years at Seattle University and then went abroad to Sophia University, ultimately passing the N2 JLPT exam. Since returning to the US, she has endeavored to build upon her social media and marketing skills. As the new intern at JASSW, she is combining her skills and passions for Japanese and social media to support the JASSW’s mission.
Japan In the School (JIS) Lead Presenters
As a rotary exchange student in high school, and later as a high school English conversation teacher, Lisa Maria has first-hand experience in Japanese Schools. When she heard about the Japan In the Schools program, she was very excited to share her experiences with American Students. She joined the Japan in the Schools program as a volunteer in 2004, then as a staff member in December 2012.
Chiyo is from Hiroshima, Japan. She is a new JIS lead for the South Sound, WA area. She has over 10 years of experience as a Japanese teacher in public high schools in America and Japan, as well as at the university level. Additionally, she is a Japanese calligrapher and has done workshops and live performances at various places. Her lifelong mission is to share the joy of the Japanese language, calligraphy, and culture.
Koichi Kitazumi is a 4th generation JA who lived in Kumamoto for 4 years to go to school and teach English. Since then, Koichi has had a passion for learning, teaching and supporting the community through projects like the Japan In the Schools program. As the most recent recipient of the JASSW Lily McMahan Outstanding Volunteer Award, Koichi looks forward to volunteering at schools to share Japanese language, customs and culture with kids of all ages. Most of all, Koichi enjoys seeing the faces of kids speaking Japanese, using hashi (chopsticks) and playing jan ken po.