Until the 1980’s, JASSW was run entirely by volunteers. Today our staff consists of four full-time professionals and our Board of Directors is headed by an elected Chair and composed of local and state leaders in business, government, education and the arts.
Office Staff
David Yamaguchi comes to the Japan-America Society from 3.5 years on the staff of The North American Post, the Seattle Japanese community newspaper. A Seattle Sansei (third-generation Japanese American) and UW forestry alumnus, David has spent 29 months in Japan to date. Most of that time was spent working for the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture (Norinsho), Sapporo, on a US-Japan exchange program. The remaining time was spent traveling 600 miles of the Tohoku-to-Wakayama Pacific coast chasing written Japanese records of the tsunami that struck that coastline in January 1700. Those mostly samurai records helped quantify the size of the trans-Pacific tsunami produced by a coastal earthquake that happened then in the Pacific Northwest. The earthquake was previously known from native legends and old trees it killed. The samurai records dated the earthquake precisely — January 26, 9 p.m. Seattle time — and helped prove that it was of magnitude 9. It was similar to the Tohoku earthquake that would later occur in 2011. That US-Japan collaboration forms the basis of present-day earthquake and tsunami hazards preparation from British Columbia to northern California (“The Orphan Tsunami of 1700,” UW Press, 2005; full-text online).
Born in Japan and raised in the States, Michiko has had a long relationship with Japan. After spending most of her youth in Seattle, she studied at Middlebury College in Vermont where she spent a year studying abroad at International Christian University in Tokyo and received her Japanese/Sociology undergraduate degree. After graduating, she spent the next four years in Yamagata, Japan as a prefectural Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) for the JET Program. She returned back to Seattle in September 2021 after gaining an appreciation for ryokans, snow, sake, and good food. Although Michiko has lived in various parts of the US and Japan, she considers Seattle her home and is excited to help forge and strengthen international relations between Washington State and Japan.
Originally from Phoenix, Tobi McCann moved to Seattle in 2020 to live in a more international hub - determined to explore opportunities with a strong connection to Japan. They have always been passionate about Japanese language and culture, studying Japanese in their free time as a student. During college, they worked part-time at the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix as event and office staff, helping to coordinate public events that teach and celebrate Japanese culture. They hope to share the excitement and love for Japan they feel with others and hope to inspire a deeper understanding of Japan and its culture.
Born and raised in the U.S., Kanna Izushi-Ciolkosz is a bridge-builder between Japan and the United States. She pursued this passion at the University of Madison - Wisconsin, majoring in Japanese Language with a certificate in Graphic Design. During college, Kanna studied abroad at Kyoto University and interned with Central Japan Railways.
Post-graduation, Kanna entered the aviation industry, contributing for 3 years at Mitsubishi Aircraft in Moses Lake, Washington. There, she led logistics for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) flight test operations deployments in an international environment with 400 employees.
In 2020, Kanna relocated to Nagoya, Japan, working at Nagoya University's International Department, supporting international exchange students via the NUPACE program. Now back in Washington, she continues her mission to bridge the two cultures, finding a clear theme in her passions.
Education Staff
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 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.
SBEA Staff
Dale L. Watanabe was appointed Executive Director in May 2012 until November 2023. He was born and raised in the south end of Seattle, graduating from Tyee High School. Watanabe graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, and also earned an MBA from Seattle University. He worked for over 20 years with Microsoft as a senior business development manager, before stepping away in 2011. He served as Commander of the Nisei Veterans Committee in 2006 during the initial kickoff of the organization’s $2.5M Capital Campaign to remodel the NVC Memorial Hall, and has served on the NVC Board of Directors since 2004. “I have appreciated the opportunity to be a part of such a well-respected, long-standing organization whose mission it is to foster friendship, cultural exchange, and trade with the land of my ancestors,” says Watanabe. “Japan and U.S. trade, business and cultural exchange are important for many corporations and individuals here and in Japan. I've enjoyed working with and learning from the many JASSW members and volunteers who are dedicated to the mission.”
フレッド・ハリマンは１９７７年から１９９４年まで静岡県浜松市にてプロの日本語とスペイン語翻訳・通訳者として活動していました。 現在はここアメリカで引き続きプロの通訳者として活躍しています。
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."
初めまして、スミス美季と申します。千葉県船橋市出身です。この度、日本人移民や日系アメリカ人の小規模事業や個人事業のオーナー様の事業運営のお手伝いのため、日米協会のスモールビジネスコーディネーター（フルタイム）担当をさせていただくことになりました。私は2015年にワシントン州に参りましてから、日本とアメリカの架け橋になる仕事がしたいと思っておりました。日米協会においてこのお仕事ができることは光栄で、非常に楽しみです。
日米協会は２０２０年よりワシントン州商務省とワシントン州・スモールビジネス・リカバリー・ワーキング・グループとのパートナーシップを結んでおり、常に最新の情報を入手しています。
事業のお困りごとや知りたいことはありませんか？または皆様からのお知らせも大歓迎です。ぜひ私msmith@jassw.orgまたは、smallbiz@jassw.orgにお手伝いさせてください。お気軽にご連絡ください！皆様とお話しできる日を心待ちにしております。
Hi! My name is Miki Smith. I’m from Funabashi, Japan. I will be in charge of helping Japanese immigrant and Japanese-American owners of small businesses and microbusiness owners with their business operations in Washington. Since I arrived in Washington in 2015, I have wanted to work as a bridge between Japan and the United States. It is an honor to be able to do this work at JASSW, and I am very much looking forward to it.
Since 2020, JASSW has partnered with the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Washington State Small Business Recovery Working Group to stay up-to-date with the newest information regarding small business support. Feel free to contact me! I look forward to helping you.
Past SBEA Staff: Kiersten Zugg, Asaka Tateishi
Interns
Yujin was born and raised in Gimhae, Korea. She majored in Japanese Interpretation and Translation at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and is currently participating in the KOREA WEST program organized by the Korean government. As the newest intern at JASSW, she is eager to interact with diverse individuals, aiming to contribute not only to JASSW's mission but also to delve into the rich tapestry of Japanese and American culture. Therefore, she wants to build meaningful relationships and gain valuable insights into the vibrant intersection of these two distinct cultures.
Ryutaro (Ryu or KJ) was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan. My name comes from the name of the Ryukyu Kingdom and his grandfather Heitaro. My major is Global Management at Chuo University in Japan and I am currently going to the University of Washington from 2023-2024 studying Global Business Certificate Program.
I love to talk with people from many backgrounds, and my hobby is to play tennis and listen to music from the artist Fujii Kaze. My favourite food is ramen.
My goal as an intern at JASSW is not only to contribute to JASSW but also broaden his horizon.
沖縄出身の金城 琉太郎と申します。名前の由来は、琉球王国の琉と、おじいちゃんの平太郎の太郎に由来してます。専攻は、中央大学では国際経営学で、ワシントン州ではワシントン大学のGlobal Business Certificate Programに参加しています。
人とおしゃべりするのが好きで、趣味は、テニスをたまにすることと、藤井風の曲を聞くことです。一番好きな食べ物は、ラーメンです。
JASSWでのインターンを通して、JASSWに貢献するだけではなく、自分の世界観を広げていく事です。よろしくお願い致します！＾＾
