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).
Ema is new to JASSW and is excited to join this dynamic community. Born and raised in Japan, she is passionate about connecting with people and fostering meaningful relationships. Ema is particularly eager to contribute to the empowerment and support of individuals through cultural engagement and mutual understanding. She moved to Seattle with her family in 2014 after living in New Hampshire and Delaware. Ema also serves as an elementary school teacher at Bellevue Children's Academy and is the proud mother of twin daughters who are currently college students. Joining JASSW allows her to actively engage in meaningful cultural exchanges and support the vibrant community that JASSW nurtures.
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.
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 exchange 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.
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.
Small Business Empowerment Academy (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.”
After 20 years in public accounting as a CPA, Kanako has started her own accounting and consulting firm to assist small businesses owned by Japanese immigrants. She is passionate about assisting small and micro businesses to maneuver through the complex world of doing business in Washington state. During COVID, she created many YouTube videos in Japanese to breakdown the rules and regulations of grant and loan programs created by the federal and local governments, so that Japanese-immigrant business owners were aware of and were able to take advantage of those programs. She is originally from Kyoto, Japan and grew up in a family where her entire family members were serious athletes. Her childhood dream was to become a professional volleyball player. Her secret from the past is an experience of singing Karaoke on a float during one of the past Torchlight parades in Seattle.
公認会計士として大手公認会計士事務所に20年間勤務した後、日本の移民が所有する中小企業を支援するために独自の会計およびコンサルティング会社を設立しました。COVID‐19での経済的危機で多くの中小企業が打撃を受けている状況になってからは、連邦および地方政府のパンデミック救済の助成金とローンの要件を申請するプロセスを支援しています。また、Facebook（@kaikeikakekomidera）を介してタイムリーな会計および税務情報を積極的にコミュニティに提供しています。
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."
スミス美季です。千葉県船橋市出身です。日米協会のスモールビジネスメディアコーディネーターとして「週刊知っ得情報」SNSポストや日米協会のポッドキャスト, JASSW Small Business Bitesやスモールビジネスニュースレターを担当し、ワシントン州内のスモールビジネスオーナー様向けに役立つ情報を提供しています。新しいことを知ることが大好きです。新しいアイディアを学ぶことも好きです。アイディアや皆様からのお知らせも大歓迎です。msmith@jassw.orgまで、お気軽にご連絡ください！
Hi! I’m Miki Smith from Funabashi-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan. As the Small Business Media Coordinator, I am in charge of the “Weekly Knowledge” Social Network posts and the podcast, JASSW Small Business Bites, and the SBEA Newsletters to provide useful information for Japanese small business owners living in Washington State. I love to learn new things. I also love to learn new ideas. We welcome ideas and your news, so please feel free to contact us at msmith@jassw.org!
ワシントン州日米協会で、小規模/個人ビジネスを支援する「Small Business Resiliency Program」のプログラム・コーディネーターになりました光富里美です。１２年半暮らしたNYから２０２０年、パンデミック中にシアトルに引っ越してきました。
人を助けるような仕事がしたくて、以前はリハビリの仕事や、お店でのお客様の対応をしていました。今度はワシントン州でがんばってらっしゃる事業主の方のお手伝いができるのを楽しみにしています。
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.
2024年7月から、日米協会のスモールビジネス部門にてインターンをさせていただいております、櫻井 龍一と申します。シアトルには留学のために2024年3月に来たばかりで、それ以前は日本にて約５年金融機関で勤務をしておりました。
これからチャレンジしようとしている方々を応援・支援したいという気持ちを持っております。ぜひ皆さんのお手伝いができればと思っております。
慣れない土地でビジネスを始めることに不安を感じられている方も多いと思いますが、事前に相談できる環境は非常に貴重だと思います。皆さんの成功に向けて全力でサポートいたします。今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。
My name is Ryuichi Sakurai, and I have been an intern in the Small Business Department of the Japan-America Society of Seattle since July 2024. I just came to Seattle in March 2024 to study abroad, and before that I worked for a financial institution in Japan for about 5 years.
I have a desire to support and encourage people who are trying to take on new challenges. I would be very happy to assist you in any way I can.
I think it is very valuable to have an environment where you can consult with us beforehand. We will do our best to support your success. We look forward to working with you.
Past SBEA Staff: Kiersten Zugg, Asaka Tateishi
Interns
Geonwoong was born and raised in Korea. In high school, he came under the spell of Japanese culture through anime, novels, etc. He has studied Japanese Language and Literature, and International Business and Trade at Myongji University for the past 3.5 years. He is participating in the Korea West exchange program sponsored by the Korean government and the U.S. Department of State. As the new intern at JASSW, he is harnessing his creativity and energy to support JASSW's prosperity.
