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
Dale L. Watanabe was appointed Executive Director in May 2012. 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.”
Akiko Sato started as the Japan in the Schools (JIS) coordinator on October 13, 2009, but she got involved with JASSW as a JIS volunteer in 2008. “I love what I do here at Japan America Society, helping to establish an acknowledgement of Japan or Japanese culture in our community. Meeting lots of kind people and getting involved with schools or planning events is a real thrill for me. Talking to young students in a classroom setting is also thoroughly enjoyable. It is truly a pleasure to share what I know about Japan to someone who is interested in my home country!”
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.
Education Staff
Elizabeth commits herself to bridging communities. She has been an Academic Adviser for first-year Whitman College students, English Teacher for over 4,000 Japanese students on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, Project Coordinator at the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington, and Board Member of the Japan Arts Connection Lab (JACLab), Currently, she is a fifth-year Japanese teacher at South Kitsap High School and is excited to be back with the Society as a remote program coordinator. Her other interests include onsen, theater, and karaoke.
SBEA Staff
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
Christie was born in the States, raised in Southeast Asia, and completed her undergraduate degree in Japan. She currently attends the University of Washington as an MA student in the Japan Studies program. Having lived in and experienced many different cultures, Christie is interested in cross-cultural exchange, history, and language learning.
KyungYoung was born and raised in Seoul. She is majoring in Japanese interpretation and translation at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and currently participating in the WEST program organized by the Korean government. The reason why she chose her major is because she always wanted to know more about other countries and wanted to be a bridge between culture and other cultures. As an intern, she is passionate about communicating with many people around the world and contributing to society, so she wants to make a good impact during her stay at JASSW.
Taira was born in Tokyo and raised in Italy, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. He is majoring in international studies at the University of Washington as an exchange student from Keio University, Tokyo. He is delighted to dedicate his time working as an intern at JASSW and enthusiastic about acknowledging various perspectives throughout his time as an intern. Besides, he is strongly interested in becoming a bridge between Japan and the United States. Therefore, he wants to contribute to introducing Japanese cultural values to foreign people by giving his experience living in both Japan and the United States.
Ellen Uchida got involved with JASSW as an intern in April of 2021. She was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and currently studies finance at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She is happy to dedicate her time helping the Japanese American community and be involved in opportunities that utilize her English/Japanese bilingual skills. She hopes to visit Washington state and visit the JASSW office one day in person. In her free time, she likes to practice karate as pictured in the photo above.
