One year ago, Ms. Paige Cottingham-Streater became U.S. CULCON’s new Secretary-General and engaged the United States Conference in new projects and activities to promote cultural and educational interchange among peer organizations and across borders. Ms. Cottingham-Streater encouraged Japan-related organizations to share information and actively explore opportunities for collaboration. Under her leadership, CULCON convened several meetings […]

U.S. CULCON and the U.S.-Japan Council convened the second U.S.-Japan legislative exchange summit on June 27.  In preparation for the meeting, the organizations contributed to a compiled a database of legislators who have been or might be interested in participating in a legislative exchange.  Individuals from various U.S.-Japan related organizations discussed the legislative exchange database, […]

This morning, CULCON hosted a second summit of Japan-related organizations at the U.S. Capitol.  More than 20 individuals from 13 organizations discussed the importance of people-to-people exchanges with Ms. Jennifer Stout, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, who was the keynote speaker. The conversation […]

CULCON is pleased to introduce this new resource U.S.-Japan Resources is generally designed for a United States audience, but in some cases also highlights opportunities for both U.S. and Japanese participants. Information about Japan is listed in four major categories: • Exchanges and Fellowships; • Professional and Volunteer Opportunities; • U.S.-Japan Related Organizations; and • […]

Friendship Blossoms is a public/private partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation.  Watch Secretary of State Clinton’s announcement here.  Applauding the resounding success of events to celebrate the centennial of the historic gift of 3,000 cherry trees by Japan to Washington, D.C., in 1912, the President announced a reciprocal gift of 3,000 dogwood trees to Japan this year. » Read More

CULCON Panelists recently visited the Tohoku area, which had been devasted by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. They met with local officials and were briefed on the status of restoration.  Click here to view more photos from the visit: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=347773398612994&set=a.347771891946478.80455.177546128969056&type=1&theater

President Obama and Prime Minister Noda met on April 30, 2012 and released a fact sheet on U.S.-Japan Cooperative Initiatives. Recognition of CULCON’s efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Japan relationship is included in the official document: “The leaders welcomed achievements by . . . the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON). The goal of […]

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, CULCON commissioned a film to outline the accomplishments of the organization.  The film was produced by former CULCON Panelist Regge Life and narrated by former CULCON Panelist George Takei.  The film was shown at the 2012 Plenary Session for the first time and highlights: The history of CULCON and the Plenary […]

Re-posted from Waseda University website:  On Monday, April 9, 2012, the US-Japan Higher Education Panel was held at the Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo under Waseda University’s auspices (Supported by: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technolog (MEXT), US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON), US Japan Research Institute (USJI)). Post-war US and Japan, […]

CULCON Chairmen Thierry Porté and Minoru Makihara presented the CULCON XXV Joint Statement to Japanese Prime Minister Noda on April 11, 2012.   CULCON XXV was held on April 9-11, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan and covered such issues as arts/museum exchange and the sharp decline in the number of Japanese students studying in the United States. […]