The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and The U.S. Panel of the Conference on Cultural and Education Interchange (CULCON) mourn the loss of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100.

President Carter will be remembered with admiration for his lifelong commitment to principles of peace and mutual understanding. This includes his work in strengthening people-to-people connections between the US and Japan, resulting amongst other binational collaborations a Sister State/Prefecture relationship between his home-state Georgia and Kagoshima. In October 2023, the U.S. and Japan CULCON Panels met at The Carter Center and The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, and celebrated the enduring legacy of President Carter, his efforts in diplomacy, human rights advocacy, and environmental stewardship—efforts that extended far beyond his time in office. CULCON panelists had the honor of ringing the Peace Bell located on the Carter Center property, a symbol of peace gifted to President Carter from the Japanese community, in acknowledgement of the value of subnational connections for the resilience of the bilateral relationship.

With humility, we offer our deepest sympathies to his surviving family members and many friends. For more information about his work and legacy, please see: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/us/politics/jimmy-carter-dead.html