#USCULCON celebrates International Education Week and the resilient U.S. and Japanese students pursuing study abroad in each other’s countries. Thank you #IIEglobal for the Open Doors data that informs the important work of dedicated higher education partners, exchange organizations and government leaders. A strong U.S.-Japan partnership requires next generation leaders with the cultural competencies acquired […]

CULCON convened for CULCON XXIX virtually on October 17/18, 2021. The modified meeting format was a reminder of what has been lost through the pandemic, with engagement limited to a virtual platform, but it also spotlighted the resilience of the Panels and their determination to continue moving forward with their work by any means. In […]

Ten years ago, on March 11, 2011, the world watched in shock as an earthquake struck the Tohoku region of Japan, triggering a tsunami and causing a nuclear power plant meltdown, and unimaginable destruction and loss of life. Today, we remember the children, parents, colleagues, friends and neighbors who lost their lives, homes, families and […]

U.S. CULCON is delighted to collaborate with USJETAA on this special opportunity to explore Racial and Social Justice in Cross-Cultural Contexts: Meaning and Action in the U.S.-Japan Community. We encourage you to join the free workshop – registration information below: Event: Racial and Social Justice in Cross-Cultural Contexts Meaning and Action in the U.S.-Japan CommunityJanuary […]

U.S. CULCON mourns the loss of Minoru (Ben) Makihara, former co-chair of the Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON) and special advisor. Mr. Makihara led the binational advisory panel along with U.S. counterparts, Chairs Thierry Porte and Harry Hill, from 2008 through 2014. Ben’s appointment as CULCON chair signaled a renewed focus on CULCON’s […]

2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenge, especially here in the United States. A global pandemic and its attendant economic and social dislocation continue to highlight economic and social inequities. Similarly, the killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of police, prompted mass protests, raising awareness yet again of the […]

Dr. Sheila A. Smith Appointed as Chair Washington, D.C. May 1, 2020: The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and the U.S. CULCON Panel are pleased to announce the appointment of new Chair, Dr. Sheila A. Smith. CULCON and JUSFC have also appointed Dr. Samuel Morse, Professor, Amherst College, and Dr. William Tsutsui, who most recently served […]

The U.S. CULCON Panel mourns the loss of Irene Hirano Inouye, who passed away recently after a long illness.  Irene’s distinguished career and tireless efforts building and leading organizations supporting the arts, human rights and U.S.-Japan relations are extraordinary. Within the U.S.-Japan community, Irene was not only an influential advocate for people-to-people exchange between Japan […]