The 15th International Symposium of America-Japan Societies in Fukuoka

◇ Symposium Vision ◇

"Deepening Japan-U.S. Relations in the New International Order"

-The Future of Japan-U.S. Relations as Seen from Fukuoka, a Regional Hub in East Asia-

◇ Event Schedule ◇

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Welcome Party

Venue: BOATHOUSE OHORI PARK (Royal Garden Cafe Ohori Park)

Time: 17:30 – 19:00

Friday, October 23, 2026

International Symposium

Venue: ACROS Fukuoka International Conference Hall

9:00 – 11:00 | Meeting of Japan-America Society Representatives

12:00 – 12:10 | Opening Ceremony

12:10 – 13:30 | Message from Japan-America Societies

12:30 – 13:05 | Keynote Speech

13:20 – 15:00 | Japan-U.S. Student Presentation: "The Future of Japan-U.S. Relations as Envisioned by Students (from Fukuoka)"

15:15 – 16:55 | Panel Discussion: "Building Innovation Hubs and the Potential of Creative Industries"

16:55 – 17:00 | Closing Ceremony

(Transit to Reception)

Reception

Venue: Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, Ho-oh Room (Phoenix Room)

Time: 18:30 – 20:00

Saturday, October 24, 2026

Excursion

Plan A: Sightseeing Train Tour of Fukuoka (Dazaifu & Yanagawa) | 09:00 – 16:30 (Scheduled)

Plan B: Open-Top Bus Tour of Fukuoka | Duration: Approx. 60 minutes per course

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◇ Registration fee ◇

①Welcome Party JPY 7,000

②International Symposium JPY 3,000

③Reception JPY 12,000

Package both Int'l Symposium and Reception(②＋③) JPY 14,000

All-in Package(①＋②＋③) JPY 19,000

Registration will be open through the website to be published on May 22.

◇ Venue Details ◇

Welcome Party

BOATHOUSE OHORI PARK (Royal Garden Cafe Ohori Park)

Address: 1-3 Ohori-koen, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka

International Symposium

ACROS Fukuoka International Conference Hall

Address: 1-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka

Reception

Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, Ho-oh Room (Phoenix Room)

Address: 2-6-60 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka

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◇ Organizing Committee ◇

Organizer: The Japan-America Society of Fukuoka

Co-organizers: The National Association of America-Japan Societies , The National Association of Japan-America Societies

Supporter : Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan , Embassy of the United States of America in Japan , U.S. Consulate Fukuoka , Fukuoka Prefecture , Fukuoka City

BOATHOUSE OHORI PARK

Welcome Party

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026

Time: 17:30 – 19:00

Venue: BOATHOUSE OHORI PARK

(Royal Garden Cafe Ohori Park)

Format: Standing Buffet

Around the Venue

◇ Ohori Park Map

◇ Ohori Park

◇ Fukuoka Art Museum

◇ Japanese Garden

Note: If you have some free time before the party, we would be happy to provide admission tickets to these locations.

International Symposium

Date: Friday, October 23, 2026

Venue: ACROS Fukuoka International Conference Hall

Symposium Vision

"Deepening Japan-U.S. Relations in the New International Order"

-The Future of Japan-U.S. Relations as Seen from Fukuoka, a Regional Hub in East Asia-

Morning Session

9:00 – 11:00

Meeting of Japan-America Society Representatives (Japan and U.S.)

Simultaneous interpretation provided

Afternoon Session

12:00 – 12:10 | Opening Ceremony

Opening Remarks: Shigeyuki Takasaki, President, The Japan-America Society of Fukuoka

12:10 – 12:30 | Messages from the Japan-America Societies

Emma Chanlett-Avery, President, The National Association of Japan-America Societies (USA)

Ichiro Fujisaki, President, The National Association of Japan-America Societies (Japan)

12:30 – 13:05 | Keynote Speech

Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Tokyo

Aaron D. Snipe

Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture

Seitaro Hattori

13:05 – 13:20 | Break

13:20 – 15:00 | Japan-U.S. Student Presentation

"The Future of Japan-U.S. Relations as Envisioned by Students (from Fukuoka)"

See firsthand how ideas developed about six months by young people can shape the future in a one‑hour session

—followed by expert feedback and audience Q&A that marks a new step in Japan–US exchange.

Moderator: Mr. Akira Miyahara (Professor emeritus, Seinan Gakuin University)

15:00 – 15:15 | Break

15:15 – 16:55 | Panel Discussion

"Building Innovation Hubs and the Potential of Creative Industries"

Moderator: Mr. Shuhei Ishimaru (Executive Director, Fukuoka Directive Council)

Panelists:

Mr. Tim Rowe (Founder & Executive Chair, CIC)

Mr. Kenichi Nakajima (Professor, Faculty of Commerce, Fukuoka University)

Ms. Chie Tanaka (ONEmore)

Mr. Nick Szasz (Representative Director, Fukuoka Now Ltd.)

16:55 – 17:00 | Closing Ceremony

Reception

Date: Friday, October 23, 2026

Time: 18:30 – 20:00

Venue: Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, Ho-oh Room (Phoenix Room)

[Google Maps]

Format: Standing Reception

◇ [Venue Image]

◇ [Kagami-biraki (Sake Barrel Breaking) Image]

Excursion

Plan A

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Time: 09:00 – 16:30

Description: Fukuoka Sightseeing Train Experience (exclusive charter service)

— THE RAIL KITCHEN CHIKUGO —

Destinations: Dazaifu and Yanagawa

Itinerary:

09:21 – 10:11 | Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Sta. → Dazaifu Sta. (by train)

10:11 – 11:30 | Dazaifu Sightseeing

11:30 – 13:02 | Dazaifu Sta. → Nishitetsu Yanagawa Sta. (by train)

Enjoy a lunch course cooked on the train using local ingredients.

13:02 – 15:20 | Yanagawa sightseeing

Enjoy river cruise.

15:20~16:30 Ohana ⇒ Fukuoka Airport, Hakata, Tenjin

Travel will be by chartered bus

Note: The train operates on a special schedule; the times listed above are approximate.

Registration will be open through the website to be published on May 22.

Plan B

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Duration: Approx. 60 minutes per course

Description: Fukuoka Open-Top Bus Tour

Destinations: Fukuoka City and Dazaifu

◇ Registration fee ◇

Excursion PlanA JPY 25,000

Excursion PlanB JPY 2,000

Shigeyuki Takasaki

President, The Japan-America Society of Fukuoka

The 15th Japan-America Association International Symposium Fukuoka Conference will be held in Fukuoka, the most energetic city in Japan right now. We hope that this will be a meaningful Conference that welcomes many friends from Japan and the United States and builds deeper bonds through exchanges.

In addition to asking the younger generation to make suggestions on Japan-U.S. relations in the new era, this symposium will also include panel discussions to consider the possibility of forming an innovation creation base in Fukuoka, a core city in East Asia, to create and nurture new industries. Let us all think together and use this as an opportunity to gain a new perspective on Japan-US relations.

Also, please experience the bustle of Fukuoka, the nature, history, and culture of Kyushu, and enjoy delicious food. We look forward to your participation

Emma Chanlett-Avery

President, The National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS)

The leadership of NAJAS always looks forward to these international symposia, as they provide a wonderful opportunity for members of our Japan-America Societies to share their passion for the U.S.-Japan connection. I truly enjoyed participating in the Kyoto Symposium in the fall of 2022 and the conference in Portland, Oregon, in the summer of 2024. I am now eagerly anticipating the wonderful event scheduled for the fall of 2026 in Fukuoka, a city brimming with an entrepreneurial spirit and international character. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Takasaki of the Japan-America Society of Fukuoka for planning such an outstanding program.

Ichiro Fujisaki

President, The National Association of Japan-America Societies (Japan)

The International Symposium in Fukuoka, which we have all been waiting for, is finally upon us. We are currently navigating a difficult phase in history, where global affairs are shifting significantly based on the actions of the United States. However, no matter how U.S. policies may evolve, the foundation of the Japan-U.S. relationship remains, fundamentally, the connection between people. This conference is the perfect opportunity to broaden and deepen those ties. I am certain that valuable discussions will emerge here, where the younger generation will take the lead in carrying the torch of our bilateral relationship into the future. Let us come together as friends from Japan and the U.S. to discover the charms of Fukuoka and engage in deep, meaningful dialogue.

Keynote Address

Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Tokyo

Aaron D. Snipe

Aaron D. Snipe is a career member of the U.S. Department of State Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Tokyo. He previously served in Tokyo as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs from 2024 to 2025, and as the Embassy’s Political-Military Counselor from 2015 to 2019. In addition to his service in the Indo-Pacific, Aaron has also served in Western Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and multiple tours in Washington. Before joining the State Department, Aaron worked in the financial services industry as an analyst at UBS PaineWebber, and then as an Assistant Compliance Director at MetLife Securities in New York City. After graduating from Emerson College and Suffolk University Law School, he studied at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, and then spent two years as a JET Programme instructor in the town of Kajiki in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, teaching English to primary and secondary school students. Aaron’s commitment to public service began 1994 when he served as a National Park Service Park Ranger in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, conducting historical walking tours of the city of Boston.

Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture

Seitaro Hattori

Born in Kitakyushu in 1954, Seitaro Hattori graduated from Fukuoka Prefectural Kokura High School and the Faculty of Law at Chuo University. He joined the Fukuoka Prefectural Government in 1977.

Over the course of his long career in public service, he held a number of senior positions within the prefectural government, including Director of the Finance Division, Deputy Director-General of the General Affairs Department, and Director-General of the Social Welfare and Labor Department. Through these roles, he gained extensive experience across a broad range of policy areas, including public finance, government administration, social welfare, and labor affairs. In 2011, he was appointed Vice Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture.

Following his service as Vice Governor, with responsibilities spanning the full range of prefectural administration, he was first elected Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture in 2021. He was re-elected in 2025 and is currently serving his second term.

As Governor, he has worked to further advance Fukuoka Prefecture through initiatives in such areas as regional economic revitalization, industrial development, social welfare, and support for children and families. He has also placed emphasis on strengthening international exchange and cooperation with Asia and beyond, building on Fukuoka’s strategic location and its longstanding role as a gateway connecting Japan with the wider region.

Japan-U.S. Student Presentation

"The Future of Japan-U.S. Relations as Envisioned by Students (from Fukuoka)"

Mr. Akira Miyahara

Professor emeritus, Seinan Gakuin University

Panel Discussion

"Building Innovation Hubs and the Potential of Creative Industries"

Mr. Shuhei Ishimaru

Executive Director, Fukuoka Directive Council