Outline of Japan-U.S. Business Council

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The "Japan-U.S. Business Council" in Japan hold "Japan-U.S. Business Conference" with its American counterpart, the "U.S.-Japan Business Council" The conference makes recommendations to the Japanese and the U.S. governments and to the organizations concerned.
Both Business Councils seek to persuade both governments and related organizations to implement or promote recommendations that were discussed and agreed in the Business Conference.

The Japan-U.S. Business Council comprises about 80 public and private companies doing business in Japan as well as in the U.S., and is supported by "the Japan Business Federation," "the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry," "Japan Association of Corporate Executives," "Kansai Economic Federation," and "Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc. "
Membership in the USJBC is open to executives from Fortune 1000 public and private U.S. companies doing business in Japan, as well as leading consultancies, law firms, and other major service providers.

Missions and Objectives

History

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, following its post-war recovery, Japan entered a period of high economic growth. At the same time, Japan U.S. relations grew closer and more complex. Widespread recognition of the need for improved mutual understanding persuaded Japan's Federation of Economic Organizations, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Japan Foreign Trade Council to form the Joint Commission on Trade with the U.S., in 1958. In 1961, this Commission initiated and organized the Japan-U.S. Business Conference.

As U.S.-Japanese interdependence continued to deepen, the U.S. took the step of forming the Advisory Council on Japan-U.S. Economic Relations on April 8, 1971, under the chairmanship of Mr.Najeeb E. Halaby, the chairman of Pan American World Airways. In 1985 it became the U.S.-Japan Economic Council, and in 1989 it took on its present name, the U.S.-Japan Business Council, Inc.

Japan also took steps. On April 28, 1971, the Japan-U.S. Business Council was established, under the joint leadership of Mr.Kogoro Uemura (chairman of the Federation of Economic Organizations), Mr.Shigeo Nagano (chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Mr.Kazutaka Kikawada (chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives) and Mr.Yoshizane Iwasa (chairman of Fuji Bank).

In February 1994, over 30 years after the inaugural meeting of the Japan-U.S. Business Conference, the two councils agreed to a Joint Mission Statement, as a means to review and reaffirm their policies and purpose, in light of 30 years history and changes in the business environment.

Chairman of Japan-U.S. Business Council

Period Name Company
1971~81 Yoshizane Iwasa Fuji Bank, Ltd. Chairman
1981~89 Norishige Hasegawa Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. Chairman
1989~93 Eishiro Saito Nippon Steel Corp. Chairman
1993~94 Akio Morita Sony Corp. Chairman
1994~97 Yotaro Kobayashi Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Chairman
1997~2002 Minoru Makihara Mitsubishi Corp. Chairman
2002~05 Taizo Nishimuro Toshiba Corp. Chairman
2005~09 Junichi Ujiie Nomura Holdings, Inc. Chairman
2009~13 Hiromasa Yonekura Sumitomo Chemical Corp. Chairman
2013~17 Kunio Ishihara The Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., Counselor
2017~21 Nobuyuki Hirano Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
2021~ Jun Sawada Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Corporation

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