American Chamber of Commerce Japan

The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ, Japanese: 在日米国商工会議所, Zainichi Beikoku Shōkō Kaigisho) is a non-profit business organization consisting mainly of executives from American companies. Currently, the ACCJ has over 3,000 members representing over 600 companies with chapters located in the Tokyo, Kansai and Chubu regions. Working closely with the governments of the United States and Japan, business organizations and others, the ACCJ actively promotes activities that help achieve its mission of further developing commerce between the United States and Japan.[1]

American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
AbbreviationACCJ
FormationAugust 24, 1948 (1948-08-24)
TypeAdvocacy group
Legal statusNon-Profit
PurposeAdvocacy
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
Location
President
Om Prakash II
Main organ
Board of Governors
Websitewww.accj.or.jp

History

The ACCJ was established in 1948 by representatives of 40 American companies. Originally, the ACCJ had six committees and nine board members.[2]

The ACCJ claims to be Japan's most influential foreign business organization, and serves as the primary forum for the foreign business community in Japan to identify and pursue shared interests and goals. There are more than sixty Chamber committees, subcommittees, task forces, and advisory councils that cover such diverse areas as: financial services, corporate social responsibility, marketing, independent business, healthcare services, e-business, transportation and logistics, legal services, the travel industry, and human resource management.[3]

Programs

The ACCJ committees combined hold over 500 programs annually, and these events are exclusively attended by ACCJ members and their accompanied guests. The backbone of the annual agenda is hundreds of engagements with leading experts and shapers of policy and business trends in Japan.[4] Speakers are drawn from the ranks of global business leaders, top U.S. and Japanese government officials, industry experts, scholars and pop culture icons. Former speakers Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe; JP Morgan Japan Director of Research, Jesper Koll; Rakuten Inc CEO, Hiroshi Mikitani; General Electric CEO, Jeffrey R. Immelt; U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO, Tom J. Donohue; former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger; U.S. Department of Energy Secretary, Steven Chu; Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood; Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano; U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, and many others have chosen the ACCJ as their forum for addressing Japan's international business community.[5][6]

Advocacy

As a key stakeholder in the commercial relationship between the United States and Japan, the ACCJ works to influence the discussions that frame policy in both countries. The ACCJ issues its official positions on policy issues in Viewpoint position papers, white papers, public comments and other reports. The ultimate goal of these policy positions and the advocacy carried out to communicate them and promote their implementation is to further the mission of the ACCJ to improve the business environment in Japan for Chamber members.[7]

ACCJ Board of Governors (as of 2021)

Leadership positions within the ACCJ are held by elected officials who represent top-level Japanese businesspeople and expats in Japan from the U.S. and around the globe.[8]

Leadership PositionMember NameCompany Title
PresidentOm Prakash IIChief Executive for Northrop Grumman Japan [9]
ChairEriko AsaiPresident, GE Japan
Vice President—TokyoDeborah HaydenManaging Director, Finsbury Glover Hering
Vice President—TokyoAmy JacksonPhRMA Japan Representative, Pharmaceutical Research and

Manufacturers of America

Vice President—TokyoEric SedlakPartner, K&L Gates Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise
Vice President—TokyoYoshitaka SugiharaDirector, Head of Public Policy, Japan, Netflix G.K.
Vice President—TokyoDave WestPresident and General Manager, Cisco Systems G.K.
Vice President—KansaiYoko FuruyamaExecutive Officer, Legal and Government Relations, Procter &

Gamble Japan K.K.

Vice President—ChubuRobert W. RocheExecutive Chairman and President, Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc.
Treasurer—TokyoRyann ThomasPartner, PwC Tax Japan
Treasurer—KansaiKay Kobayashi Director of Human Resources, Hilton Osaka
Treasurer—ChubuJeffrey JacksonGyoseishoshi and Founder, Jackson Sogo Gyoseishoshi Law Office
Governor—TokyoAndrew J. ConradSenior Vice President, General Counsel and Compliance Officer,

Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. / Senior Vice President, Aflac International

Governor—TokyoJames C. Feliciano President, AbbVie
Governor—TokyoHarry HillCEO and President, Better-U, Inc.
Governor—TokyoDouglas L. HymasSenior Advisor to the CEO, Fusion Systems Group
Governor—TokyoTad JohnsonPresident & Representative Director, Pratt & Whitney Aftermarket Japan KK
Governor—TokyoSaori KannoPresident, General Manager, REVLON K.K.
Governor—TokyoMari MatthewsRepresentative Director, Vice Chairman, The Bank of New York Mellon
Governor—TokyoNancy L. NgouAssociate Partner, EY Advisory & Consulting Co., Ltd.
Governor—TokyoVictor OsumiManaging Director, Japan, Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Governor—TokyoFrank PackardIndependent Advisor, Synnovate
Governor—TokyoWilliam J. SwintonDirector, International Business Studies, Temple University, Japan

Campus

Governor—TokyoMegumi TsukamotoExecutive Director, Caterpillar Japan, LLC
Governor—KansaiSimone ThomsenPresident and Representative Director, Eli Lilly Japan K.K.
Governor—ChubuMark HosangSr. Manager Enterprise Services & Security, IT Division, Randstad Japan
Special AdvisorChristopher LaFleurSenior Director, McLarty Associates
President EmeritusDebbie HowardChairman, CarterJMRN K.K.
President EmeritusCharles D. Lake IIPresident, Aflac International, Inc. / Chairman and Representative Director, Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd.
President EmeritusAllan D. SmithHead of Government Relations Asia Pacific, Assistant General Council, RGA Reinsurance Company, Japan Branch
President EmeritusThomas W. WhitsonAdvisor, Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc.
President EmeritusMichael J. AlfantGroup Chairman and chief executive officer, Fusion Systems Group
Executive DirectorLaura Younger

References
  1. "ACCJ: About the ACCJ". ACCJ. Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  2. "ACCJ: History". Archived from the original on 2013-02-23. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  3. "ACCJ: Committees". Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  4. "APCAC". Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  5. "ACCJ:Events". ACCJ. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  6. "Secretary Locke". Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  7. "ACCJ:Advocacy". Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  8. "ACCJ Leadership". Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  9. "Om Prakash Elected President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan for 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 4 December 2020.
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