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KOKUSAI SHIMIN SHO

"International Citizens Award"

Award Recipients

The Award honors and recognizes “individuals, businesses or organizations that have substantively and significantly enhanced the Japan–United States relationship and that are committed to the strengthening of bonds between the two nations.” Please see the list of past Honorees below (Titles indicate position at the time award received).

Arts, Culture, Literature and Sport

• MIYAVI, musician, actor and philanthropist
• Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s first two-way player since Babe Ruth, Angels Baseball Pitcher and Hitter, and 2018 MLB Rookie of the Year
• Marie Kondo, Best-selling Author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, and hit Netflix series inspiring home makeovers, helping American families clear out the clutter -- and choose joy.  
• The Disneyland® Resort
• Taylor Anderson, JET Programme Assistant Language Teacher (Awarded Posthumously) 
  
• James Clavell, Best-selling Novelist, Screenwriter and Director
• Rod Dedeaux, Legendary USC Coach; "Coach of the Century"; Co-Founder, U.S.-Japan College Baseball Championship Series
• Montgomery "Monty" Dickson, JET Programme Assistant Language Teacher (Awarded Posthumously) 
  
• Irene Hirano Inouye, President, U.S.-Japan Council
• Renzo Ishii, Legendary Waseda University Player and Coach; Co-Founder, U.S.-Japan College Baseball Championship Series
• Kitaro, Grammy and Golden Globe Award Winning Composer and Musician
• Tommy Lasorda, Legendary Coach and Special Advisor to the Chairman, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Etsuko and Joe D. Price, Founders, Shin’enkan Foundation, Recipients, 2006 Japan Foundation Award
• Takuma Sato, FIrst Japanese Race Car Driver to win and IndyCar Race and first to win the iconic Indianapolis 500

Government

• Yuko Kaifu, President of JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles
• Japan Self-Defense Forces and U.S. Forces of “OPERATION TOMODACHI”
• Ambassador James D. Hodgson, 22nd United States Ambassador to Japan and Chairman Emeritus, JASSC
• Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, Government of Japan
• Ambassador John V. Roos, 29th United States Ambassador to Japan
• Ambassador Taizo Watanabe, Government of Japan
• Governor Pete Wilson, State of California

International Business

• Bob Graziano, Vice Chairman of J.P. Morgan Private Bank
• Seiichiro Akita, Executive Officer, Head of Asian Corporate Banking, MUFG Americas Holdings
• Yukiatsu Akizawa, President and CEO, am/pm Japan Company, Ltd.
• C. Michael Armstrong, Chairman and CEO, AT&T
• Walter F. Beran, Co-Chairman Emeritus, Ernst & Young LLP and Chairman Emeritus, JASSC
• Philip M. Condit, Chairman and CEO, The Boeing Company
• Yoshikazu Hanawa, Chairman and CEO, Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.
  
• Russell Hanlin, Jr., President, Sunkist Growers, Inc.
• Yoshi Inaba, President and CEO, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
• Dr. Kazuo Inamori, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Kyocera Corporation
• Takashi Kiuchi, Chairman and CEO, Mitsubishi America Corporation and Co-Vice Chair Emeritus, JASSC
• Minoru Makihara, Chairman, Mitsubishi International Corporation
• Tomo Mizutani, President, Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc.
  
• Akira Ohno, Chairman Emeritus, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.
  
• Edward Perron, Firm-wide Managing Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and Chairman Emeritus, JASSC
• Richard Rosenberg, Chairman and CEO, Bank of America
• Tasuku Takagaki, Chairman, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi
• Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation
• Kazuhiro Tsuga, CEO, Panasonic Corporation
  
• Takuji Yamada, President & CEO, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  

Airlines that Bridge Southern California and Japan

• All Nippon Airways
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Japan Airlines
• United Airlines

Ports that Serve as “Gateways Across the Pacific”

• Port of Hueneme
• Port of Long Beach
• Port of Los Angeles
• Port of Kobe

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Victor M. Carter Award

Award Recipients

Victor M. Carter Award Recipients were all Community Leaders of the Greater Los Angeles Area who have Fostered and Perpetuated Friendship and Understanding between the United States and Japan

Sakaye Aratani, JASSC Vice President (1965-1983) and Founder, JASSC Annual Japan America Golf Classic (1968)

Roy L. Ash, Co-Founder, Litton Industries

Hans H. Baerwald, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Political Science, UCLA; Internationally recognized scholar of Japanese politics

Will Hippen, Jr., President, San Diego-Yokohama Friendship Board; Founder of the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, San Diego and Honorary Consul General of Japan in San Diego

Madame Maria Hodgson

Sara Hopkins and Yvonne Fedderson, Co-Founders, Childhelp

Yutaka Katayama, First President, Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A.

Koichi Kawana, Professor and Lecturer at UCLA on Japanese art, environmental design, and Japanese landscape/architecture

Akira Kikukawa, Founder & Music Director, Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra of L.A.

Sydney Kronenthal, Founder & Director, Parks, Recreation & Human Services, Culver City and Founder of the Culver - Kaizuka Sister City City Relationship in 1965

Frank Kuwahara, Founder, L.A. Wholesale Flower Terminal of So. Calif. Growers, Inc.; Producer, Descanso’s Japanese Garden

John C. McHose, Founding partner of the major California law firm, Lillick & McHose (today known as PIllsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP).  McHose was a West Coast pioneer of maritime and international law.  He was one of the first American lawyers to represent Japanese business interests in California

Muriel L. Merrell, President, Ikebana International

Katsuma Mukaeda, Founder & Chairman, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center 

Dr. Franklin D. Murphy, Chairman & CEO, Times Mirror Co. and Chancellor, UCLA

Dr. H. Carroll Parish, Dean of Students, UCLA (Adopted father to Koichi Kawana)

Jean Tsuchiya, Secretary, JASSC; Volunteer for LANSCA and JACCC

Fred I. Wada, Co-Founder, KEIRO; Lifetime Member, International Olympic Committee

The Japan America Society of Southern California has held its Anniversary Dinners at unique venues, providing a once-in-a-lifetime, memorable evening for supporters and guests.

109th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients

    Seiichiro Akita, Executive Officer, Head of Asian Corporate Banking, MUFG Americas Holdings

    Irene Hirano Inouye, President, U.S.-Japan Council    

• May 16, 2018
• The Queen Mary (Long Beach, CA)
• Photos
• 109th Anniversary Dinner Digital Tribute Book

108th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients

    Edward A. Perron, Firm-wide Managing Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and Chairman Emeritus, JASSC

    Kazuhiro Tsuga, CEO, Panasonic Corporation

• June 7, 2017
• Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles Music Center (Los Angeles, CA)
• Photos
  
• Silent Auction Catalog
• 108th Anniversary Dinner Digital Tribute Book

107th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients

    Russell Hanlin, Jr., President, Sunkist Growers, Inc.

    Akira Ohno, Chairman Emeritus, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.

• May 26, 2016
• The Langham Hotel Huntington (Pasadena, CA)
• Photos Part I  |  Photos Part II
• 107th Anniversary Dinner Digital Tribute Book

106th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients

    Takuji Yamada, President & CEO, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

    Takuma Sato, IndyCar Race Car Driver

• June 30, 2015
• Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (Anaheim, CA)
  
• Photos
• 106th Anniversary Dinner Digital Tribute Book
  

105th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients: Tomo Mizutani, President, Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas, Inc., Taylor Anderson and Montgomery "Monty" Dickson, JET Programme Assistant Language Teachers
• June 17, 2014
• Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel (Beverly Hills, CA)
• Photos
• 105th Anniversary Dinner Tribute CD
  

104th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipient

    Hitachi, Ltd.

• July 2, 2013
• Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Pavilion at the California Science Center (Los Angeles, CA)
• Photos
  
• Silent Auction Catalog
• 104th Anniversary Dinner Tribute CD

101st Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipient

    Ambassador John V. Roos, 29th United States Ambassador to Japan

• June 9, 2010
• Club Nokia, L.A. Live (Los Angeles, CA)

Centennial Dinner & Gala Celebration

• Centennial Celebration of Japan America Society of Southern California
• June 15, 2009
• The Globe Theatre, Universal Studios Hollywood (Hollywood, CA)

99th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration
Featuring "The Age of Imagination: Japanese Art from the Price Collection"

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipient

    Etsuko and Joe D. Price

• June 25, 2008
• Pavilion for Japanese Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA) 

98th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration
"Gateway Across the Pacific"

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients

    Port of Kobe, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles and Port of Hueneme

• April 18, 2007
• World Cruise Center (San Pedro, CA)

97th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration
"Bridging the Skies Across the Pacific"

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients

    All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, Northwest Airlines and United Airlines

• July 15, 2006
• Air Force One Pavilion at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum (Simi Valley, CA)

96th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration
"Celebrating Amateur Baseball Across the Pacific"

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipiens

    Rod Dedeaux, Legendary USC Coach; "Coach of the Century"; Co-Founder, U.S.-Japan College Baseball Championship Series
    Renzo Ishii, Legendary Waseda University Player and Coach; Co-Founder, U.S.-Japan College Baseball Championship Series

• May 11, 2005
• On the Playing Field of Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)

94th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebration

"Celebrating National Pastimes Across the Pacific"

• Kokusai Shimin Sho "International Citizens Award" Recipients

    Tommy Lasorda, Legendary Coach and Special Advisor to the Chairman, Los Angeles Dodgers
    Yukiatsu Akizawa, President & CEO, am/pm Japan

• May 19, 2003
• On the Playing Field of Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)