WASHINGTON, D.C. The Japan-America Society of Washington DC is pleased to announce that H.E. TOMITA Koji, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States of America, will serve as one of the Society’s Honorary Patrons.  Ambassador Tomita succeeds former Ambassador SUGIYAMA Shinsuke J. in the role.

Ambassador James P. Zumwalt, Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Washington DC, welcomed Ambassador Tomita saying, “We are honored that Ambassador Tomita has agreed to serve in this position.  Ambassador Zumwalt added, “the Board of Trustees appreciates the incredible support that the Embassy of Japan offers to Japan-America Society of Washington DC, and our fellow Japan-America Societies around the country, as we pursue a shared goal of promoting ties between the United States and Japan.”

Ambassador Tomita was appointed Ambassador of Japan to the United States of America in January 2021. In an inaugural message upon beginning his service, Ambassador Tomita called attention to the unwavering alliance between Japan and the United States stressing the importance of cooperation between the two countries on numerous issues such as COVID-19, climate change, and space activities. Beyond economic and political ties, Ambassador Tomita highlighted grassroots exchange as a critical factor in the robust United States-Japan bilateral relationship.

About the Japan-America Society of Washington DC

The Japan-America Society of Washington DC is a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in the US capital of Washington, DC, which fosters the grassroots relationship between the United States and Japan as well as its citizens. The Society promotes this friendship through more than 70 annual programs and events from cultural activities such as the Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival, the nation’s largest one-day celebration of Japanese culture, to educational events such as the National Japan Bowl, an annual Japanese language competition.