Ambassador Rahm Emanuel joins Japan-America Society of Washington DC as Honorary Patron

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Japan-America Society of Washington DC is pleased to announce that Rahm Emanuel, Ambassador of the United States of America to Japan, will serve as an Honorary Patron to the Society.  Ambassador Emanuel joins the Society in this ceremonial role alongside H.E. Koji Tomita, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States of America.

Ambassador James P. Zumwalt, Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Washington DC, welcomed Ambassador Emanuel, saying, “The Society is honored that Ambassador Emanuel has agreed to serve in this position.”  Ambassador Zumwalt added, “The symbolism of two ambassadors playing this ceremonial role reflects the importance that our two governments place on the people-to-people ties that bind our countries together.”

Rahm Emanuel was confirmed in a bipartisan vote as the 31st United States Ambassador to Japan on December 18, 2021. Upon his confirmation, Ambassador Emanuel emphasized that the U.S.-Japan alliance is “the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific,” adding that his top priority would be to deepen those ties.

Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Emanuel was the 55th Mayor of the City of Chicago, a position he held until May 2019. Before becoming Mayor, Ambassador Emanuel served as President Obama’s Chief of Staff and was elected four times as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois’s 5th Congressional District (2002-2008).

 

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. It fosters the grassroots relationship between the United States, Japan, and 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 celebration of Japanese culture, to educational events such as the National Japan Bowl, an annual Japanese language competition.