11月11日、午後4時00分から約20分間、林芳正外務大臣は、旧知のジェームズ・ズムワルト・ワシントンDC日米協会理事長（Ambassador (ret.) James P. Zumwalt, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Japan-America Society of Washington DC）一行の表敬を受けたところ、概要は以下のとおりです。

  1. 林大臣から、ワシントンDC日米協会の長年の活動に謝意と昨年のズムワルト理事長の叙勲に祝意を伝え、日米協会において、引き続き若年層における日本文化の理解促進や日本語学習の普及への貢献に対する期待を示しました。
  2. この他、林大臣は、ズムワルト理事長一行と旧交を温めつつ、米国における日本のソフトパワーや、草の根レベルでの文化交流や対日理解促進のあり方等、幅広いテーマについて意見交換を行いました。

（参考）ワシントンDC日米協会

　1957年、米国務省及び在米日本大使館の有志の発案により設立。最初の公式行事は、1957年6月22日に訪米中の岸総理を招いて実施。首都の地の利と歴史を活用し、日米両国国民の相互理解、草の根交流の促進、両国関係の強化のため、全米桜祭りにおける「サクラマツリ・ストリートフェスティバル」や全米ジャパン・ボウル（全米の高校生による日本語・日本文化に関する知識・能力に関するコンテスト）を含む、教育、文化など多様なプログラムを提供。ズムワルト理事長は、2019年に就任。

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On November 11, for about 20 minutes starting at 4:00 p.m., Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi received a courtesy call from Ambassador (ret.) James P. Zumwalt, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC, an old acquaintance of his. The following is a summary of the meeting.

Minister Hayashi expressed his appreciation for the longstanding activities of the Japan-America Society of Washington DC and congratulated Chairman Zumwalt on his decoration last year. He also expressed his hope that the Japan-America Society will continue to contribute to the promotion of Japanese culture and Japanese language learning among the younger generation.

Minister Hayashi also exchanged views with Chairman Zumwalt and his delegation on a wide range of topics, including Japan’s soft power in the U.S., cultural exchange at the grassroots level, and ways to promote understanding of Japan.

(Reference) Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C.

The Japan-America Society of Washington, DC was established in 1957 at the initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the Japanese Embassy in the United States. The first official event was held on June 22, 1957, inviting Prime Minister Kishi during his visit to the United States. The Japan-America Society of Washington DC hosts a variety of educational, cultural, and other programs, including the Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival and the National Japan Bowl (a contest of Japanese language and cultural knowledge and ability among high school students in the United States), to promote mutual understanding, grassroots exchange, and strengthen bilateral relations between Japan and the United States, utilizing the geographical advantage and history of the capital city of the United States. and cultural programs. Ambassador Zumwalt became Chairman of the Society in 2019.

You can read the original press release here.

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 celebration of Japanese culture, to educational events such as the National Japan Bowl, an annual Japanese language competition.

Press Contacts
For more information, please contact Olivia Kent at [email protected].