A bipartisan delegation of six state and local-level US political leaders visited Tokyo, Kochi Prefecture, and Aichi Prefecture for a series of meetings and roundtables with a variety of policymakers, business leaders, and local-level politicians under JCIE’s US-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange program. During the course of their two-week visit, the delegation met with six Diet members, including the current State Minister for Foreign Affairs Keisuke Suzuki. Diet member Takae Ito hosted the delegation during the Aichi portion of their visit, which included a stop in her hometown of Inuyama City.
Briefings in Tokyo covered a variety of issues, including trade issues, women’s involvement in politics, demographic challenges and population aging, and of course the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Outside of Tokyo, the group visited a variety of local businesses and manufacturers ranging from a sake brewery to a fry fishery. They discussed workplace accessibility during a visit to Chuden Wing Company and sustainability during a trip to Toyota’s Ecoful Town.
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Participants
JOSH BOSCHEE, Member, North Dakota House of Representatives (Democrat, North Dakota)
WANIKA FISHER, Member, Maryland House of Delegates (Democrat, Maryland)
RYAN IRSIK, Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations, Walmart (Republican, Arkansas)
AMY KENNEDY, Executive Director, New Hampshire Democratic Party (Democrat, New Hampshire)
OJ OLEKA, Deputy Treasurer & Chief of Staff, Office of the Kentucky State Treasurer (Republican, Kentucky)
BRITT RAYBOULD, Member, Idaho House of Representatives (Republican, Idaho)
MATT SANDERSON , Attorney, Caplin & Drysdale (Republican, Virginia) [Delegation Escort]
This program is organized in cooperation with the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), and with the kind assistance of Japanese program alumni who have visited the US on this program.
