Evening Program - Welcome - Douglas G. Erber, President, Japan America Society of Southern California - Master of Ceremonies - David Ono, Anchor, ABC7 Eyewitness News - Opening Remarks - Glen I. Hamakawa, Chairman, Japan America Society of Southern California - Greeting - The Honorable Akira Chiba, Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles -Dinner Served - - JASSC Education Programs Special Appeal - - Entertainment - Layla Lane - Kokusai Shimin Sho “International Citizens Award” Presentations - Vivien Usui and Douglas Montgomery, Co-Chairs, 108th Anniversary Dinner Committee - Kokusai Shimin Sho “International Citizens Award” Honorees - Panasonic Corporation Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP - Closing - Kokusai Shimin Sho “International Citizens Award” The perpetual Kokusai Shimin Sho “International Citizens Award” (known until 1988 as the ‘Victor M. Carter Award’) is presented at the Japan America Society of Southern California’s Anniversary Dinner & Gala Celebrations. 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 partial list of past Honorees below (Titles indicate position at the time award received): BUSINESS ARTS, CULTURE, LITERATURE AND SPORT Yukiatsu Akizawa, President and CEO, am/pm Japan Company, Ltd. The Disneyland® Resort C. Michael Armstrong, Chairman and CEO, AT&T James Clavell, Author and Screenwriter Walter F. Beran, Co-Chairman Emeritus, Ernst & Young LLP Rod Dedeaux, Co-Founder, U.S.-Japan College Baseball Championship Series Philip M. Condit, Chairman and CEO, The Boeing Company Renzo Ishii, Co-Founder, U.S.-Japan College Baseball Championship Series Yoshikazu Hanawa, Chairman and CEO, Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Kitaro, Grammy and Golden Globe Award Winning Composer and Musician Tommy Lasorda, Special Advisor to the Chairman, Los Angeles Dodgers Yoshi Inaba, President and CEO, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Etsuko & Joe D. Price, Founders, Shin’enkan Foundation Recipients, 2006 Japan Foundation Award Dr. Kazuo Inamori, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Kyocera Corporation Takuma Sato, IndyCar Race Car Driver Takashi Kiuchi, Chairman and CEO, Mitsubishi America Corporation Taylor Anderson, JET Programme, Assistant Language Teacher (Awarded Posthumously) Minoru Makihara, Chairman, Mitsubishi International Corporation Montgomery Dickson, JET Programme, Assistant Language Teacher (Awarded Posthumously) Tomo Mizutani, President, Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. Richard Rosenberg, Chairman and CEO, Bank of America AIRLINES THAT BRIDGE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND JAPAN Tasuku Takagaki, Chairman, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi All Nippon Airways Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation American Airlines Takuji Yamada, President & CEO, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Delta Air Lines Japan Airlines GOVERNMENT United Airlines Japan Self-Defense Forces and U.S. Forces of “OPERATION TOMODACHI” Ambassador James D. Hodgson, 22nd United States Ambassador to Japan PORTS THAT SERVE AS “GATEWAYS ACROSS THE PACIFIC” Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, Government of Japan Port of Hueneme Ambassador John V. Roos, 29th United States Ambassador to Japan Port of Long Beach Ambassador Taizo Watanabe, Government of Japan Port of Los Angeles Governor Pete Wilson, State of California Port of Kobe 2017 Kokusai Shimin Sho “International Citizens Award” Recipients Please join the Japan America Society of Southern California as we recognize and celebrate the international law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP for its many decades of generous support of community nonprofit organizations, and Panasonic Corporation for its historic 100 years as a worldwide leader in the development of diverse electronics technologies and solutions. Master of Ceremonies David Ono, Anchor, ABC7 Eyewitness News David Ono is the co-anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Since joining ABC7 in 1996, David has witnessed history worldwide, covering Hurricane Katrina, Haiti's earthquake and Japan's tsunami. He traveled across Europe and Asia chronicling brave acts of the Nisei soldier from World War II. He attended the Royal Wedding in London, tracked drug runners through Central America and reported from Paris on a terrorist plot to bring down the Eiffel Tower. Ono has trained with the FBI and the elite Los Angeles Sheriff's SWAT team. President Obama invited him to the White House for an exclusive interview. And he witnessed white smoke at the Vatican twice - in 2005 for the selection of Pope Benedict the 16th and 2013 for the selection of Pope Francis. Recently, Ono surfaced in Boston, chronicling the marathon bombing. He has won three Edward R. Murrow awards and 16 Emmys. David grew up in Texas and is a graduate of the University of North Texas. His career has included stops at KOVR in Sacramento, KDBC in El Paso, KOSA in Midland/Odessa and KXAS in Dallas. He has also hosted ABC7's half-hour show Eye on L.A. Dinner Entertainment Layla Lane Somewhere in the bustling alleys of the pop music metropolis lies L.A.-based rock duo Layla Lane. Layla Lane combines exquisite arrangements and clever harmonies for a style that is equal parts 1960's pop, gypsy swing, and good old-fashioned rock n' roll. All in the context of catchy pop tunes that rarely clock in past three minutes, the resulting sound is both playfully nostalgic and uncommonly fresh. After guitarist Heday left his native Japan to pursue his music education in the States, he honed his skills collaborating with such artists as Jim Keltner, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Beatles' Ringo Starr. He joined forces with L.A.-born pianist Valerie Stern in early 2009. An accomplished classical musician, Valerie has performed with members of the L.A. Philharmonic and even doubled for actress Lindsay Lohan playing a Chopin Waltz in the film I Know Who Killed Me. 108th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Sponsors Presenting Sponsors 108th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Sponsors Platinum Sponsors 108th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Sponsors Gold Sponsors Ernst & Young LLP Hitachi, Ltd. KPMG LLP MUFG Union Bank, N.A. Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. N. F. Stroth & Associates 108th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Sponsors Silver Sponsors Donors American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Glen I. Hamakawa M. A. Hartwig Armanino LLP Jonathan Gat Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLP Emile Mak Environmental Contracting Corporation Brian Peck Fiduciary Trust Company International S. Tokuyama Japan House Los Angeles Toshiki Ueno Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Vivien Usui Sunkist Growers, Inc. Tiodize Company, Inc. Wells Fargo Global Banking 108th Anniversary Dinner & Gala Silent Auction Donors Companies Individuals All Nippon Airways / ANA Frank Eguchi Clarion Corporation of America Ninoska French DoubleTree by Hilton Alana-Waikiki Beach Terry S. Hara Nancy Woo Hiromoto Ernst & Young LLP Kent Hora Halper Fine Art John M. Iino Imperial Hotel Tokyo Hitoshi Ishikawa Japan Airlines Rikiko Kubo Kintetsu Enterprises Company of America Doug Montgomery KPMG LLP Edward Perron Maison Akira Joseph C. Portillo, CFA Panasonic Corporation Matthew Sanders Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Yu Tanabe Hideaki Takase PRP Wine International Masako Unoura Tanaka South Coast Plaza Mikio Toki TEAC America, Inc. Teruko Weinberg YAMAHA Corporation of America Masahiko Yamaguchi JASSC Officers & Honorary Officers Officers Honorary Officers - Chairmen Emeriti Chairman Robert Brasch, President Pacific, Partners, Inc Mark E. Buchman Glen I. Hamakawa R. Thomas Decker Partner, Ernst & Young LLP Robert V. Grazian, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan M. A. Ron Hartwig, Vice President, Communications ,The J. Paul Getty Trust Co-Vice Chair Donald E. Spetner, Senior Corporate Advisor, Weber Shandwick Robert H. Takeuchi, Attorney at Law (Ret.) Mari Miyoshi President, Sumitomo Realty & Development (USA) Inc. Honorary Officers - Vice-Chairmen Emeriti Cindy K. Andreotti, President and CEO, The Andreotti Group LLC Treasurer /Co-Chair, Anniversary Dinner Tachi Kiuchi, Co-Founder,Future 500 Vivien Usui Kappei Morishita, General Manager Emeritus, Panasonic Corporation Partner, Audit Services, KPMG LLP Yasuo “Mike” Nakamura, President Emeritus, Matsushita Media & Entertainment Takehiko Noda, Principal ,Noda Consulting, Inc. Teruo Tabuchi, President, Sanin Chuo Yakult Hanbai Co., Ltd. Counsel Katsuya Takamiya, Exec. Officer, Global Strategic Pln. & Mktg., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Norman A. Futami Akira Tasaki, President and CEO Emeritus, Mitsubishi Electric Logistics Corporation Ryuji “Rick” Watanabe, Mitsubishi Corporation Attorney at Law Honorary Officers Secretary / Co-Chair, Anniversary Dinner Mary E. Barton, Ph.D., President,The Barton Group Douglas Montgomery Masako Carpenter, Partner (Ret.), KPMG LLP Vice President, Category Management, Lowell Hattori, President, Hattori & Associates Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group Kaoru Hayama, Chairman Emeritus, MUFG Union Bank, N.A. Yoshihiro Sano, President, Pacific Alliance Group Tetsuo Shimura, Chairman Emeritus,MUFG Union Bank, N.A. President Douglas G. Erber JASSC Special Ambassadors Japan America Society of Southern California Shin Koyamada, Actor, Producer, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur and Martial Artist Yôko Narahashi, Film Producer, Director, Casting Director and Lyricist Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai, Owner and Chef, La Rochelle Cuisine Française Takuma Sato, Professional Racing Driver, IndyCar