SVJP Update: Message from the Co-Chairs
SVJP UPDATES
Dear SVJP Colleagues,
In 2024, the Silicon Valley Japan Platform will undergo an exciting new change. Co-Chairs Dan Okimoto and James Kondo will take on a new advisory role as Co-Chair Emeriti. Stepping in to the positions of the next generation of Co-Chairs will be Saima Hasan and Naoaki Mashita. We are thrilled to have Dan and James’ continued commitment as our new Co-Chairs lead SVJP in fostering collaborative ties between the U.S. and Japan. We look forward to entering this new chapter of leadership with you.
A Message From SVJP Co-Chair Emeritus Dan Okimoto
Dear SVJP Colleagues:
On Friday, November 17th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida came to Stanford University to engage in a summit dialogue with South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol. It marked the second time that the incumbent Japanese Head of State has visited Stanford.
The first was Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit on May 1st, 2015, which also happened to be the SVJP’s inaugural program.
Over the past eight years, the SVJP has developed into a distinctive and dynamic community of bilateral collaboration, synergistic interaction, and early adoption of digital technology.
As one of the co-founders, I have embraced high hopes for what the SVJP might be able to accomplish—concretely, expanding and deepening the ties of technological and economic interdependence between the United States and Japan.
Yet, never, in my most optimistic dreams, did I ever imagine that the SVJP would evolve into the productive, prolific, and ever-expanding platform for technological synergy that it has become.
For its extraordinary achievements, the SVJP owes a huge debt of gratitude to the commitment and leadership of the entire SVJP Community—its corporate membership, circle of dedicated CEOs, distinguished Advisors, Executive Committees, and the SVJP staffs in Tokyo and Silicon Valley.
With the advent of generative AI (especially GPT), which promises to be the most transformative technology in our lifetimes, the SVJP’s mission has risen to new challenges, greater opportunities and intoxicating new heights.
Now, the time has come to turn the reigns of governance over to a younger generation.
My deep, personal thanks to fellow Co-Chair, James Kondo, for his indispensable service over the past eight years and to Michiko Okimoto, my endlessly energetic colleague and wife, for spending countless hours cultivating the SVJP’s culture of “omotenashi”.
We are fortunate—indeed, supremely blessed—that two young, accomplished, energetic, and visionary leaders—Saima Hasan and Naoaki Mashita—have agreed to step into the roles of SVJP Co-Chairs.
With your continuing support, they will lift the SVJP to soaring new heights.
Michiko and I will step to the sidelines; but our commitment to the SVJP’s members, mission, and goals will remain robust. We intend to continue seeing, and interacting, with all of you over the next, exciting phase of the SVJP’s historic growth.
Warm regards,
Dan Okimoto
A Message From SVJP’s New Co-Chairs
Japan and the US are undoubtedly among the most technologically advanced economies in the world. But economies are comprised of more than just numbers – they are comprised of people.
Over the past 8 years, SVJP has built and nurtured a trust-based community of key people from both countries, including business leaders, entrepreneurs, and technology innovators who share common values such as transparency, universal human rights, accountability, democracy, and globalization. SVJP strives to expedite the pace of digital transformation through deep and meaningful exchanges not only at a company level, but also at a human level.
In a world where technology impacts all aspects of society, and where truth and trust are paramount, SVJP is poised to play a key role in strengthening a trust-based and interdependent US-Japan relationship by catalyzing untapped opportunities for cross-market technological and business collaboration that will result in the promotion of our shared values, and ultimately the betterment of society.
-Saima Hasan
Read Full BioStarting from 2024, I will take on the role of Co-Chair of the Silicon Valley Japan Platform (SVJP). I express my heartfelt gratitude for this invaluable opportunity.
For over eight years, SVJP has played a crucial role in connecting Silicon Valley's innovative startup ecosystem with leaders in Japan's business community. The platform was born out of Professor Dan Okimoto's strong desire to address Japan's insularity and propel the country forward by bridging the gap between Japan and Silicon Valley, a vision that continues to be realized today.
We engage in deep discussions on a wide range of topics, including cutting-edge technology, economics, politics, and geopolitics. SVJP's community is supported by its high-quality environment and the robust trusting relationships built at a personal level among leaders from both Japan and the United States.
In today's society, where technologies such as artificial intelligence continue to evolve dramatically, capturing these changes is crucial. SVJP aims to contribute to the development of both countries by combining the strengths of Japan and Silicon Valley.
As Co-Chair, I will be committed to working together with everyone to propel SVJP to greater heights, striving to create new value. We hope that our collaborative efforts will be a catalyst for enriching the future of Japan and Silicon Valley in this highly uncertain and rapidly changing contemporary landscape.
-Naoaki Mashita
Read Full Bio