Elections 2025

大変お世話になっております。

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for entrusting me to serve you on the CCCJ Board of Governors for the past several years. Through that experience, I have gained knowledge and clarity of CCCJ operations, and combined with a renewed sense of purpose, I hope I can earn your support for another term.

As a current Governor, I am working very hard to bring forth what members want — essentially, ways to strengthen your businesses and to further enhance the Canada-Japan relationship which in turn benefits our businesses as well as our national pride as Canadians in Japan. By analyzing data and especially through conversations with as many members as possible, I believe I have been able to offer or support initiatives that truly matter to the membership. For example, my Education and Professional Development Committee team has been organizing speed mentoring sessions and the Canadian Universities Alumni Mixer with the primary goal of bringing the younger generation into the CCCJ, to help them network with experienced business leaders, and vice versa. I believe, they are some of the most successful ongoing CCCJ events! I just recently helped with another great event, the Golf Scramble, and am presently helping to put together the ever-popular Maple Leaf Gala, the ultimate celebration of the Canada-Japan relationship. As for other committee work, I am the lead on the Events Committee, have served on Nominations and Election and Hiring committees, but being a governor is leadership to effectively collaborate than an individual endeavour — not just showing up when things are easy, but when they’re hard — and never forgetting who we are here to serve.

My contribution to CCCJ is based on my work and life experiences. I have worked as a sales manager for upscale hotel chains; was a curriculum implementation liaison for S.P.I.C.E. at Stanford U; served as concierge for VIP visits (Prince and Princess of Wales, PMs of Japan and the UK, etc); worked at a G7 summit; and more. I have certainly worn many hats. As a bilingual, bicultural, Japanese-Canadian, raised in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver, there have been many benefits but even more challenges — so I am passionate about diversity and inclusion. My many years working in the education industry in Canada, Japan, and the US, especially as a high school Principal — managing staff from two different unions and another association —instilled the importance and skills of strategic planning, fiscal responsibility, making difficult decisions based on evidence, and keeping staff motivated! I would like to motivate you through meaningful events to expand member engagement in the CCCJ.

I also co-owned and operated an air business in central BC which was a valuable experience in entrepreneurship. I still wear an entrepreneurial hat as I am in the tourism business with a beachfront vacation rental property in western Izu. CCCJ can be doing more to support small businesses. I am currently planning a webinar on start-ups in Japan.

In recent years, I have opened a Japan office for Ontario Virtual School as their Regional Director, helping Japanese schools improve their English-language education through a joint MEXT-Ontario curricula double-diploma program. There’s much more work to be done in the area of English language competency development, not only in schools, but in Japanese companies.

With your vote, I will continue to serve the CCCJ with integrity, accountability, transparency, and a deep sense of responsibility to work alongside the Board to uphold the mission and values of our Chamber.

どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。