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Tomoyuki Watanabe, former Vice President-Managing Director, Japan & Grants of the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF), will receive the Foreign Minister's Commendation from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recognizing his achievements in the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. The commendation ceremony will be held on October 1, 2026, at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo.
Watanabe joined USJF in September 2012 as Japan Representative, a role he took on at the invitation of then-President and CEO George R. Packard. Over 13 years with the Foundation, first as Japan Representative, later as Vice President-Managing Director, Japan & Grants, Watanabe helped oversee the selection of Japanese delegates to the United States-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP), a network that expanded during his tenure to include leaders in politics, the nonprofit sector, business, the self-defense force, the arts, journalism, and academia.
Watanabe also oversaw USJF's grants program, supporting youth exchange initiatives such as the Japan Bowl and America Bowl and emerging organizations including Knox English Global Talk!, Kizuna Across Cultures, and the International School of Arts, Karuizawa. Following the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, he led a Foundation initiative on U.S.-Japan disaster resilience cooperation, including academic partnerships among Columbia, Keio, Kyoto, and the University of Colorado Boulder, alongside practical recovery-support work in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. His portfolio also expanded to include numerous U.S.-Japan public policy research projects, work on gender equality, immigration, and public interest litigation, and, more recently, infrastructure support projects for Japan's civil sector.
"Tomo distinguished himself in identifying the people and projects best suited to deepen ties between Japan and the United States, and in championing work that brought our two countries closer together,” said Jacob M. Schlesinger, President & CEO of USJF. “This recognition from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaks to the caliber of that work, and to the value everyone at USJF placed in working alongside him."
"I am humbled to receive this honor. I believe this award is a reflection of the collective efforts of all the remarkable people who inspired me and whom I had the chance to work with — including US & Japanese grantees, USJLP Fellows, USJF trustees & colleagues. I am forever grateful," said Watanabe.
Before USJF, Watanabe held Human Resources leadership roles at Asahi Glass, earned an MBA at Harvard Business School, and served as HR Director and a board member at SC Johnson Japan. He later spent seven years at Egon Zehnder International's Tokyo office and led the Tokyo operation of DHR International as Managing Director. He is a founding officer of the Institute for Strategic Leadership (ISL) and currently serves as Founder and Representative Director of A Better Future Foundation.
