Gala Dinner 2026
Global Diplomacy:
US & Japan Take Center Stage
On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, join the Japan Society of Boston for an evening of fine cuisine, world-class entertainment, and a silent auction in recognition of the increasingly important role of the U.S.-Japan relationship in global diplomacy.
The Japan Society of Boston's Gala Dinner is a celebration of our community and vital role as a gateway between New England and Japan. We carefully select individuals to honor who have made outstanding contributions to the greater good in both the US and Japan: business and cultural leaders as well as internationally celebrated artists and performers.
This year, we are honored that Ambassador Shigeo Yamada, Japan's Ambassador to the United States, will attend in person to give a keynote address, providing an opportunity to convene the cross-border community that strengthens U.S.-Japan ties.
Be a part of this momentous night and support the continuation of Japan Society of Boston's diverse and impactful programming in 2026 and beyond.
Registration for the 2026 Gala Dinner is now closed.
We look forward to seeing you on April 21st!
2026 Program
Keynote Speaker:
Ambassador Shigeo Yamada
Distinguished Honorees:
Nobuko Saito Cleary
Andrew D. Gordon
Thayer Award Recipients:
Christine Pilcavage
The Coolidge Corner Theatre
MC:
Chris Tanaka
Entertainment:
Eiko Kano, Violin
Tiger Okoshi, Jazz Trumpet
Odaiko New England
2026 Gala Sponsors
Glen S. & Sakie T. Fukushima
Katherine Chapman Stemberg
& Bill Schnoor
Airline Sponsor
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Hospitality Partner
SHIN &
MAHO ABE
Stylist
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REBECCA MORGAN
MORGAN FAMILY FOUNDATION
MASAKO NAKAMURA
The Chiappinelli Giving Fund
KIYOKO &
MICHAEL E. CAINE
DREW & TAKAKO EDWARDS
Buck Gee &
Mary Hackenbracht
MATT & NIKO MEADORS
SUE & BERNIE PUCKER
DAVID TOMASELLO
Thank you for your generous support!
Online Auction
Support the Japan Society of Boston by bidding on a curated selection of goods and experiences that represent the best of New England and Japan.
Auction will be live for bidding until April 21st, 8:30pm ET.
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ERIC TROWBRIDGE &
NAOKO TAKAYANAGI
James
Nuzzo
JEFFREY
HAYES
Keiko
Thayer
Kiyoko
Morita
NIHO KOZURU
(髙鶴 丹穂)
Takako & Drew Edwards
Thanks to our auction donors!
Profiles
Ambassador Shigeo Yamada
Ambassador Shigeo Yamada assumed his post as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States of America in December 2023.
Ambassador Yamada is a long-time veteran of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His very first posting was as a Second Secretary in Washington D.C. in 1989. In 2012, he returned to Washington as Political Minister. Prior to assuming his current post, Ambassador Yamada served as Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. In that capacity, he was Political Director for Japan's 2023 G7 Presidency, supporting the G7 Summit in Hiroshima and the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nagano-Karuizawa.
Ambassador Yamada's previous positions in Tokyo include Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for Foreign Policy, Deputy Director General for North American Affairs, Director for Northeast Asia, Director for Southeast Asia, and Director for the Status of U.S. Forces Agreement. He also served as a Cabinet Councillor in the National Security Secretariat in the Prime Minister's Office.
In addition to his postings in Washington and Tokyo, over the course of his career he was in charge of the public and culture affairs at the Embassies of Japan in London and Beijing. The Ambassador’s broad diplomatic assignments have led him to the realization, "The Japan-U.S. alliance is no longer just a bilateral relationship, but a global partnership." It is this conviction that informs his perspective as Japan's Ambassador to the United States.
Ambassador Yamada earned a BA in law from Keio University in 1987 and a BA in political science from Carleton College in Minnesota in 1989. He is married to Maki Yamada, who is currently a judge in Japan. Ambassador Yamada enjoys outdoor activities and is an avid runner.
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Nobuko Saito Cleary
Nobuko Saito Cleary is President of Cross-Cultural Communications, an international consulting firm specializing in U.S.–Japan business relations. A dedicated philanthropist and cultural advocate, Nobuko serves on the boards of the Community School of Music and Arts, Hidden Villa, and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. She has served on the Board of the Japan Society of Northern California since 1997, chairing several landmark anniversary galas and helping bring distinguished global leaders—including Japanese prime ministers, diplomats, Nobel laureates, and renowned artists—to its stage.
Nobuko has supported major initiatives in education and cultural exchange, including the creation of Northeastern University’s Asian American Center and the establishment of the Nobuko Saito Cleary Trail Brazer Scholarship for two Asian Women each year at Northeastern University. Nobuko was the first Japanese graduate to receive a BA in English from Northeastern University.
Through the arts, Nobuko has worked to strengthen ties between the U.S.–Japan and championed humanitarian and environmental causes, including as a producer of documentary film projects such as Paper Lanterns. Nobuko has received numerous honors for her contributions to U.S.–Japan relations and peacebuilding, including recognition from the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and WTO in 2025 and the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays from the Emperor of Japan in 2022. (FULL BIO)
Andrew D. Gordon
From 1995 through his retirement in 2026, Andrew Gordon was the Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Professor of History at Harvard University. His teaching and research focus primarily on modern Japan. He has written books on the history of labor and management in Japan, on the emergence of modern consumers, and a widely read survey history of modern Japan. He led the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies in founding the Japan Disasters Digital Archive, a digital archive project that preserves the vast array of digital records concerning the March 11, 2011 compound disaster. He is completing a book on the public history of Japan’s industrial heritage in relation to local, national and global institutions (UNESCO). He focuses on shuttered energy industries, including coal mines with their negative heritage of wartime labor exploitation and the recent emergence of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as a site of negative heritage. (FULL BIO)
Christine Pilcavage
Christine Pilcavage received the 2025 Thayer Award for her central role in program-building activities as Managing Director of the MIT-Japan Program, where she works closely with MIT students, faculty, and staff to share Japanese culture and foster strong ties between Japan and the MIT community. Chris has been promoting cultural exchange and understanding between the US and Japan throughout her career. She has worked with USAID, various Japanese Ministries, local governments, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. For the last 10 years, Chris has served as the Managing Director of the MIT-Japan Program, where she connects MIT students to Japan through industry and academic internships. Chris was born and raised in Japan, and has also lived in Cambodia, the Philippines, Kenya, and the United States. However, she considers herself to be a true Kansai-jin.
The Coolidge Corner Theatre
The Coolidge Corner Theatre's mission is “to entertain, inform and engage, building vital community through film culture,” and it fulfills this not only locally but also across cultures, including through its extensive and ambitious programming of Japanese cinema. The Coolidge received the 2025 Thayer Award for its distinction as one of the region’s foremost presenters of Japanese film, curating programs that have brought thousands of people together to experience the breadth, depth, and artistry of Japanese cinema. The Coolidge’s programming has consistently highlighted Japanese cinema in ways that go beyond simple exhibition. By presenting retrospectives of legendary directors, contemporary works by emerging filmmakers, and themed series exploring cultural and historical contexts, the Coolidge creates meaningful encounters with Japanese culture.
Chris Tanaka
Chris Tanaka co-anchors the 5:30p newscast on CBS News Boston's WBZ-TV with Paula Ebben and the 8p news on TV38. He joined WBZ in 2022 after most recently working in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Emmy and Associated Press award-winning journalist has had the good fortune to cover both news and sports in some of the most incredible places across the country, including Montana, Colorado, Hawaii and California.
Eiko Kano
Praised for her “electrifying intensity and lyrical expression” (Kyoto Newspaper) and as a “mesmerizing interpreter” (Friends of Music Magazine), Japanese violinist Eiko Kano has built a distinguished international career as soloist, chamber musician and as leading role in orchestras. She has appeared with orchestras in Japan, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Kansai Philharmonic, and Nagoya Philharmonic, and collaborated with artists such as Albrecht Mayer, Eugene Drucker, and Ani Kavafian.
A prizewinner at the Japan Music Competition and Tokyo International Music Competition, she was mentored by Ruggiero Ricci and studied with Glenn Dicterow at the Manhattan School of Music. She has performed on rare Stradivarius violins loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation and Forval Foundation, including the “Rainville” and “Wilhelmj.” Her concert series A Manhattan Story produced the CDs Winter and Spring, both featured on Japan Airlines international flights.
Eiko serves as Assistant Concertmaster of the Albany Symphony, Concertmaster of MOO and Honorary Music Director at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. In 2025, she founded Shining Blue Dot NY, a nonprofit dedicated to music’s power to inspire unity, love, and hope. (FULL BIO) www.eikokano.com | www.shiningbluedotny.org
Tiger Okoshi
Toru “Tiger” Okoshi was born outside of Osaka, Japan in 1950, the year of the Tiger. He took up the trumpet and immersed himself in jazz at age 13 after a friend took him to see Louis Armstrong, who was touring in Japan.
In 1972, after graduating from Kwansei Gakuin University, Okoshi relocated with his wife to Boston, where he studied at Berklee College of Music and practiced by the Charles River, hoping someone would hear him and ask him to join a band. That in fact happened, and Okoshi graduated summa cum laude from Berklee in 1975.
He is the founder and leader of the group Tiger’s Baku and a member of the George Russell Orchestra. Okoshi has made numerous recordings as a performer and producer.
He has performed with other jazz greats such as Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, Gary Burton, Dave Grusin, Dave Liebman and Pat Metheny, as well as in numerous jazz festivals around the world.
Okoshi's pop and rhythm and blues work includes performances with Teddy Pendergrass, The O‘Jays, The Four Tops, Frankie Avalon, ‘Til Tuesday, and Brad Delp of Boston. He has performed the national anthem several times at Fenway Park, including playoff games in 2007 and 2008.
Okoshi has received numerous awards for musicianship and contributions to international relations. He is currently a Professor of brass instruments at Berklee and operates two music camps worldwide devoted to teaching jazz to young musicians. (FULL BIO)
