About Keidanren USA
Keidanren USA is the U.S. liaison entity for Keidanren, the Japan Business Federation. Keidanren is a comprehensive Japanese economic organization with a broad membership consisting of 1,329 Japanese companies, 109 industry associations, and 47 regional economic organizations. Keidanren USA’s office is located in Washington, DC. Its core mission is to facilitate more engagement by the Japanese business sector with the U.S. policymaking community, and to promote the very real contributions (in terms of investment and jobs) being made by Japanese companies to the U.S. economy.
2015 has already been a momentous year for the U.S.-Japan economic relationship. The visits to the U.S. by Prime Minister Abe in April and by Keidanren’s delegation of about 100 senior Japanese business executives in late June were indicative of the importance placed in the U.S. by Japanese government and Japanese businesses respectively. Keidanren USA’s return seeks to build on and channel the renewed interest in Japan among U.S. policymakers.
Atsushi Yamakoshi
Executive Director
Atsushi Yamakoshi is the Executive Director of Keidanren USA. Mr. Yamakoshi returns to this position as head of Keidanren’s Washington DC office, having also served as its Director from 2006 to 2009, and as U.S. Representative of Keidanren and Visiting Economist at Japan Economic Institute (JEI) from 1994 to 1997. Immediately prior to his current posting, Mr. Yamakoshi served as Director of the Chairman’s Office for three successive Keidanren Chairmen (Chairman Mitarai, Chairman Yonekura and current Chairman Sakakibara).
Mr. Yamakoshi joined Keidanren in 1981. In the course of his long career there, he has been named to a broad range of prominent positions including: Executive Director of the Council for Better Corporate Citizenship (CBCC), Deputy Director of the International Economic Affairs Bureau, and Press Secretary for Chairman Okuda. He is noted for his expertise on such issues as Japan-U.S. relations, Japan-Canada relations, Asian affairs, trade and investment issues, global environmental policies, and media relations.
Mr. Yamakoshi earned his B.A. in Economics at Waseda University in Tokyo in 1981; he has an M.A. from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, which he received in 1986; he also has a Master of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), which he received in 1997.
Ken Kurokawa
Director of External Relations
Ken Kurokawa is Director of External Relations for Keidanren USA. He is in charge of outreach and coordination initiatives regarding the U.S.-Japan economic relationship with: U.S. government entities, think tanks, U.S. industry organizations, Japan-related organizations, and U.S. representative offices of Keidanren member companies. Prior to joining Keidanren USA, Mr. Kurokawa was Director of International & Legislative Affairs at the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), where he represented member company interests on technology policy issues such as trade, tax and immigration.
Mr. Kurokawa brings a unique blend of Japanese business experience and U.S. advocacy experience. He spent over seven years working for The Sumitomo Bank Ltd. in Japan, prior to his time at CCIA. Mr. Kurokawa earned his B.A. in Economics at Keio University in Tokyo, and his M.A. in Political Science at American University’s School of Public Affairs.