Lunch Reception at the Principal Officer’s Residence, U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka

On September 9, 2019, a lunch reception was hosted by John C. Taylor, Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka, where he was joined by Yuki Kondo-Shah, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka, as well as five alumni from various U.S. Department of State international exchange programs, including the Fulbright Program and the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Also present among these five alumni was Kazunori Kuraoka, an alumnus of the 2018 TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program. They received a warm welcome as the first official guests at Mr. Taylor’s residence at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka.

The five State Department international exchange program alumni began by sharing their program activities and experiences as participants. Mr. Taylor then asked his guests about the economy in Kyushu and global economic issues. The discussion later broadened to cover the LGBT community and foreign worker’s issues, among other topics. Ms. Kondo-Shah inquired about the environment for working women, leading to a lively discussion among the participants that went well beyond the scheduled time.

Mr. Taylor concluded by expressing his hope the alumni have further opportunities to broaden their alumni network, and sharing his expectation that they will find outstanding success as they work to strengthen the U.S.-Japan relationship in the future.