With their lawyers' expertise, Mr. Gary Moriwaki and Ms. Susan Onuma have led JAA in its many activities which have strengthened the friendship between Japan and the U.S. They have accomplished this through JAA's promotion of the social welfare, education and cross-cultural opportunities for members of the Japanese and Japanese American community in the New York-area. Having successively held the important posts of President and Honorary President of JAA, they have played core roles in the direction of the organization.

During his six years as JAA President from 2008 to 2014, one of Mr. Moriwaki's greatest achievements in leadership was his coordination with Japanese-based NGOs for the creation of a major relief fund for survivors after the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake of March, 2011. Also of significance was Mr. Moriwaki's guidance for JAA's collection of funds to help eastern coastal communities struck by Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012, when he again worked with various volunteer organizations on the ground. As President, Mr. Moriwaki also visited the stricken areas of Japan several times since the disaster and has made significant contributions to relations between Japan and the U.S. by providing active leadership of JAA in such mutual exchanges. He continues to work on encouraging friendships between the two countries through JAA, especially with survivors in the Tohoku region. This summer, he helped organize a goodwill trip which brought American high school baseball players to Iwate Prefecture to play baseball with youth in the area. Mr. Moriwaki is a partner with the law firm of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP.

One of Ms. Onuma's particularly notable achievements is her founding of the JAA Committee on Aging Issues. This was done together with the Consulate General of Japan in New York and various other organizations when Ms. Onuma took office as JAA's first female President in 2005. After Los Angeles and Shanghai, New York has the largest population of Japanese and Japanese Americans, and in recent years, the aging of Japanese and Japanese Americans in New York and neighboring areas has called for an increase in attention to this issue. The JAA Committee on Aging Issues keeps track of the local community's aging trends and related needs and also promotes public awareness of aging issues through education and outreach. They host a bi-annual series of workshops and lectures which have been attended by 2,000 people. These collaborative initiatives continue to be advanced under the leadership of Ms. Susan Onuma, who has returned as President of JAA this year, and whose contributions have been meaningful in the promotion of mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and the U.S. Ms. Onuma is a partner with the law firm of Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti, LLP.