The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
Mr. Motoatsu Sakurai旭日中綬章
櫻井 本篤
Mr. Sakurai was the first Japanese national to serve as President and CEO of Japan Society, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 1907 to further friendly relations and cultural exchange between the U.S. and Japan. During the aftermath of the “Lehman Shock,” he guided the institution to a successful economic turnaround. His strong devotion to promoting Japanese culture in America, coupled with extraordinary tenacity and stamina, drove the substantial fundraising and network-building efforts which helped elevate Japan Society to its current standing as one of the leading cultural institutions in New York City.
Under his leadership, Japan Society gained prominence as a source of aid for disaster relief in Japan. The Japan Earthquake Relief Fund (JERF) created in the wake of the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake raised over $14 million in donations, the highest sum raised among private NPOs countrywide. Proceeds subsequently helped to support 45 organizations, as well as 69 initiatives, in disaster relief in the affected areas in Japan. Similar endeavors were swiftly executed following both the Kumamoto Earthquake and Typhoon Hagibis.
As the first business executive to serve as Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York, Mr. Sakurai drew upon his extensive international experience and connections from 38 years in the private sector to make strides in advancing U.S.-Japan exchanges. Among his greatest accomplishments was the founding of Japan Day, an annual, family-friendly festival featuring Japanese cultural traditions in the heart of New York City. He personally met with approximately 40 locally-based Japanese companies to secure sponsors for the project, which has since taken root as the region’s largest Japan-related event. He also used his superior management skills to improve consular services by instituting various reforms and a change in work culture.
At JCCI, Mr. Sakurai recognized its biggest event, the Annual Dinner Gala as an important function for building and maintaining friendly relations between the Japanese/Japanese American community and U.S. government organizations. Along with fellow Annual Dinner Preparatory Committee Members and Chairpersons, he facilitated outreach to distinguished individuals, and forged high-level connections between the U.S. and Japan. He also spearheaded the translation and distribution of a free emergency family guidebook for the local Japanese community, support for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts, and numerous other activities which were normally outside of JCCI’s operational scope. His work was widely extolled by Japanese and Americans alike.
<< The Japanese government awarding Spring 2021 decorations
日米の友好親善と文化交流を目的に明治40年に設立され，110年以上の歴史を持つ米国NPO法人ジャパン・ソサエティーに初の日本人理事長として就任し，リーマン・ショック後で基金が大幅に減少していた同団体の財務状況を黒字化させることに成功した。その後も，日本文化を米国に伝えるという強い使命感の下，超人的な粘り強さとスタミナをもって，ファンドレイジングとネットワーク構築に尽力し，数多くの文化関連団体がひしめき合うニューヨークで，同団体が一流の組織であり続けることに貢献した。また，東日本大震災直後に立ち上げた「東日本大震災支援金」は，米国の民間非営利団体のなかで最も多い1,400万ドル以上の募金を集め，現在までに，東北で復興活動を行う45団体，69の事業に助成されている。さらに，熊本地震，台風19号（Typhoon Hagibis）の被害に際しても同人のリーダーシップを発揮して迅速に支援基金を立ち上げ，災害復興に広く貢献した。
民間出身初の在ニューヨーク日本国総領事・大使に就任し，38年に及ぶ商社勤務で培った国際経験と豊富な人脈を生かし，大使として日米交流活動に大きく貢献した。その最大の功績の１つは，自らアイデアを持参して日系企業（約40社）に出向き，直接支援を求めるなど日夜奔走し、今日ニューヨーク最大の日本関連イベントとして定着したジャパン・デーを立ち上げたことである。加えて，優れた経営感覚を持って総領事館のサービスを改善するとともに，職員の意識改革にも積極的に取り組み，様々な改革を成し遂げた。
ニューヨーク日本商工会議所における年間最大の行事である年次晩餐会を，日系コミュニティと米国政府関係機関との良好な関係を維持・構築するための絶好の機会と位置付け，実行委員長及び実行委員と共に陣頭指揮を執って一流のゲストを招き，ハイレベルでの日米両国による友好・協力関係推進に貢献した。また，ハリケーン・カトリーナ被災者支援活動や，家庭での緊急事態対策ガイドブックの日本語訳作成及び日系コミュニティへの無料配布など，従来の商工会議所の枠組みにとらわれない活動の数々が，日本人・米国人の別を問わず，広く賞賛の的となった。