Japan Society Names a "New President society"

Motoatsu Sakurai, Japan's Consul General in New York and former head of Mitsubishi's U.S. subsidiary, has been appointed to manage the Japan Society. Mr. Sakurai, 64, who assumes the job as president on April 7, the first Japanese citizen to hold the post. He wins the Richard J. Wood, 71, who took over in October 2006 after a period of controversy and upheaval in the organization. Mr. Sakurai is not new in Japan Society: he was a trustee from 2003 to 2006, when he is honorary director. As society's chairman, he will face the same bleak financial picture facing cultural organizations across the country. In a globalized world where China is ascendant, and economic power and relationships in motion, he must also see to it that a society founded in 1907 to promote relations between Japan and the USA still matters.

Society has cut its budget of $ 12 million from $ 13.6 million and plans to reduce it to 10 million U.S. dollars next financial year starting 1 July. Mr. Sakurai said he could expand the company's so-called corporate program, which now includes conferences, lectures and symposia to mobilize the business community and decision makers to discuss the relationship between Japan and the United States. But he said it was too early to discuss details. His first task will be to meet members of staff - "to speak with the individual, to understand their expectations, their motivation," he said. "After a while, I come up with more ideas."

"Krazy!" An exhibition dedicated to anime, manga and video games that are opened in the Community, 13 March will cost $ 440,000, Japan Society said. Mr. Sakurai previous cultural organization includes Japan Day, an annual festival he started three years ago as consul general. Last year's event attracted around 35,000 people to Central Park for activities including Japanese Calligraphy, Origami and costume parade. Mr. Sakurai was appointed Consul General in New York in March 2006 after a 40-year career in the private sector. After graduating from Tokyo University's Faculty of Law in 1968, he started to work for Mitsubishi and earned a master's degree at INSEAD, the international business school in Fontainebleau, France.

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