Keizai Events

31st Anniversary Shinnenkai

Join us in celebrating Keizai Silicon Valley’s 2021 Shinnenkai (New Year’s Reception Webinar) on Friday, January 29th.

This year we are going to host professional racing driver Mr. Takuma Sato as our honor guest to receive the Keizai Silicon Valley Distinguished Achievement Award. Famous for his “No Attack, No Chance” motto, Mr. Sato is the first Japanese and Asian driver to win Indianapolis 500, one of three most prestigious motor races in the world, and the twentieth driver to have multiple Indy 500 championship (2017,2020). Professor Richard Dasher from Stanford University will host the award interview for Mr. Sato.

We will also be hosting a Keynote Dialogue Session on the topic “2021: Beginning of a New Era for U.S. – Japan?” featuring Dr. Dan Okimoto, Co- Chairman of the Silicon Valley Japan Platform and Amb. John Roos, Founding Partner of Geodesic Capital and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Both guests will discuss topics including U.S. – Japan relations from various aspects with Professor Dasher and participants through fireside chat and breakout Q&A sessions.

The Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, Toru Maeda will kick off this year’s Shinnenkai with a virtual traditional New Year’s Toasting and Greetings.

GUEST OF HONOR

Takuma Sato

Professional Racing Driver

Mr. Takuma Sato is a world-renowned professional racing driver. He was two-time winner (’17,’20) of Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (aka Indy 500), which is considered one of the “Triple Crown of Motorsport”. He was also the first Japanese and Asian driver to win the Indy 500 and the twentieth driver to have multiple Indy 500 wins. Mr. Sato received the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award from Japanese premier Shinzo Abe following his first Indy 500 victory in 2017. Born in Tokyo on January 28, 1977, Mr. Sato started his racing life in bicycle racing during high school, collecting a record series of victories in inter-high school competitions and All-Japan Student Championships. In pursuit of dreaming to become a F1 racer, he entered the Suzuka Circuit Racing School (SRS-F) in 1996, winning a fully paid drive in the 1998 All-Japan Formula 3 Championship. Following his kart-racing debut, he moved to England in 1998 to compete in the British Formula and winning British Formula Three, Formula Three Masters and the prestigious Macau Grand Prix Championship. From 2002 through 2008, Mr. Sato competed in various teams at F1 racing during which he achieved victory in the 2004 American GP and the "Overtake of the Year" award from F1 Racing magazine in 2007. Since 2010, he has relocated to United States, where he is currently competing in the IndyCar Series as a driver for the Rahal Letterman Lanigang Racing team. In 2021, Mr. Sato was chosen for “Distinguished Achievement Award” by the Keizai Silicon Valley.

SPEAKERS

Daniel Okimoto

Co-Chairman of the Silicon Valley Japan Platform

Dr. Daniel I. Okimoto is Co-Chairman of the Silicon Valley Japan Platform. He is Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science at Stanford University. In 1978, Professor Okimoto co-founded the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia/Pacific Research Center at Stanford University, a leading center for scholarly research, public policy analysis, and policy outreach, where he served as the Director for more than ten years. He has been Vice- Chairman of the Japan Committee of the National Research Council at the
National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Department of Politics at Princeton University. In 2004, Professor Okimoto received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation, recognizing his contributions to US-Japan relations during the 150th year celebration of bilateral relations. In 2007, he was awarded the “Order of the Rising Sun with Goldray Neck Ribbon” by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Japanese government. In 2009, Professor Okimoto was chosen for “The Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Keizai Silicon Valley. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Professor Okimoto as one of twenty-six distinguished scholars who have been selected to serve as members of the National Council of the Humanities. Professor Okimoto graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, received his Master’s Degree from Harvard University, and earned his Doctoral Degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan. He is the author and editor of many books and articles, including Between MITI and the Market: Japanese Industrial Policy for High Technology (Stanford University Press); The Political Economy of Japan (Stanford University Press); and Competitive Edge: The Semiconductor Industry in the U.S. and Japan (Stanford University Press).

John V. Roos

Founding Partner at Geodesic Capital
Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan

Amb. John V. Roos is the Founding Partner at Geodesic Capital, a late stage venture capital fund focused on investing in enterprise and consumer technology companies. He is a Senior Advisor at Centerview Partners, a preeminent mergers& acquisitions advisory firm and a member of the Board of Directors at Salesforce.com and the Sony Corporation. In addition to the Global Advisory Board of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Ambassador Roos chairs the Toyota Research Institute Advisory Board and serves on the Board of Directors of The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. Previously, Ambassador Roos served as Chief Executive Officer and Senior Partner at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich, & Rosati, the leading law firm in the United States in the representation of technology, life sciences, and emerging growth companies. From August 2009 – August 2013 Ambassador Roos served as the United States Ambassador to Japan. On August 6, 2010 he became the first sitting U.S. Ambassador ever to attend the commemoration ceremony of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. Ambassador Roos’ service in Tokyo coincided with the devastating 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis on March 11, 2011. Following this tragedy, Ambassador Roos led the American effort on the ground in support of Japan’s response to the multi-dimensional and unprecedented disaster. After the crisis, Ambassador Roos also led the creation of the TOMODACHI initiative, a public-private partnership that has raised more than fifty million dollars and established more than 40 exchange programs. In 2019, Ambassador Roos was chosen for “Outstanding Impact Award” by the Keizai Silicon Valley.

DATE

US: Friday, January 29th, 2021

    Webinar: 5:00 – 6:30 PM (PST)

Japan: Saturday, January 30th, 2021

    Webinar: 10:00 – 11:30 AM (JST)

VENUE
FLYERS

English Flyer

FEES

Free