Dear members,
September was a hot and hectic month at the club, with the announcement of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s intention to resign, followed by the start of the campaign to succeed him as president of the Liberal Democratic Party. We hosted a number of political speakers in the runup to the vote on October 4, as well as several panel discussions, including one on the future of journalism education in Japan.
Dear members,
It was a somewhat quiet August with events to commemorate the end of War II, but there were PAC events with Rep. Taro Kono as well as the latest from Gaza, and a sneak preview of A Pale View of Hills. Your new Board of Directors and Committee chairs are working on an ambitious agenda for the following year, which will be a special one for the Club. Allow me to share some early details.
Dear members,
It took some time, but a full Board of Directors now represents the FCCJ and held its first meeting on July 15. I am serving as president, Randy Schmidt as First Vice President, Avi Gokool as Second Vice President, Anthony Rowley as Treasurer, and Kathleen Benoza as Secretary.
Other directors are Michiyo Nakamoto, Masayuki Watanabe, Michael King, and Taeko Nagayama, as well as Martin Fackler and Simon Farrell as our Kanjis. David Umeda will serve as Reserve Director.
Dear members
It has been my honor, after a near two-decade hiatus, to serve as president of our organization again. This was my third time in the role, and please know that despite our considerable challenges, we continue to have the greatest Press Club in the world, as well as a tremendous group of volunteers and staff dedicated to its success. Over the last 11 months, the Board of Directors has done its best to ensure that the FCCJ has greater value for you, and to secure its future in public and Club service.
Dear members,
On March 27 we held our General Membership Meeting, where the budget and business plan for next year were approved, along with an amendment to our Articles of Association. We needed two-thirds of Regular members to vote, and through your participation and our General Manager’s persistence, we were able to approve all matters, including a continuation of the levy. At the GMM, we welcomed for the first time in recent history all Professional Journalist Associate and Associate members, and the input from all made for a more informative and compelling evening.
March 2025
Dear members,
We are just weeks away from our General Membership Meeting, when the Finance Committee will present our budget for the next business year. Tremendous consideration goes into this plan, and I’d like to thank Treasurer Anthony Rowley and his finance team for leading the Club towards a stronger path of sustainability. I hope to see you all at this quarterly meeting on March 27. Dinner will be served for 1,000 yen for those in attendance.
Dear members,
We ended January with our new year’s Hacks & Flacks party, as well as excellent PAC speakers including the ambassadors of Israel, the U.S., and Palestine. Now we want to keep that momentum going.
