2025 Person of the Year: Ambassador William E. Grayson
The ACCJ honors the USA Pavilion commissioner general for his support of Expo 2025 and bilateral relations.
Photos Yuichi Terada/Cloud9Field
On October 10, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) recognized Ambassador William E. Grayson as the 2025 ACCJ Person of the Year. He was selected for his leadership in advancing the US–Japan partnership as commissioner general of the USA Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
ACCJ President Victor Osumi, Executive Director Laura Younger, and several ACCJ Board members presented the award at the USA Pavilion, just before the Expo officially closed on October 13.
The expo, which highlighted nearly 160 countries and regions, was a resounding success for Japan and the Kansai region, drawing 25,578,986 visitors during its 184-day run. In the final month, an average of 200,000 guests per day explored the global gathering on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay.
At the award presentation, Osumi highlighted how Grayson, alongside the entire USA Pavilion team, strengthened the long-standing legacy of collaboration and deepened ties between the United States and Japan. Guided by the theme Imagine What We Can Create Together, the USA Pavilion welcomed more than one million visitors to experience the breadth of US innovation and entrepreneurship, from space exploration to artificial intelligence and next-generation technologies.
The ACCJ was also proud to hold the “Osaka to Orbit: Showcasing Space Ambitions from Japan” event at the USA Pavilion, highlighting bilateral innovation and collaboration on space exploration.
An in-depth interview with Grayson will be published in the upcoming issue of The ACCJ Journal.
About the ACCJ Person of the Year
Created in 1996, the award recognizes individuals who have had a significant positive impact on the international business environment in Japan and advanced relations between Japan and the United States. Past recipients include Rahm Emanuel (2024), Caroline Kennedy (2016), Wendy Cutler (2015), Hiroshi Mikitani (2011), Taizo Nishimuro (2005), Yoshihiko Miyauchi (2001), and Walter Mondale, the first recipient.
