Happy Independence Day 2025!
A special message for ACCJ members from US Ambassador to Japan George Glass, delivered at the chamber's special Fourth of July evening A Night of Stars and Stripes.
Happy Birthday, America! Two hundred forty-nine years!
I want to take the opportunity to thank the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan for your tireless work to make the US–Japan partnership the huge success it is today. Because without strong and evolving business ties, there is no partnership.
Ever since the chamber was established nearly 80 years ago, American firms and American expertise have been key to the triumphs of the Japanese economy and the achievements of so many bilateral business ventures.
The fact that our two nations are the biggest investors in each other’s economies says it all. We’re building, developing, and growing together. And it’s true that our thriving relationship is founded on our shared democratic values and our unwavering belief in the rule of law.
But there’s also something else at the core.
The secret to our remarkable partnership is our relentless drive to keep improving, to keep pushing the envelope, and to keep embracing the impossible. That boldness powered Japan’s post-war economic miracle and gave rise to Japanese companies that have led the world in so many different sectors.
In the United States, we associate that with what we call our frontier spirit, which is woven into the very fabric of the nation. It’s in the DNA of who we are as Americans.
The early pioneers and settlers endured unimaginable hardships in their quest for a better life out west. But the Oregon Trail and others like it are much more than a chapter in the history of the United States. The trails embody the determination, the resilience, and the innovation of people.
In truth, that frontier spirit was burning brightly even long before the western expansion of the 1800s. It fueled our fight for independence and our vision for a groundbreaking constitution. And this constitution has become the model for democratic governments across the world.
That same pioneering resolve inspired the invention of the airplane, the light bulb, the internet, GPS, you name it. And it has energized even our Apollo missions to the moon and our continuing exploration into space.
We are, as a matter of fact, a nation of trailblazers. We embrace the audacious and we champion the ambitious. We are, in the words of American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, the country of tomorrow. It’s our zeal for the possible that draws the finest minds and best ideas to the United States and to all our American companies.
Sometimes we lead the charge of discovery and transformation. Other times we join forces with kindred spirits. Japan is one of our kindred spirits, and our partnership couldn’t be more important than it is right now. Within the challenges of today lie the opportunities of tomorrow, and we need the determination and urgency to seize this moment, just as those Oregon Trail immigrants did more than 150 years ago.
By harnessing our collective ingenuity, our innovation, and our two nations, we can lead the technological revolution and shape the direction of critical industries. We already have a record of achievement. Our collaboration led to advancements in fields as diverse as biotechnology and space exploration. But we don’t just cultivate quantum leaps, we inspire them as well—and we will keep doing so for years to come.
Once again, happy 249th birthday. Happy Independence Day!
