At the Center of the Game
ACCJ President Eric John shares thoughts on the chamber’s role in the bilateral relationship during a milestone year.
Photos Antony Tran/LIFE.14
Earlier this year, The ACCJ Journal sat down with Eric John as he took the helm of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ). Halfway through a busy year of outreach and activity, we check in with the Boeing Japan K.K. president about how he sees the chamber in a time of rapid change, uncertainty, and new challenges facing the US–Japan partnership.
You took office with a focus on policy creation and advocacy. How are those goals progressing?
We set out to strengthen the ACCJ’s committee-driven policy advocacy and accelerate our engagement with the Japanese and US governments. As a result, we have built a stronger foundation, improved cross-committee collaboration, and are now better prepared to act quickly and effectively in order to remain relevant in advocacy.
In Japan, we have proactively met with cabinet ministers, Diet members, and other key leaders in both business and government. On the business side, we met with leaders at Keidanren (the Japanese Business Federation) and Keizai Doyukai (the Japan Association of Corporate Executives) to discuss our priorities and deepen our understanding of their focus and goals. When meeting with government officials and politicians, we shared our views in a straightforward manner, and I believe we have built closer relationships through which we can exchange views more openly.
In June, we visited Washington for our annual DC Doorknock, where we met with key administration officials and a number of congressional members, as well as Japanese Ambassador [Shigeo] Yamada. As the voice of global business in Japan, we provided strategic recommendations to address critical issues affecting US companies and outlined measures to further strengthen the US–Japan economic alliance.
This year’s DC Doorknock highlighted the continued strength and momentum of the US–Japan economic partnership and provided an important opportunity for the ACCJ to advance key priorities across our advocacy focus sectors. We were encouraged by the palpable recognition throughout the US government of the strategic importance of the US–Japan relationship and by the continued progress being made to deepen investment, strengthen economic ties, and address shared challenges.
We are seeing progress in policy development and advocacy, and this will continue to be our focus for the remainder of the year.
Because the ACCJ is committee-driven, our policy work depends heavily on the time and insight of member volunteers, and I am grateful for that effort. We have also worked to strengthen coordination across committees and between the board and committee leaders, including through in-person Leadership Forum meetings and closer liaison support.
A strong example of this approach came in 2025, when we were able to gather committee input quickly and provide a coordinated response on a major policy issue. That experience reinforced the importance of having a clear policy foundation and being able to act quickly when opportunities arise.
Looking ahead, we need to stay agile. Both the US and Japanese governments like to move fast, and the ACCJ must be ready to do the same if we want to remain an effective voice for our members.
Another goal was to continue growing the chamber. How is that going?
I am glad to see the progress we have made. We added a third member to the President’s Circle and six new Corporate Sustaining Members. This contributes to our bottom line, but more importantly, it contributes to our influence.
Where do you see the bilateral relationship—and its role on the regional and global stages—as the United States marks its 250th birthday?
The US–Japan relationship is marked by significant progress, including the 2025 trade agreements and Japan’s substantial $550 billion investment commitment in the US economy. Japan remains the United States’ largest foreign investor, and overall bilateral trade in goods and services reached $324 billion in 2025, with the US maintaining a strong $12.6 billion surplus in services.
At the same time, US companies continue to face persistent trade challenges. The ACCJ encourages the Government of Japan to address nontariff barriers, promote further investment, and enhance regulatory transparency to strengthen bilateral trade. As a business organization, we are focused on improving ties that serve the interests of both our stakeholders and our members. We also appreciate that the US and Japan are pursuing what they believe to be in their best economic interests.
This year is also a special one for the United States as we continue to mark the 250th anniversary of our founding. While celebrating America’s development and the strong US–Japan relationship, I am excited by how the ACCJ has worked so far this year to build on recent successes, shape our shared future, and strengthen our resilience. I also thought that A Night of Stars and Stripes, our Independence Day event on July 1, was a perfect celebration of our nation’s birthday and bilateral relations.
ACCJ President Eric John speaks at A Night of Stars and Stripes, the chamber’s Independence Day celebration, on July 1, 2026, at Tokyo American Club.
How do the chamber and the US embassy collaborate? How critical is the support from each side?
I, and many others, regularly meet with Ambassador [George] Glass. In addition, the board and embassy leaders meet monthly. We coordinate on our top priorities and exchange information and views about the evolving economic relationship and planned joint tactics.
Speaking for the chamber, I know that the embassy’s role has been essential for us to achieve many of our policy goals. I would also like to think that the initiatives of the ACCJ help the embassy team achieve their goals in their relationships.
How was this year’s DC Doorknock?
As mentioned, this year’s visit to Washington was very positive and reinforced the continued strength and momentum of the US–Japan economic partnership. A key takeaway was the strong recognition throughout the US government of the strategic importance of the relationship, as well as the continued progress being made to deepen investment, strengthen economic ties, and address shared challenges.
At the same time, we emphasized that persistent nontariff barriers still need to be addressed. We also reaffirmed the importance of reducing these barriers, boosting investment, and improving regulatory transparency to support growth and innovation across our key sectors and further strengthen bilateral trade.
What were your goals for March’s roundtable with Japanese media?
Good question. It had been years since the ACCJ had held a media roundtable, and I thought we needed to rebuild that relationship to be able to get our message out to the Japanese public. Our goal, therefore, was to clearly convey our intent and activities and position the ACCJ as a reliable source on the US–Japan economic relationship. This set a strong foundation for future engagements with the media.
The US and Japan are indispensable economic and strategic partners, and our bilateral alliance—grounded in shared values and common interests—supports peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The ACCJ believes it is important to continuously and proactively communicate the value of this relationship to Japanese media and to help them gain a deeper understanding of the importance of a healthy economic relationship for both countries.
What do you see as the biggest challenges that lie ahead?
I see this to be coordinating the chamber’s six key focus sectors, as well as our business priorities, with Prime Minister Takaichi’s 17 strategic growth priorities. To tackle that specific challenge, we established a growth strategies task force earlier this year, and we are also focusing on this in our committees.
What else would you like to say to members?
Simply, thank you. This is a huge volunteer effort to create policy, advocate, and move the business of the chamber forward. It’s been the product of so many people. I think we should all appreciate how much our members contribute to the success of the chamber.
