United States-Japan Foundation

What United States-Japan Foundation does

The United States-Japan Foundation (USJF) is an independent, endowed nonprofit foundation founded in 1980 by Ryoichi Sasakawa and domiciled in New York, with operational headquarters in Washington, D.C. The foundation's mission is to strengthen bilateral ties between the United States and Japan through grant-making, leadership development, and cross-sector convening. Over its 45+ year history, USJF has awarded more than $100 million in grants to advocates, artists, scholars, and students across both countries, operating a quarterly grant cycle and supporting initiatives spanning social innovation, education, humanitarian work, and policy research.

USJF operates two core programs: the Grants Program, which awards funds on a quarterly cycle to civil society organizations, and the US-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP), a curated network of 500+ emerging American and Japanese leaders across politics, academia, sports, and entertainment. Complementing these programs are publication products — Trends & Trendsetters (a blog series on nonprofit sector trends), USJF Forum (expert reflections), and USJF Research (commissioned studies) — and a calendar of symposia, study sessions, and leadership forums in both countries. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees chaired by Lawrence K. Fish, with Jacob M. Schlesinger serving as President & CEO and Haruto Okabe as Japan Representative.

USJF does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded by its endowment and operates as a philanthropic intermediary. The foundation maintains strategic partnerships with organizations including the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) USA, Social Finance, and Peace Winds / Youth Platform to advance research and convening on shared U.S.-Japan challenges. Recent activity includes social finance study sessions in Tokyo (March 2026), the USJLP Class of 2026 announcement, a second year of social impact stipends for USJLP members, and a symposium honoring the retirement of long-serving VP Tomoyuki Watanabe (April 15, 2026).

Name

United States-Japan Foundation

Legal name

United States-Japan Foundation

Website

https://us-jf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The United States-Japan Foundation is an independent endowed nonprofit founded in 1980 that strengthens U.S.-Japan bilateral ties through a quarterly grants program (over $100 million awarded since inception) and the US-Japan Leadership Program, a 500+ member network of rising leaders across both countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Bilateral philanthropy
• Grant-making foundation
• Leadership development programs
• Cross-cultural exchange
• Civil society support

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The United States-Japan Foundation (USJF) is a New York-based nonprofit foundation that strengthens U.S.-Japan relations by awarding grants to nonprofits, advocates, artists, scholars, and students and by operating the U.S.-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP), a network of more than 500 American and Japanese leaders across politics, academia, sports, entertainment, and other sectors. Since its founding in 1980, the foundation has disbursed more than $100 million in grants to advance bilateral cooperation and shared policy interests.

Product overview

The United States-Japan Foundation operates as a grant-making foundation with two core programs: the Grants Program (awarding over $100 million since 1980 through a quarterly cycle) and the US-Japan Leadership Program (a 500+ person network of rising American and Japanese leaders). The foundation supplements these programs with publications including Trends & Trendsetters (blog series on nonprofit sector trends), USJF Forum (expert reflections), and USJF Research (commissioned studies). The organization also hosts events, symposia, and study sessions to foster cross-Pacific dialogue on shared challenges including social impact, immigration, and rural revitalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• US-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP): A network of 500+ rising stars connecting American and Japanese leaders in politics, academia, sports, and entertainment to foster lifelong collaboration and bilateral ties.

Products and services

• U.S.-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP)
• Grants Program
• Events and Symposia

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSJF collaborates with JCIE USA on research and events examining the role of Japanese nonprofits in supporting foreign residents and refugees. The partnership includes joint roundtable discussions and report releases on civil society topics.
• Peace Winds / Youth PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative case study involving the Peace Winds / Youth Platform project as part of USJF's social finance study sessions in Tokyo, March 2026.
• Social FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSJF commissioned Social Finance to conduct research on Japan's social investment intermediary market. Study findings were shared at study sessions on social finance in Tokyo, March 2026.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Japan Foundation: The Japan Foundation is the Japanese government's primary institution for international cultural exchange, operating global programs in arts, language, and intellectual exchange. It is the most direct institutional counterpart to USJF on the Japan side, with overlapping mandate areas but far larger budget and government backing.
• Freeman Foundation: A U.S. foundation historically focused on student exchange and cultural understanding with East Asia, particularly through support for Asian studies programs and study-abroad scholarships. Comparable to USJF's educational grant-making and student-focused bilateral programming.
• Henry Luce Foundation: A major U.S. foundation supporting programs in Asia, higher education, and theology, including Luce Scholars and significant grants to U.S.-Japan cultural and academic exchange. Comparable to USJF in its endowed model and American philanthropy directed at Asia, though with a broader thematic scope.
• Carnegie Corporation of New York: A large U.S. foundation funding international peace, education, and democracy initiatives, including work focused on U.S.-Asia relations. Comparable as an endowed U.S. philanthropy engaged in cross-border convening, though at materially larger scale and broader scope than USJF.
• The Nippon Foundation: One of the largest Japanese philanthropic foundations, funding maritime, social welfare, and international cooperation programs globally. It shares an institutional heritage with USJF through its Sasakawa lineage and overlaps in bilateral cooperation programming.
• Sasakawa Peace Foundation: A Japanese foundation affiliated with the Nippon Foundation network that funds research, dialogue, and exchange across the Indo-Pacific. It shares USJF's emphasis on Japan-led international cooperation but operates at broader geographic scale and with a deeper research mandate.

Emerging players

• Asia Society: A leading U.S.-based educational and policy organization dedicated to promoting understanding of Asia through events, publications, and leadership programs. Comparable to USJF in convening leaders and producing publications, though broader geographically and more policy-focused than grant-making.
• Blakemore Foundation: A U.S. foundation funding advanced language study and cultural exchange focused on East and Southeast Asia, including Japan. Comparable in its specialist focus on U.S.-Asia language and professional exchange through fellowships and grants.
• Donald Keene Center (Columbia University): A Columbia University-based center supporting Japanese studies, translation, and cultural exchange between the U.S. and Japan through grants, fellowships, and events. Comparable niche focus on U.S.-Japan scholarly and cultural exchange, though housed within a university rather than operating as an independent foundation.

Direct peers

• Japan-US Friendship Commission: An independent U.S. federal commission created by Congress in 1975 to deepen U.S.-Japan understanding through grants, exchanges, and policy research. It is the closest direct U.S. peer to USJF given shared bilateral mission, grant-making model, and educational/cultural focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usjf_
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnitedStatesJapanFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-states-japan-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/usjapanfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments28 records

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Frequently asked questions about United States-Japan Foundation