Dr. Richard Dasher receives the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation
Congratulations to Dr. Richard Dasher, adjunct professor and director of the US-Asia Technology Management Center at Stanford University, and the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC), on being awarded the 2023 Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation. The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and organizations with outstanding achievements in international fields, to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries. The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public towards the activities of recipients.
Dr. Dasher has served as director of the US-Asia Technology Management Center at Stanford University since 1994, where he has made significant contributions to the analysis and research of Japanese and U.S. companies and businesses. He has also helped receive visiting researchers from Japanese companies and provided support for their new business strategies. Dr. Dasher was the first non-Japanese person ever asked to join the governance of a Japanese national university, serving as a Board Director at Tohoku University. In addition, he served on several councils for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). He has also contributed to raising the profile of Japanese startups in Silicon Valley as the chair of the steering committee for the “Japan-U.S. Innovation Awards” (co-sponsored by the US-Asia Technology Management Center at Stanford University and the Japan Society of Northern California).
The Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC) was established in 1963 as a joint initiative of major universities in North America. Since then, the Center has been active for 60 years as an educational institution specializing in advanced Japanese language education. IUC has produced a large number of Japanese Studies scholars, Japan-U.S. relations personnel, and State Department officials among its nearly 3,000 graduates, 21 of whom have received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government for their outstanding achievements in Japan, and have made incredible contributions to promoting mutual understanding and friendship with other countries. The Japanese language is an important key to understanding the culture, history, and values of Japan, and through advanced Japanese language education, the Center has made a significant contribution to public relations and cultural communication in Japan.
The 2023 Foreign Minister’s Commendations were awarded to 187 individuals and 63 groups worldwide. Dale Minami, Co-Founder of Minami Tamaki LLP, and Paul Isao Osaki, Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of North California, join Dr. Dasher and IUC as this year’s awardees within the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.