2021 Japan Society Annual Dinner: Connecting Across Space and Time

July 2021. Virtual

We were proud to partner with Japan Society for the second year to produce their 2021 Annual Dinner. This year was an online celebration that brought together influential leaders, notable public figures, and captivating performers, who are all committed to the organization’s mission of building bridges between the U.S. and Japan.

Headlining the program was a fireside chat between Japan Society Chairman, Joseph R. Perella, Chairman Emeritus of Perella Weinberg Partners, and Henry R. Kravis, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of KKR. These two titans of finance discussed the ongoing issues that define and influence future opportunities within the U.S.-Japan space.

The evening also featured a conversation between former JAXA astronaut Naoko Yamazaki and Ambassador Caroline Kennedy marking the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's landmark Moonshot speech. This year, NASA and the government of Japan formalized the lunar Gateway partnership, supporting long-term human exploration on and around the Moon as part of the Artemis program and opening a new chapter in U.S.-Japan relations.

Guests enjoyed entertainment by the Ryoma Quartet, a Japanese-Western eclectic fusion of traditional Japanese instruments—tsugaru shamisen, shinobue, drums and violin—that expressed a new form of sound incorporating rock, funk, and electro grounded in classical tradition.

Empire’s New York and Tokyo offices collaborated to direct, film, produce and livestream the 60-minute program all around the world, helping the Japan Society raise over 1.3 million dollars.

To learn more about the Japan Society please visit https://www.japansociety.org/​