U.S. Ambassador to Japan to Give Keynote Address on U.S. - Japan Relations

LOS ANGELES, June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V. Roos will give a keynote address at the 101st Anniversary Dinner of the Japan America Society of Southern California (JASSC).  The dinner will take place on June 9 at Club Nokia in the L.A. LIVE entertainment district of downtown Los Angeles.

"We look forward to Ambassador Roos' speech," said Douglas Erber, president of JASSC.  "It is extremely timely in light of the recent political developments, including the change of Prime Ministers in Japan, and the resulting implications on the future of the U.S.–Japan relationship."

Last week, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned less than nine months after taking office after a landslide election win.  Mr. Hatoyama's sudden resignation came in the face of increasing public outcry over his administration's handling of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Base issue.  U.S. and Japanese observers will be watching closely to see whether new Prime Minister Naoto Kan will maintain or change Japan's policies towards U.S.–Japan relations.

"We are honored Ambassador Roos chose our 101st Anniversary Dinner to make his first official appearance in Southern California," said JASSC chairman, Robert Brasch.  "This will be also be his third major keynote address since becoming ambassador in August last year." Ambassador Roos gave a major keynote address for the Japan Institute of International Affairs on December 4, 2009, and to the Waseda University Organization for Japan–U.S. Studies on January 29 2010.

Additional information and reservations for the JASSC 101st Anniversary Dinner are available online at www.jas-socal.org or by calling (213) 627-6217, ext. 207.

About Japan America Society of Southern California  

Founded in 1909 to build economic, cultural, governmental and personal relationships between the people of Japan and America.  It is the West Coast's premier educational and public affairs forum dedicated to the United States–Japan relationship.  JASSC is a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit, charitable education organization and is supported by 130 Japanese and American corporate members and 2,000 individual members.

About John V. Roos, United States Ambassador to Japan

On May 27, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated John V. Roos to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Japan.  He was confirmed by the Senate on Aug. 7, 2009, and was sworn in on Aug. 16, 2009.

Prior to his appointment as ambassador, Roos served as chief executive officer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a law firm headquartered in Silicon Valley that is known for its representation of technology, life sciences and growth companies. Roos had been a partner at the firm since 1988 and also served in a number of other senior leadership roles including the firm's board of directors.

Roos helped lead the firm during the waves of innovation in Silicon Valley, from the growth of software and communications, to the Internet age and the emergence of biotechnology, to today's focus on clean technology and renewable energy. He was a leader in cultivating the firm's diversity initiatives. Roos has been active in local government and served on national political campaigns for President Obama, former Vice President Walter Mondale and Senator Bill Bradley, among others.

Roos grew up in San Francisco and graduated from Lowell High School in 1973 before attending college at Stanford University, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction in 1977. He then went on to Stanford Law School, where he was a member of the Stanford Law Review and Order of the Coif, earning his Juris Doctorate in 1980.

SOURCE Japan America Society of Southern California