Yuki Kondo-Shah has served as the Principal Officer in U.S. Consulate General Sapporo since August 2025. Ms. Kondo-Shah was most recently the Deputy Spokesperson in U.S. Embassy London, and has served overseas in La Paz, Bolivia; Beijing, China; and Fukuoka, Japan.

She also worked in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Ms. Kondo-Shah is from Scottsdale, Arizona and is married to a U.S. diplomat and has two daughters. She graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

(As of August 2025)

U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass will represent the United States of America at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6 and at the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 9.

“In such a significant year of reflection and remembrance, I am honored to represent the United States at the Peace Memorial ceremonies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” Ambassador Glass said. “The people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their message of peace and hope are an enduring reminder of the power of reconciliation. Eighty years ago, the United States and Japan faced each other as bitter enemies. Today, our two nations face the future as united allies. By embracing the promise of possibility, we have built a partnership that stands as a beacon of freedom, peace, and progress for the world.”

Ambassador Glass’ attendance at the two cities’ ceremonies in August will mark his first visits to Hiroshima and Nagasaki as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.

Virsa Perkins is the Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka, Japan. She previously served as Chief of Staff in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs from 2024 to 2025.

Prior to that, Virsa was the Political/Economic Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai from September 2021 to June 2024. An economic-coned officer, Virsa joined the Department of State in 2008 and has since served in Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Afghanistan, Japan, and India. She holds a master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York, NY, and a bachelor’s degree in Japanese Studies from Dillard University in New Orleans, LA.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Virsa is married and has three children.

Location: Japan
Event: A magnitude 8.0 quake occurred off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami advisory for Japan’s Pacific coast regions from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

Tsunami warnings are in effect for a major stretch of Japan’s eastern Pacific coast, from Hokkaido’s eastern Pacific coast down to Wakayama Prefecture. Please follow all guidance from local authorities.

The U.S. government reminds U.S. citizens to:

• Stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways, including refraining from activities like swimming, surfing, fishing, and boating.
• Follow instructions from local officials, which may include closing beaches, evacuating low ground areas, harbors and marinas, or moving ships to deeper water if safe to do so.
• If you are in the affected areas, move to higher ground and keep away from coasts and river mouths which could overflow. Continue to follow any evacuation orders by local government until all advisories are lifted.
• Stay updated through official sources such as NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency frequencies, Japan Meteorological Agency, and local news.

Tsunami advisories may be updated, adjusted, upgraded to a warning, or canceled based on evolving information.

Enroll in the Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

Assistance:

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

For information about services to U.S. citizens, please consult American Citizen Services (ACS).

For emergencies, contact the U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate.

• U.S. Embassy Tokyo
  Telephone: 03-3224-5000
• U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe
  Telephone: 06-6315-5900
• U.S. Consulate Nagoya
  Telephone: 052-581-4501
• U.S. Consulate Fukuoka
  Telephone: 092-751-9331
• U.S. Consulate General Sapporo
  Telephone: 011-641-1115
• U.S. Consulate General Naha
  Telephone: 098-876-4211
• State Department – Consular Affairs
  Telephone: +1 (888) 407-4747

Typhoon season has begun and is expected to last through November 2025. Multiple typhoons typically strike Japan each year. Typhoons can strike any region of the country and can be extremely serious. U.S. citizens in Japan should carefully track typhoons that may impact their area and should follow all local government emergency guidance.
 
In the past, U.S. citizens have been stranded and forced to delay travel (including return travel to the United States) due to infrastructure damage to airports, limited flight availability, suspension of public transportation, or closure of roads.
 
For information on typhoon warnings, please consult the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, the National Weather Service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) Tokyo – Typhoon Center.

The Japanese government’s “J-Alert” emergency broadcasting system can provide early warning emergency alerts. This government issued emergency information is available through mobile phone apps in English. See the Japan Tourism Organization’s Safety tips app that “pushes” information alerts to users about disasters in multiple languages, including English. The NHK World TV app also provides Japanese government emergency alerts via “Push Notification” service in English. Both of these apps push “J-Alerts” in English to your cell phone. Additional information on Emergency Preparedness for Americans in Japan is available here on U.S. Embassy Tokyo’s website.
 
If you live in or are traveling to storm-prone areas, prepare yourself by organizing a kit in a waterproof container that includes a supply of bottled water, non-perishable food items, medications, and vital documents. Emergency shelters often provide only very basic resources and may have limited medical and food supplies. U.S. citizens throughout Japan should pay careful attention to trusted local media and follow the instructions of local authorities in preparing for these storms.
 
Enroll in the Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

Assistance:

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

For information about services to U.S. citizens, please consult American Citizen Services (ACS).

For emergencies, contact the U.S. Embassy or nearest consulate.

• U.S. Embassy Tokyo
  Telephone: 03-3224-5000
• U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe
  Telephone: 06-6315-5900
• U.S. Consulate Nagoya
  Telephone: 052-581-4501
• U.S. Consulate Fukuoka
  Telephone: 092-751-9331
• U.S. Consulate General Sapporo
  Telephone: 011-641-1115
• U.S. Consulate General Naha
  Telephone: 098-876-4211
• State Department – Consular Affairs
  Telephone: +1 (888) 407-4747

United States Ambassador to Japan George Glass presented his credentials to His Majesty Emperor Naruhito during a ceremony at the Imperial Palace on July 17, 2025.

“It was a true honor to follow in the footsteps of so many American ambassadors to Japan by presenting my credentials to His Majesty today,” Ambassador Glass said. “It is a deep privilege to serve President Trump and the American people to strengthen ties and the deep-rooted friendship between the United States and Japan.”

The Department of State is pleased to share that a Presidential Delegation, announced recently by the White House, will attend the United States’ National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka on July 19, 2025. The delegation will be led by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, accompanied by United States Ambassador to Japan George Glass, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, and USA Pavilion Commissioner General Ambassador William E. Grayson.

The delegation will visit the USA Pavilion to participate in official U.S. National Day programming aimed at showcasing American leadership and strengthening commercial and economic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. Participation of senior U.S. leadership in Expo 2025 Osaka highlights our commitment to advancing a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region.

World Expos, also known in the United States as World’s Fairs, represent unique opportunities to showcase American innovation, business, and global leadership. Expo 2025 Osaka opened on April 13, 2025, and is expected to receive 28 million visitors over its six-month duration. The USA Pavilion, which has already welcomed approximately 1,000,000 visitors, contains a series of immersive exhibits focused on U.S. exchange opportunities and travel as well as U.S. leadership in innovation and space exploration. It is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. through the end of Expo on October 13, 2025.

For further information and press inquiries, please contact the Expo Unit at expo@state.gov.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau will travel to Tokyo and Osaka, Japan from July 17-20 as part of a Presidential Delegation to Osaka to attend the U.S. National Day at the World Expo on July 19 and further cement the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship.

Deputy Secretary Landau will attend a U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral meeting with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Funakoshi Takehiro and Republic of Korea (ROK) First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo in Tokyo and have separate bilateral meetings with his Japanese and ROK counterparts.

In his first trip to Asia as Deputy Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary Landau is focused on upholding the United States’ commitment to advancing a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region as well as strengthening the trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan, and the ROK.

“We are united in our democratic values and our unwavering belief in giving people the tools to pursue prosperity and progress in peace.  That’s what the remarkable partnership between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea stands for and why it’s critical that we invest in those who will lead it.”
  – Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Tokyo, Aaron Snipe

Rising young leaders aged 18-35 from the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan gathered in Osaka for the second annual Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Summit, held July 7 to 9, 2025. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), the three-day summit featured high-impact dialogue, cross-cultural exchange, and face-to-face collaboration with government officials, industry leaders, and academics from the three countries, showcasing the vital role of youth-driven diplomacy in advancing trilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

The 50 delegates, 45 from the United States, ROK, and Japan, and five from Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, were selected from nearly 800 applicants. The Summit focused on developing their leadership skills, strategic thinking, and ability to find innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.

Strategic Locations, Regional Vision, and Institutional Support

This year’s event built on the success of the inaugural YTL Summit, held in Busan, ROK last year, and reflected the commitment made by the three countries during their trilateral summit at Camp David in August 2023 to foster the next generation of trilateral leaders to address global and regional challenges.

The Kansai region, including Osaka City, was specifically chosen as the host location to celebrate Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. TUJ was well-positioned to support the event through a large team of staff and students under the leadership of TUJ Dean Matthew Wilson. TUJ, a full-service branch of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the only American university with both a campus in Tokyo and a satellite location in Kyoto, Kansai.

Day 1: Opening Remarks and Cultural Exchange

Following a July 6 welcome reception hosted by U.S. Consul General for Osaka-Kobe Jason R. Cubas, the summit officially opened on July 7 at the Osaka International Convention Center (Grand Cube Osaka) with a spirited wadaiko (Japanese drum) performance and keynote remarks by Aaron Snipe, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo. DCM Snipe shared his personal experiences in Japan, both as a diplomat and as a former exchange program participant who first visited the region 30 years ago. The first day featured expert panels on trilateral security and science and technology cooperation. Participants then traveled to Kyoto for a cultural outing at Kiyomizu-dera Temple and dinner along the Kamogawa River.

Day 2: Business, Soft Power, and Youth Leadership

On July 8, sessions continued at NORIBA10 in central Osaka, with a welcome address by Aya Wada, Director General of the Economic Strategy Bureau, Osaka City. The day’s panel discussions focused on conducting business across cultures, people-to-people ties, and youth-led initiatives that are strengthening ties in the wider Indo-Pacific region through the U.S. Department of State’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and activities by Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Program alumni. The day concluded with a reception hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Osaka, including remarks by Consul General Chang Soo Jin and Doshisha University Professor Koji Murata, as well as dynamic cultural performances.

Day 3: Pitch Competition and Closing Reflections

The final day of the summit, July 9, brought the delegates to the USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai where they heard remarks by senior representatives from all three national pavilions: Ambassador William E. Grayson, Commissioner General of the USA Pavilion; Yasushi Misawa, Representative of the Government of Japan/Ambassador in charge of Kansai and Vice Commissioner General of the 2025 World Exposition in Japan; and Younghwan Park, Deputy Commissioner General and Director of the Korea Pavilion. The participants also toured the USA Pavilion, Japan Pavilion, and Korea Pavilion, gaining first-hand insights into how the three countries are showcasing their culture and innovations to millions of Expo visitors. A highlight of the three-day summit was the final pitch competition, where delegates presented ten innovative small-scale projects to pressing challenges affecting trilateral cooperation. The top three projects focused on e-waste and critical minerals, the creation of an alumni platform for employment opportunities, and digital storytelling.

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and U.S. Consulate in Osaka-Kobe are grateful to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the USA Pavilion, Japan Pavilion, and Korean Pavilion teams, the City of Osaka, and Temple University, Japan Campus for their support providing guest speakers or organizing activities for the YTL Osaka Summit to ensure its success.

• More Event Photos

President Donald J. Trump today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Osaka, Japan, to attend the World Expo on July 19, 2025.

The Honorable Secretary Scott Bessent of the United States Department of the Treasury will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

• The Honorable George Glass, Ambassador of the United States to Japan
• The Honorable Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Secretary of the United States Department of Labor
• The Honorable Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of State
• The Honorable William E. Grayson, Ambassador, USA Pavilion Commissioner General, Expo 2025