Washington, D.C. — This week, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff hosted Kiyoaki (Kiyo) Kojima, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, as his honored guest for Japanese Prime Minister Fumoi Kishida’s Historic Address to a Joint Session of Congress.
U.S. Senators and members of Congress are allowed to bring one guest of honor to accompany them to a foreign dignitary state address to a joint session of Congress.
Mr. Kojima is an active member of Atlanta’s Japanese community, serving on the Board of the Japan America Society of Georgia and as Chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia.
“I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Senator Ossoff and his wonderful staff for kindly keeping the Japanese Community of Georgia in mind,” Mr. Kojima said. “It was a true privilege and an honor to attend these events on behalf of the Japan Chamber of Commerce of Georgia. I am very much looking forward to reporting back to the Board of the Chamber about the experience, and about the conversation with the Senator.”
“It was an honor to host Mr. Kojima at the U.S. Capitol to hear Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s joint address. I will continue working to deepen trade and investment and strengthen security cooperation between the United States and Japan,” Senator Ossoff said.
Sen. Ossoff and Mr. Kojima |
Mr. Kojima is an attorney in Atlanta with the law firm of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, and advises clients in corporate formation, governance, and compliance matters; distribution, franchise, and finance arrangements; and a wide range of commercial transactions.
He also serves in “advisor” or “supporter” roles in various entities in Japan, such as Healthcare Innovation Hub (InnoHub), MEDISO (Medical Innovation Support Office of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare), and IDEC Yokohama (Yokohama Industrial Development Corporation).
Sen. Ossoff has been a strong advocate for the Japanese American community in Georgia and remains a leader in the U.S. Senate pursuing stronger relations with Japan, maintaining frequent contact with senior Japanese diplomatic and economic officials.
Georgia is home to a rich, vibrant Japanese American community. More than 500 Japanese companies operate in Georgia and employ nearly 30,000 Georgians.
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