Jennifer Jakubowski, Managing Director

Ms. Jennifer Jakubowski (ジェニファー・ジャクバウスキー) has engaged professionally with Japanese-American relations for more than 15 years.  Her initial professional experience was with The JET Program, a diplomatic initiative co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Council for Local and International Affairs, and the Ministry of Education. This was followed by employment with the Nagano Winter Olympic Committee as a cultural liaison and radio broadcaster. These engagements, coupled with her academic background, paved the road for a career advising some of the biggest names in business on bridging cultural differences between Japan and the U.S. 

In her former capacity as Director of Consulting and Training Services for a New York-based consulting firm specializing in Japanese-American workplace relations, she oversaw the consulting division and spearheaded the firm’s training programs, training dozens of senior executives and diplomats on a host of cross-cultural issues. In the years since, she has laid the foundation for Bridges to Japan.

Ms. Jakubowski’s Japan expertise has deep academic roots as well. She holds a BA in International Relations and an MA in International Studies & Diplomacy, both with a focus on Japanese studies.  She also spent a year at the renowned Waseda University in Tokyo, while living with a three-generation Japanese family. She has a strong command of the Japanese language and has twice been the recipient of a national writing award, granted by a group of Japanese government agencies, for her publications addressing the topic of creative ways to enhance Japanese-American relations.

Ms. Jakubowski has lived in Japan for six years, calling home the neon hub of Tokyo, the plains of Hokkaido and the mountains of Nagano.

Sampling of Clients and Professional Affiliations: