The Hype Exclusive: Kanji Yamanouchi (Ambassador & Consul General of Japan in NY)

Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi, Consul General of Japan in New York, assumed his post in September 2018. Yamanouchi has served in a wide range of posts since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1984, including 2 assignments to the Japanese Embassy in the United States: First Secretary of the Political Section in 1997, and Minister for Economic Affairs in 2013. Most recently, Yamanouchi served as Assistant Minister/Director-General for the Economic Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters. He also worked as Executive Assistant to the Prime Minister in 2011, when he dedicated himself to actualizing the government response to the historic 3.11 triple disaster.

Earlier this month, the Japan History Council of New York announced plans to launch the Digital Museum Of The History Of The Japanese In New York, making it the first East Coast digital archive to represent local historical figures of Japanese descent. The Digital Museum launch comes at a significant point of time, as May marks Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, bringing to the forefront the identity and experiences of Asian Americans throughout history. On May 18, 2021, I had the pleasure of participating in a media event presented by the Japan History Council Of New York and ask a question about the Digital Museum Of The History Of The Japanese In New York.

Following that event, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi via Zoom on May 20, 2021 about the aforementioned Digital Museum Of The History Of The Japanese In New York, his multi-faceted career, going viral via his guitar-based rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” his musical roots, and plenty more. Highlights from that conversation are embedded below.

More on the Digital Museum can be found here and here. The next “Friday Night Live” concert that Yamanouchi had discussed during our conversation will be happening on Friday, May 21, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST, while more information on Bentos For The Front Line can be found by clicking here.

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Tags: Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi, Government, igital Museum Of The History Of The Japanese In New York, Japan, New York, NYC

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."