May 22 - Emily Little of Maine, the 2008 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen, and Megumi Yoshida of Saitama Prefecture, the 2008 Japan Cherry Blossom Queen, paid a call on Ambassador Schieffer at the Embassy.

May 14 - The crew members of STS-123 NASA space shuttle Endeavor discussed their March 11-26 mission to the International Space Station and other aspects of astronaut life with a group of Tokyo-area Japanese junior high and high school students on May 13 at the Embassy. The mission delivered the first part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's "Kibo" module. Students from Naha and Fukuoka also participated in the program by digital video conference.   [More photos]

May 13 - Deputy Secretary of Labor Howard M. Radzely headed the U.S. delegation to the May 11-13 G8 Labor and Employment Ministers' Meeting in Niigata. [Chair's Conclusions] [More photos]

May 12 - Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte visited Japan May 8-11, 2008 for official consultations. The Deputy Secretary, pictured here with Sumo Grand Champions Asashoryu (left) and Hakuho (right), also enjoyed Japanese cultural events. [More photos of the Deputy Secretary's visit]

April 16 - Ambassador Schieffer presented the Ambassador's Retirement Recognition Award to Morio Sato "in grateful recognition of more than 42 years of service as an art and graphics professional in the Embassy of the United States of America, Tokyo, Japan."

April 4 - Ambassador Schieffer was the guest and featured speaker of the Yomiuri International Economic Society's meeting in Osaka. [Ambassador's remarks]

March 27 - Ambassador Schieffer presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Toshiyuki Tanaka in recognition of his generous contributions and commitment to deepening the friendship between the U.S. and Japan.

March 19 - The National Institute for Defense Studies of the Japanese Ministry of Defense hosted Ambassador Schieffer as a guest lecturer.

March 13 - Ambassador Schieffer discussed U.S.-Japan relations and the conduct of foreign policy at the Embassy with a group of American college students visiting Japan from Indiana University.

March 11 - Ambassador Schieffer paid a courtesy call on Minister of Justice Kunio Hatoyama at the Ministry of Justice.

March 7 - Ambassador Schieffer congratulated the finalists of the Black History Month contest sponsored by Temple University, Japan Campus, in cooperation with the Embassy. Students were invited to submit essays, visual creations, or short films on the theme of "Martin Luther King's Dream in a Divided World," and winners were announced February 22.

Winning works:

Feb. 27 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, shown here with Ambassador Schieffer and Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, visited Japan February 27-28, 2008. [More photos of the Secretary's visit]

Feb. 13 - Ambassador Schieffer met with Governor Hirokazu Nakaima and made a statement to the Governor and the people of Okinawa.

Jan. 27 - NHK Special aired an interview of Ambassador Schieffer with Shuichi Izumo, News Editor for U.S. Affairs and Military Affairs, International News Division. Mr. Izumo interviewed the Ambassador at his residence in Tokyo.

Jan. 25 - Ambassador Schieffer enjoyed a bowl of o-zoni (rice cakes boiled with vegetables) at the Shinnenkai (New Year's party) organized by Embassy staff members.

Calligraphy at the Shinnenkai

Ambassador Schieffer, shown here with Embassy staff member Yoshiko Tomizuka, wrote his name in katakana.
(Photo courtesy of Ai Tilman)

Jan. 23 - Ambassador Schieffer enjoyed a send-off reception in Tokyo hosted by Foreign Minister Koumura in honor of the artists who will be participating in the Kennedy Center's "Japan! Culture+Hyper Culture" festival in Washington, D.C., from February 5-17.

Photo courtesy of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Jan. 23 - Ambassador Schieffer spoke to a full house at the Keizai-Koho Center & MIT-Japan Symposium.