On February 23, John Roos, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Robert Hormats, U.S. Under Secretary of State, and Norihiko Ishiguro, Director-General of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, will join the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center's Michael H. Armacost, William F. Miller, and Robert Eberhart, as well as prominent Japanese and American business leaders, academic experts, and government officials, will meet at Stanford for a roundtable dialogue on entrepreneurship and innovation in Japan. Larry Sonsini, Chairman of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich, and Rosati, will give the keynote address.

After the first Dialogue on Japanese Entrepreneurship held in February 2010, representatives from the U.S. and Japanese governments met in Tokyo on May 27, 2010, to consider ways to foster an environment that would promote new businesses and job creation. Utilizing data from the Stanford Project on Japanese Entrepreneurship (STAJE) and the American Chamber of Commerce of Japan, business representatives shared their views with officials of both governments on policies and practices that would encourage such growth. On November 13, 2010, the White House and the Prime Minister's Office formally launched the U.S.-Japan Dialogue to Promote Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Job Creation, elevating it to a policy-level dialogue, with SPRIE-STAJE providing academic expertise. The February 23 event aims to build on the conversation about how to foster innovation through entrepreneurship.

The event will consist of a roundtable discussion on policies and ecologies to promote entrepreneurship and job growth. Following the keynote address, a panel discussion on smart grid technologies will take place with representatives from Cisco Systems, Toshiba, GE, Panasonic, Toyota, IBM, and officials of the U.S. and Japanese governments.

This event will be held closed session to facilitate more open dialogue and will involve Stanford students and scholars, business leaders, and government officials.