Conference Guidelines for Delegates

The United States-Japan Foundation covers economy class direct travel expenses to and from each Delegate's home location and the conference site, as well as accommodation, meals, and travel expenses incurred to participate in the official conference schedule. Delegates are responsible for personal charges and incidentals (e.g. laundry, unofficial meals/snacks, elective off-hours activities). Detailed guidelines for the 2025 Japan Conference will be presented to selected Delegates in the months leading up to the conference.

As the purpose of the conference is to have Delegates spend as much time getting to know one another as possible, Delegates are required to come to the conference solo and unaccompanied by family or others. Delegates are expected to attend all official sessions and events scheduled over the course of the 6.5 day conference week. Unexplained absences from any official sessions or events could result in the loss of membership in USJLP.

Note that the upcoming 2025 Japan Conference is expected to kick off with welcome events in the afternoon on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Delegates residing outside of Japan may need to arrange to depart their home country on Friday, July 25, 2025 to arrive in advance of the welcome events. The final official event will be a Closing Reception on Saturday, August 2, 2025. Aside from an optional farewell breakfast, there will be no official events schedule don departures day (Sunday, August 3, 2025) and Delegates are welcome to depart at any time.

All meetings will be conducted in English. Delegates are expected to contribute ideas and offers towards the content of the week’s agenda and are often asked to make a presentation, join a panel on a topic of their expertise, lead a workshop and/or moderate a session during the week.

Membership in USJLP is a lifetime commitment. After completing two years as a Delegate, participants continue their membership in USJLP as Fellows (alumni). Upon becoming a Fellow, members are invited to assist in discovering and nominating new candidates for USJLP, and to return as special guests at the end of each summer's conference for Fellows Weekend. Both Delegates and Fellows are expected to remain active in USJLP by attending and organizing events, staying in touch over a mailing list and dedicated website, sharing news and updates with the community, keeping their profile information current, and considering ways to collaborate with one another and support the Foundation’s mission in the years to come.