Conway Jaycee travels to Tokyo to build relationships

Bradley Phillips, vice president of the Conway Jaycees and vice president of the Arkansas Jaycees, is currently in Japan on a "twinning" mission for the Arkansas Junior Chamber.

Monday, Phillips met with several key members of the Tokyo Junior Chamber, one of the largest Jaycee chapters in the world.

Phillips and host Lindsey Cuba, a native of Conway and daughter of John Carpenter, joined the Tokyo Jaycees for a two hour dinner meeting in which they discussed items such as membership, member training and events which have proved successful for both chapters.

Lindsey and her husband Lt. Joe Cuba are stationed in Japan as Lt. Cuba pilots the F-18 Super-Hornet for the United States Air Force.

Phillips presented Tokyo Junior Chamber executive vice president Masaichi "Mark" Ikeda with several gifts from Conway including a Toad Suck T-Shirt, hat, clock and key chain courtesy of Mary Margaret Satterfield of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce as well as a coffee table book featuring photos of Arkansas. Phillips also presented the members T-Shirts from the Conway Jaycees recent "A Christmas in the City" celebration.

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Other members who attended the meeting were: Takashi Okuyama, who owns the publishing company that prints the TV-Guide in Japan; Kenji Katayama, proprietor of several chains of restaurants in Eastern Asia; Yukari Suzuki, an art dealer; and Masami Mizuno, owner of a real estate company.

"We were especially happy to meet with Mr. Phillips because we have not had a contact in America for quite some time. We were very pleased when we heard he was coming and were honored by his visit," Ikeda said.

Phillips said, "It was such an honor to be able to meet and have dinner with such a distinguished group of young businessmen and women. I was amazed that even though we are on the opposite ends of the world we shared a common love for the Junior Chamber and all that it provides for its members and communities."

The Tokyo Junior chamber has more than 600 members and is one of the most exclusive civic groups in Tokyo. Potential members must sit on a waiting list for three years and then pay dues of 1800 yen (almost $2,000) per year upon joining.

After the meeting, Phillips was invited to meet the President of the Tokyo Junior Chamber at a time to be determined later this week.

Phillips will be in Tokyo until March 2.