Irene Hirano

President of the U.S.-Japan Council

Irene Hirano Inouye (née Yasutake;October 7, 1948 – April 7, 2020) was the founding President of the U.S.-Japan Council, a position she held ever since she helped create the organization in 2009 until her death.

Hirano Inouye focused on building positive relations between the United States and Japan, and was also a leader in philanthropy, community engagement, and advancing social causes.

She served on a number of prominent non-profit boards, and was chair of the Ford Foundation's board of trustees.She previously served as president and founding chief executive officer of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles from 1988 to 2008, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.