Message from 2012 AIA President

Dear AIA Japan Members (and future members):

AIA Japan Chapter is a component of the American institute of Architects, established six years ago to promote the interest of its members and provide a channel of professional camaraderie, continuing education, and extensive networking opportunities. We are a part of the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region (Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Alasaka, Hawaii, Guam & Micronesia, Hong Kong, and Japan), through which our members have access to stateside counterparts, numerous events, conferences and whatever you fancy to organize, collaborate or lead.

Our membership categories consist of Architect Members (those who obtained the architectural license in the US), Associate Members (those who are aspiring to obtain the architectural license), and International Associate Members (those who obtained the architectural license in jurisdictions outside the US). AIA Japan has within its membership architects from the US, Europe, and Japan, in addition to Japanese nationals who have US licenses. Despite its purported restriction to US licensed architects only, our membership is open to, and we welcome, architects from any country.

In recent years, AIA Japan has been engaging university students, who are facing professionally uncertain times ahead. We instituted, as a part of our Design Award Program, the Student category, which has been enormously successful with students from a dozen or so schools in Japan. In 2012, we are preparing to launch the internship-scholarship initiative, by which a qualified student will be given a stipend and a chance to spend a few weeks in an architect's office within the AIA family. It is in our interest to help students and aspiring architects prepare to enter the profession; and we are in a unique position to add an international twist to their efforts for professional growth.

AIA Japan is a totally volunteer-based organization. What we do all depends on the voluntary dedication of our members. It means that you, as a member, can propose a new idea, and take initiative in developing a program, event, or conference that benefits the membership in general. AIA Japan is quite unique in the context of Japanese professional organizations catering to architects, because of its affiliation to a large mother ship of AIA (76,000 members; 2011), and its individual-based (and not employer-based) membership qualifications. When the times are hard, a professional organization like AIA Japan can be of great help in making you more competitive, more marketable and better connected. We would like to invite you to become a member, if you are not, and welcome your participation and ideas to actively take advantage of AIA through our chapter. As President 2012 of AIA Japan, I hope to see you at our next meeting, lecture, event, or conference. Welcome to AIA.