The Legacy of Leadership: Japan Society Beyond Pearl Harbor
By Dr. Joshua W. Walker, President and CEO, Japan Society
We remember December 7, 1941. Today is the 79th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the surprise attack by Japanese forces on the U.S. naval base in Honolulu that moved the United States to formally enter into World War II the following day. Throughout its 113 years, Japan Society has weathered many crises in the service of the U.S.-Japan relationship, the most challenging being the nearly decade-long shutdown during and after World War II. On December 8, 1941, Japan Society President Henry W. Taft abruptly resigned, followed by the majority of the Board; all of the Society’s activities were suspended and its doors were closed. But even in this moment of crisis the Society’s corporate existence and assets were preserved — through the commitment, leadership, and stewardship of a few singular leaders.
Taking responsibility in crisis
It was silk merchant and Japan Society member Paolino Gerli who personally undertook the responsibility of safeguarding the Japanese government bonds that formed the core of the Society’s finances at the time. Despite efforts by the American government to confiscate the bonds, Gerli was successful in retaining them. He recalled, “You bet your boots I had them! And I did not give them up. I said I’d stand responsible for it. I would see that it isn’t abused, that it remains as it is, and it did, it stayed that way. And the Japanese were very honorable about it. They gave us all the interest that accumulated during the period of the war. They paid for all of that. It was a very honorable thing. And I happened to be instrumental in that period. You had to have real courage in those days.”
Ultimately, the bonds that Gerli safeguarded for the Society formed the foundation of its finances for the early postwar years. After the Society reopened in 1952 under the leadership of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, who had just returned from serving as cultural consultant to John Foster Dulles during the Japanese peace treaty negotiations, Gerli became Treasurer for Japan Society, stepping down in 1963 to become an honorary Member of the Board until his passing in 1982. In his early 90s, Gerli looked back on a lifetime of contact with Japan, on 75 years in the silk business, and on nearly 70 years of association with Japan Society. He recollected, “I think it was a good thing that we did things as we did. We kept [the Society] alive and we kept the relationship narrow as it was at certain times, we as American citizens trying to defend if possible the Japanese treasures so that when the war was over it would be recognized, all of which took place.”
Transcending crisis, today
History remembers great leaders like Franklin Roosevelt and John D. Rockefeller 3rd, but often it is the unsung heroes like Paolino Gerli who helped these great men succeed that we lean on in our hour of greatest need, as Japan Society did on this day 79 years ago. Today, we are at another inflection point: the unprecedented global health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Japan Society — once again — to close our physical doors.
Our world — our own and that of future generations — is facing a daunting set of challenges. Ultimately, it is our responsibility to ensure not only our own survival, but our future peace and prosperity. How can we accomplish this? Through shared values and traditions, through relationships that transcend politics, through innovation and creation, and through cooperation and understanding between nations of all kinds. The U.S.-Japan relationship, now 75 years strong, is the cornerstone of the new, global alliances that will build the foundation for our shared future. If we can overcome the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War that pitted us as mortal enemies — something that hits close to home for me as my grandfathers fought against and occupied my heartland of Japan — I’m confident in our future because of our past.
In a world in which politics seems to be about divisions, it is even more critical to remain focused on our shared values and aspirations, the qualities that bring us together and transcend history and time. “Silk is silk, whether it comes from Japan or whether it comes from China,” wrote Gerli, “whether it comes from South America or whether it comes directly from Italy, it doesn’t make any difference. It is silk.” Japan Society would not be here today without Paolino Gerli and the other courageous leaders who came forward at that time of crisis and need. Our silk, the U.S.-Japan relationship, is woven into the fabric of our two nations, the United States and Japan. The world changes, yet the fabric endures. “Silk is silk.”
Joshua Walker (@drjwalk) is president and CEO of Japan Society. Follow @japansociety.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
