Dr. Karen Makishima has been elected as the new president of the Japan Softball Association (JSA), succeeding Yutaka Miyake, who held the position from 2020-2024 and now holds the title of honorary president. The announcement was made during the JSA convention in June 2024.

Makishima, 47, has been a member of Japan’s House of Representatives since 2012. She formally served as Minister for Digital Affairs, Minister for Administrative Reform, Minister of State for Regulatory Reform, and Minister of State for Affairs Related to the Strategic Headquarters for Cybersecurity.

She is affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), where she holds the positions of Deputy Secretary-General and Director of the Internet Media Division. She also worked at NHK’s Washington DC Office as a coordinator for documentary programs while studying in the US.

Makishima graduated from Yokohama Futaba High School in 1995 and received her bachelor’s degree in social sciences from International Christian University in 2000. In 2001, she received her master’s degree in political management from George Washington University. She also attended the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University and in 2008, she received her doctorate in political science and public administration from International Christian University.

In her new role as JSA President, she will be committed to leading the JSA and supporting the women’s national team as they prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games, where they aim for a third consecutive gold medal, a feat that has only been achieved by the United States to date.

“I am pleased to announce my appointment as the President of the Japan Softball Association, effective June 2024,” said Makishima. “After the retirement of the previous President, I was nominated by my colleagues and decided to dedicate myself to the future of softball in Japan. I am also active in politics and was the youngest Minister of Digital Affairs in 2021 and 2022. I believe that both women and men can achieve their goals and that women’s empowerment is important in both sports and politics. I am also committed to the organization’s governance and transparency and I am ready for these duties as President.

“In Japan, there are softball organizations all over the country with a wide range of age groups from children to adults, and we also have the World Champion team. That is why softball is one of the most popular national sports. We strive to continue to promote softball players and teams that will be widely loved by the public. With our pride as the women’s gold medalists, and with your guidance, we hope to have more fans and supporters of softball all over the world. I wish everyone good luck.”

Recently, Makishima, together with the JSA, welcomed the national women’s team as the newly crowned world champions, after their victory at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals in Castions di Strada, Italy.

JSA Board:

Chair: Ms Karen Makishima
Vice Presidents: Ms. Taeko Utsugi, Ms. Reika Utsugi, Mr. Hidehito Ito
Executive Director: Mr. Tomoaki Okamoto
Members of the Board of Directors: Mr. Shunichi Suzuki, Mr. Masayoshi Isoya, Mr. Yasuhiro Nishi, Mr. Nobuaki Ishii, Mr. Akira Setoyama, Mr. Kazuhiro Mitani, Mr. Yoshitaka Hatta, Mr. Kazuhiro Matsuda
Board members: Mr. Koji Sasaki, Mr. Masataka Kameda, Mr. Yoshihiko Sugimoto, Mr. Keiji Tanita, Ms. Kyoko Kida, Ms. Yuko Suzuki, Ms. Mami Iwazaki, Ms. Rie Sato, Mr. Toru Kuramata, Ms. Rie Okada, Ms. Hikaru Shimizu, Ms. Hiroko Yamada
Accountants: Mr. Tomohiro Uemura, Mr. Toshio Suzuki, Mr. Yoichi Akagi
Secretary General: Mr. Shinsuke Yabata