Having lived and worked in the United States for over 30 years, Mitsukuni Baba is doing what he loves best — facilitating relations between his native Japan and his adopted homeland. As executive director of the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC), Baba plays an integral role in introducing Japan to the people of Chicago in terms of business, politics, education and culture.

One of 38 such societies across the U.S., JASC was established in 1930 by locals who were eager to find out more about Japan and develop a relationship with its people. JASC celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.

As a young boy growing up in post-World War II Tokyo, the television was one of Baba's earliest windows on the world.