Our Team

Abigail Williams joined Sasakawa USA as an Associate Program Officer in November 2022. She supports the US-Japan Security Alliance Series, the Congressional Program on U.S.-Japan Relations and the Indo-Pacific, and the U.S.-Japan Security Symposium. She also assists in Networking and Presentations for Sasakawa USA.

Prior to joining Sasakawa USA, she received her Master’s in International Studies from the University of Washington where she focused on Japan Studies and received high honors. In graduate school, she volunteered at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, participated in a summer program with the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies, and worked as the Graduate Student Assistant for the University of Washington’s Japan Studies Department.

Abigail also participated in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program prior to graduate school, where she taught English for two years in Oita Prefecture.

Her bachelor’s degree is in International Relations with a concentration in Asian Studies and History from Gonzaga University, where she was the president of the Japanese club and studied abroad at Akita International University. This study abroad experience in Akita developed her initial pursuit of a career in US-Japan relations.