Image courtesy of Consulate-General of Japan in Houston
On November 3, the Government of Japan announced the Japanese Imperial Decoration recipients for fall 2021, which included Ms. Donna Fujimoto Cole, President and CEO of Cole Chemical & Distributing Inc. She is to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays in recognition of her many contributions to promoting regional exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.
Ms. Cole is a third-generation Japanese American, who has become one of the region’s most successful business leaders after founding Cole Chemical in 1980 and guiding its development to be among Houston’s top chemical distributors. Since visiting Japan as part of a delegation of Japanese American community leaders in 2006, Ms. Cole has been deeply involved in various activities to further Japan-U.S. relations. She is a former President of the Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) and a former board member of the U.S.-Japan Council, where she is a current legacy member.
Additionally, Ms. Cole has worked to promote Japan-U.S. grassroots exchange through the Houston-Chiba Sister City relationship, supporting its youth exchange program and assisting with high-level missions between the two cities. She has also been instrumental to strengthening Japan-Texas economic ties, including in her work as Chair for the 2018 Japan-Texas Economic Summit in Houston, where she collaborated with dozens of cities and other organizations to bring together over 400 business leaders from Japan and Texas.
Furthermore, Ms. Cole has contributed greatly to the sharing of Japanese culture with people in the Houston area. This includes her support for the Houston Japan Festival, which attracts roughly 30,000 participants to Hermann Park every year to take part in Japanese cultural activities, and her significant contributions to projects like the opening of the Art of Japan Gallery in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the restoration of the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park.