Glen Yoshiaki GONDO

(1948-2024) 

Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the passing of longstanding Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) Director and Japan Festival Houston Founder Glen Yoshiaki Gondo.

Glen first joined JASH shortly after moving to Houston in 1984 to manage his family’s restaurant, Tokyo Gardens – Houston’s first Japanese restaurant.  As Glen channeled his entrepreneurial spirit and expanded business to include sushi catering and live sushi bars, he began to take on leadership roles in JASH. 

Glen was elected to the JASH Board of Directors in 1987 and joined the Membership Committee in 1988.  From 1989 to 1992, Glen served as JASH Vice President for Special Events.  In 1992, he was named JASH President as the organization marked its 25th year. 

As Glen sought ways to celebrate JASH’s silver anniversary, he was inspired by the opening of the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park and landed on the idea of launching Japan Festival Houston to highlight Houston’s newest cultural treasure.  Glen lobbied the City of Houston for support, and after gaining the backing of Mayor Bob Lanier, Japan Festival Houston was granted use of Hermann Park.  Glen continued to lead Japan Festival Houston, working to ensure the festival’s growth and its significant contribution to cultural exchange and community cohesion in Houston.  The Japan Festival will be his legacy.

In 1999, Glen was called into action in another area of JASH and assumed the role of JASH Vice President of Business Initiatives. He was then asked to serve as Co-Chair of the JASH Advisory Committee.  For the 2000 Millennium Matsuri, Glen organized a Japan Festival week that included the “Mayor’s Challenge” – a baseball game featuring a team from Houston’s Sister City in Japan, Chiba City, and a special Houston team recruited by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

In 2001, he steered JASH’s efforts to welcome to Houston alongside then Mayor Lee Brown the Global A50 Delegation marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty.  In 2003, Glen chaired JASH’s 35th Anniversary Dinner honoring Toshiaki (Tag) Taguchi, then President and CEO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. The following year, Glen was named JASH President-Elect, and in 2006, Glen entered his second term as JASH President.

After retiring from leadership roles in JASH in 2010, Glen remained a devoted board member and continued to advise the Japan Festival Committee and support the Houston-Chiba Sister City relationship.  He also guided trade missions to Japan for multiple Houston mayors and introduced several citizen delegations to Chiba City.

Glen often joked that his dedication to fostering an appreciation of Japan and Japanese culture was driven by a desire to “sell more sushi”.  However, beneath his humor lay a profound dedication to building cultural understanding. 

Determined to prevent the recurrence of the injustices his parents endured during the Japanese internment, Glen aimed to dismantle stereotypes.  He advocated for pride in one’s heritage and believed in using cross-cultural encounters to forge people-to-people bonds.  His efforts to enhance the welfare and recognition of Houston’s Japanese community cultivated genuine grassroots friendships and goodwill.  Glen’s objective was always clear: “I want Americans to like Japanese, and Japanese to like Americans.”

Glen’s lifelong work not only enriched Houston’s understanding of Japanese heritage but also inspired countless others to embrace and cherish cultural diversity.  His leadership in promoting mutual understanding earned him numerous accolades.  Notably, in the early 2000s, Glen received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for the promotion of Japanese culture in America.  In 2013, the Government of Japan honored Glen with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contributions to improving understanding of Japanese culture.

Glen was the ultimate citizen diplomat with a true “wa-gokoro” or “Japanese heart.”

JASH owes Glen a debt of gratitude for enabling Japan to find an audience in Houston.  We will forever cherish his memory and uphold his legacy as a champion of Japanese culture.

Glen will be deeply missed by all.