ACCJ Supports Bishop Memorial Fund with $10,000 Donation

Bill, Izumi, and Sophianna Bishop

The United States-Japan Bridging Foundation is pleased to announce a generous $10,000 donation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) to our newly established Bishop Family Memorial Scholarship Fund. Last December, on Christmas morning, Bill, his wife Izumi, and their daughter Sophianna lost their lives, killed by their neighbor at their family home.

This donation underscores the profound impact that Bill Bishop had on the ACCJ as a former Board of Governor and Healthcare Committee leader, and serves as a testament to the significant contributions he made to U.S.-Japan relations during his lifetime.

The Bishop Family Memorial Scholarship Fund was established jointly by the Bridging Foundation and the ACCJ to provide opportunities to U.S. undergraduates—who would otherwise be unable—to study abroad in Japan so that they too can experience and contribute to one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world.

Thanks to your support, to-date we have raised $48,860 for the Fund. We sincerely thank the many members who have already contributed, including Tatsuo Achiwa, Mike Alfant, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Anonymous, Eriko Asai, Tomoko Baba, Soumya Bardhan, Laurence Bates, Thom Breckenridge, Andrew Conrad, Mark Davidson, Nicole Despres, Simon Farrell, Marc Fuoti, Clark Graninger, Vickie Green, Barbara Hancock, Deborah Hayden, Harry Hill, Miyako Hirano, Junko Igarashi, Shu Imanishi, Naoko Ito, Amy Jackson, Sakiho Kamei, Yuko Kidoguchi, Stephanie King (Warner), Marie Kissel, Sadahiro Kurita, Charles & Seiko Lake, Kenneth J Lebrun, Tom Mason, Yuiko Noda, Ichiro Ota, Thierry Porté, Rachna Ratra, David Richards, Aki Sasaoka, Jeffrey Schnack, Eric Sedlak, Keiyu Shibata, Richard Sleboda, Hiroko Sugiyama, Eriko Sugiyama, Ricky Suzuki, Sho Takita, Taiga Tamura, Taeko Toshima, Bill Tsutsui, Eric Warner, Kazushi Yabe, Yu Yamanaka, and Koki Yamashita.

In light of this fundraising achievement, we are delighted to announce that the first scholarship recipient will depart for Japan in September to commence studies. We will introduce the student to the Bridging community in the coming weeks.

We continue to need your support to reach the Fund's goal of sponsoring one student per year for at least 10 years. Donations are welcome via this dedicated page.

ABOUT BILL, IZUMI, AND SOPHIANNA BISHOP

William ‘Bill’ Bishop spent more than 40 years living and working in Japan in the pharmaceutical industry. Arriving in Tokyo in 1974 as a student at Sophia University, he quickly developed a love for Japan and its people. After earning a M.A. from Temple University, where he later taught and served on its Board of Overseers, Bill built a career in healthcare and went on to hold positions at the subsidiaries of Eli Lilly and Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and Becton, Dickinson and Company. In his role as a trade representative for the state of Indiana, he had an enormous impact on U.S.-Japan business dealings and formed many relationships that were instrumental in bringing Japan and the U.S. closer together. Later, he established a professional consultancy, Bill Bishop & Associates, leveraging his fluency in Japanese and deep experience in the field to provide services related to government relations, market development, and trade investment. Bill was known for his sense of humor, his very friendly personality, his fascinating stories, and spot-on recommendations of methods to bridge cultural differences.

Bill’s wife Izumi Morita Bishop was a remarkable woman whose life touched the hearts of her family and those around her. She and her husband Bill shared a bond forged at Sophia University. They often traveled together to Bill’s hometown in South Dakota. Alongside Bill, she regularly joined the American Chamber of Commerce's Charity Ball, supporting worthy causes and strengthening their bond with the community. Izumi's dedication to her family was unparalleled, and her love and influence will forever inspire us. Her contributions and devotion will be cherished as we recognize the beautiful life she lived.

Bill and Izumi’s daughter, Sophianna Morita Bishop, was a creative specialist at Ogilvy Japan. Sophianna's extraordinary talent and vast intellect was quickly noticed by management and she was swiftly promoted to associate strategy director, resulting in a significant expansion of responsibilities. She was a rising star in the company both in Japan and across Asia. Sophianna was an exceptional person. She will be remembered by all for her smile and ability to fill every room with positivity.