CAtherine O’connell inducted as first foreign female member of prestigious Tokyo North Rotary Club
🌸 On 7 April 2026, I was inducted into the Tokyo North Rotary Club as its first foreign female member. It is a meaningful milestone & one that comes with both opportunity & responsibility. But in many ways, this moment goes back much further.
When I first arrived in Japan 23 years ago, my first Christmas & New Year were … lonely. But it was Rotary members who opened their homes to me during that time. A simple act of kindness, but one I have never forgotten. So joining Rotary now carries a meaning that goes well beyond the professional.
The Tokyo North Rotary Club itself is a fascinating blend of tradition & modernity. Founded in 1950 & still meeting at the Imperial Hotel each week, it brings together members across generations and professions: from business & law to medicine, academia & the arts. What stands out is the depth of experience & openness of exchange of the members. I also love the ceremonial approach to the meetings & I'm learning a whole new book of Japanese vocab.
At the same time as this tradition, there is a quiet evolution underway!
With one Japanese female member and myself as the first foreign female member, there is clearly more room to enable evolution to the next stage. I see this not just as a statistic, but as an opportunity & a responsibility to help shape what comes next.
One moment during the process of becoming a member, that has stayed with me was attending an “experience” meeting where a 14-year-old female student delivered the keynote about teaching AI to younger students thorough her company (yes she's a CEO!). For a club with such deep history, that openness to new voices and youthful ideas was truly compelling and honestly, a big part of why I said yes.
There is also something refreshingly understated about the culture of Rotary. It is not about grand gestures, but about giving before receiving, and thereby building genuine relationships over time, across generations, roles, and perspectives.
That lonely-turned-happy-holiday-memory in 2002 was because of an introduction from Tania McKenzie who travelled to Sendai/Miyagi area on a Rotary International exchange. Now this time the opportunity itself came through a conversation with Ruth Marie Jarman
at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan NY's party ... another reminder that you never quite know where one experience, or conversation may lead you to help another person.
And if Rotary has taught me anything already, it's this: being “first” is never just about the moment; it is about what & who comes next.
If you are curious about Rotary, or what it is like to be part of a community like this in Tokyo, or would like to be female member #2 #3 #4... and so on, then feel free to reach out. I am happy to share.
'Looking forward to contributing, learning & passing it forward to help open the door for those who come next.