About Sumo in America
A cultural exchange project
between Japan and the United States.
Bringing the Spirit of Sumo to America.
Who We Are
Sumo, as a living cultural experience.
Sumo is one of Japan’s most enduring living traditions, carried forward for more than a thousand years. Sumo in America is a cultural exchange project created to offer audiences in the United States an opportunity to encounter the discipline, aesthetics, and spirit of sumo — in a country where diverse cultures, sports, and entertainment intersect.
We aim to share sumo not merely as a sport or form of entertainment, but as a living cultural experience — one that encompasses respect, discipline, stillness, strength, ritual movement, history, physical culture, and the lives of the people who sustain it.
Through sumo, Sumo in America seeks to create new opportunities for cultural exchange between Japan and the United States — opportunities for those who watch, those who support, and those who participate to encounter the depth of sumo, each from their own perspective.
Members
The people behind the project.
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TO COME
James L. Nuzzo
Co-Principal
A short biography of this member, describing their background, expertise, and connection to Japan and sumo. To be provided.
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TO COME
Jeffrey N. McNeill
Co-Principal
Jeffrey McNeill has spent his career at the intersection of Japan and the United States. As Founder and Chairman of Market Makers Inc., he represents U.S. agricultural organizations in Japan. He has held leadership roles in the Harvard Business School Club of Japan and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the American School in Japan. A long-time supporter of sumo, he brings extensive experience in U.S.–Japan relations and a deep appreciation of Japanese culture to Sumo in America.
James Small
Senior Advisor
James Small has spent more than four decades building sports businesses across the United States, Japan, and international markets. As Founder and President of Ascendant Sports and Entertainment, he advises Japanese companies expanding globally and helps international organizations navigate Japan’s sports and entertainment industries. He previously served as President of the World Baseball Classic and held senior leadership roles with Major League Baseball, including nearly two decades overseeing MLB’s Asia-Pacific business from Tokyo. He brings deep experience in global sports strategy, media, live events, and U.S.–Japan relations to Sumo in America.
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TO COME
David Hackett
Senior Advisor
A short biography of this member, describing their background, expertise, and connection to Japan and sumo. To be provided.
Yukiko Mitsunami
Director of Brand, Design and Merchandise
Yukiko Mitsunami is a Japan-based designer and design director with over two decades of experience in product design, creative direction, and global brand development. During her career at Omron Healthcare, she designed products for international markets and contributed to strategic design initiatives and the development of the company’s global website and design system. Her work has received both the Good Design Award and the iF Design Award. She also develops jewelry through her brand fil d’or and collaborates with traditional Nishijin textile artisans. She brings a multidisciplinary perspective to Sumo in America.