Co-CEO & Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art and Education
Aki Nakanishi is an international cultural leader and public diplomacy expert with nearly three decades of experience in government relations, public communication, cultural programming, and artistic exchange. He has built a distinguished career conceptualizing and delivering impactful initiatives for global audiences, and currently serves as Co-CEO of Portland Japanese Garden alongside Lisa Christy. In addition, he is the Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art, and Education, guiding the organization’s cultural vision, international/national partnerships, and multidisciplinary programming. Prior to being appointed Co-CEO, he also served as Director of Japan Institute, the Garden’s cultural and programmatic arm.
In his previous capacity at Portland Japanese Garden, Nakanishi led more than 1,000 programmatic initiatives that advanced the organization’s stature as a leading force in cultural diplomacy. These initiatives encompassed art exhibitions, seasonal festivals, cultural demonstrations, workshops, seminars, lectures, concerts, international conferences, and culinary programs. Through a strategic vision that bridged local and international engagement, Nakanishi deepened the Garden’s network of partners and supporters across Japan and the U.S., helping to elevate Portland’s profile on both sides of the Pacific, a city that he and his family now proudly call home.
Prior to relocating from Tokyo in 2018, Nakanishi spent a decade as the Cultural Affairs Specialist at the United States Embassy in Tokyo. In this role, he oversaw a broad portfolio of cultural, creative, and educational engagements designed to deepen mutual understanding between the U.S. and Japan. As principal advisor to the Embassy’s Cultural Attaché and a key cultural advisor to multiple U.S. Ambassadors, he played a central role in shaping the Mission’s cultural diplomacy strategies. His portfolio included direct oversight of high-profile initiatives such as Ties Over Time under Ambassador John V. Roos and the International Poetry Exchange Project under Ambassador Caroline B. Kennedy, each of which strengthened long-term people-to-people connections through art and education.
Alongside the Embassy duties, Nakanishi pursued his own creative career as an independent artistic director. He spearheaded the creation of large-scale exhibitions and art fairs including Art Photo Tokyo 2016-17, and the Tokyo International Literary Festival from 2012-18. He has also contributed extensively to arts publications, written dossiers for cultural events, and founded his own non-profit organization, echovisions, dedicated to regional revitalization and youth empowerment.
For his achievements at the U.S. Embassy, Nakanishi received multiple State Department distinctions, including the Meritorious Honor Award (2010), the U.S. Embassy Japan Eagle Award (2011), and the U.S. Mission Japan Honor Award (2016).
Nakanishi’s career began in mass media as Program Director at one of Japan’s major television networks, where he honed his skills in public communication, program development, and audience engagement. He later embarked upon the contemporary art world to gain a deeper understanding of human creativity and visional curation, working as an art dealer to connect budding artistic talents with the world.
He holds a master’s degree in Cultural Policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Japan) and is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge (UK), where his research explores cultural intermediaries and artistic networks in medieval Japan.