Businessmen and academics founded The Japan-America Society of Georgia in 1979 to spread knowledge about Japan, to provide support to Japanese immigrants, and to work toward mitigating language and cultural barriers between Georgians and Japanese immigrants. The Planning Committee included Atlanta leaders husband and wife Anne Godsey Judd and Allen Judd, Michael McMullen, and George Waldner, and was supported by the Coca-Cola Company. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the society works with Georgia corporations and families to connect Japan and Georgia through tourism, business, and events to educate the public about Japanese culture. The society is run by a group of staff, executive committees, and a board of directors. Together with the Friendship Power Project and the Consul General of Japan, The Japan-America Society of Georgia commissioned a Bell Tower and Peace Bell for the Carter Center in the 1980s in honor of President Jimmy Carter. Additonally, the society hosts an annual award ceremony to honor those who have increased cultural and economic understanding between Japan and Georgia.