A native of California, Fukushima attended Deep Springs College, Stanford University, and Harvard University, where he earned a law degree. While at Harvard he lectured as an assistant to influential Japanologists Ezra Vogel and Edwin Reischauer.
He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, District of Columbia As Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Japan and China (1988–1990) and Director for Japanese Affairs (1985–1988) at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Fukushima gained a reputation as one of the most effective trade negotiators between the United States and Japan. He was largely responsible for the success in opening Japanese markets to United States products and services during that period. He gained particular fame after a memo he wrote ("Repairing the United States-Japan Relationship," January 4, 1994) ended up on the desk of United States. President Bill Clinton.
Clinton added favorable annotations and circulated it widely.
After leaving government, Fukushima entered the Japanese corporate world as vice-president of American Telephone & Telegraph Company in Japan and later as president of Arthur Doctorate. Little and National Cash Register in Japan. He was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Japan from 2005 to 2010, and the Chairman and Director from 2010 to 2012.
