|
Hawaii Youth
Symphony Remarks
By Yoshi Kamo, Consul General of Japan
April
10, 2011
Thank
you for having me here and giving me a chance to say a few words to thank
you all are present here, and through you to the people of Hawaii.
My
wife and I are touched by the generosity and compassion that you showed to
the victims of the great earthquake and tsunami. The people of Hawaii are so
kind in sending a big aloha to Japan. The Aloha for Japan fundraiser is
going strong and many other charity events are ongoing. You make us bring
home that we do not stand alone, and we are bonded with Hawaii so tightly.
The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami is the worst disaster we have
faced since World War II. 27000 people have lost their lives or are missing.
165000 people remain evacuated. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
accident has aggravated the intensity of the troubles and challenges we
face.
A month has passed since the disaster occurred. An all out effort by the
government and people of Japan has been continuing in responding to the
emergency. Thanks to support and assistance from home and abroad, the
disaster hit areas have been slowly recovering with access to relief
assistance and basic services. From now on, the focus of the work is more
and more shifting to restoration and reconstruction.
I would like to thank the Hawaii Youth Orchestra and pianist Lisa Nakamichi
for making what is otherwise a happy spring concert a charity music event of
added significance. Music is a universal language with which we can
communicate each other. We can send our thoughts and messages to others
through music. I don’t want to let the earthquake shake our confidence in
the power of music in any way. I look forward to the Hawaii Youth Orchestra
amply demonstrating this today.
Thank
you very much.
|
