Kampai Toast by CG Kamo at the Annual JASH Dinner

October 6, 2010

Good evening! Aloha!!

Thank you for having my wife Etsuko and me here tonight. We are honored to be included in this great crowd. Obviously everybody’s having a great time with good food, companionship, and entertainment. Sorry, folks, it is nearing the end of the party.    Don’t blame me for that. But before we go, let’s enjoy the last sip of sake together.

We were elated to hear Peter Ho’s inspiring remarks on APEC2011. We all look forward to a new challenge and opportunity. We all look forward to APEC2011 making a difference in boosting Hawaii.

Yokohama, Japan will host APEC2010 in November this year. From Yokohama to Honolulu, the APEC torch will be passed. Another torch of hope went across the Pacific 125 years ago. The first Japanese immigrants sailed from Yokohama to Honolulu in 1868. Please don’t say so what. I just want to share this happy coincidence.

We had a wonderful Award giving ceremony tonight. The JASH Bridge Award is so fortunate to have found its ideal landing place. Congratulations to Jean and Sony. What you have accomplished is outstanding. You are exemplary community members in your respective ways. Jean, I will try to send my guests to Outrigger hotels whenever possible. Nomura-san, I will try to encourage my friends to buy Sony’s 3D TVs. 

Well, we enjoyed a short DVD presentation to honor the Bridge Award winners while ago. Did you notice I was there? You know I was nervous how I looked in the DVD. I mean whether my hair looks right or my Aloha shirt looks neat, stuff like that. In fact, I was growing a cautious optimism. But my wife let me down with her flat comment; don’t worry honey, nobody really cares.

JASH really cares for Japanese culture. JASH is one of the most successful and eloquent friendship organizations in Hawaii. Being an active cheer leader for the U.S.-Japan relationship and Japanese cultural heritage, it has been promoting goodwill and mutual understanding between our two great nations.

By the way, congratulations to Ed Hawkins on his recent article about JASH which appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser! We all enjoyed his timely and thoughtful message.

We all know JASH promotes Japanese culture. But the work of JASH goes beyond that. They promote American culture, as well. While they open windows of Japan to Americans, they showcase America to Japanese. When I attend JASH events, I always find American ingredients blended harmoniously with the Japanese culture being featured. When the Japan Wizards winner-students go to Japan, they imprint American values and dreams on the minds of their Japanese counterparts. When the JASH sponsored exchange students come here from Japan for home-stay, they are bound to be exposed to American culture, American lifestyle and perhaps, American sweets. JASH sends American hearts to Japanese. Thank you JASH.

With these thoughts, I now would like to propose a toast to the honorees tonight, JASH and its members and the U.S. Japan relationship.

Kampai!  

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