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JET Remarks (2011 welcome back party)

October13, 2011

Yoshi Kamo

Welcome home! It is my pleasure to host a party in honor of JETs who have returned from Japan this summer. Organizing a party for JETs is one of my happy duties, but this time it is more than that. It is my sheer pleasure and privilege to welcome all of you here this evening.

You had to go through the difficult time of historical proportion in Japan, as we suffered from the devastating earthquake and tsunami, to say nothing of the nuclear disaster.  Some of you actually felt the jolts that were caused by the great earthquake that hit Tohoku. You felt our sorrow and pain, and witnessed many human dramas that appeared in the stricken areas. You got the better idea of what the life size Japanese were like. For better or worse, you have known Japan better than anyone else.

You even have lost your JET colleagues due to the tsunami. It is not easy for you to remain composed but you have done a good job as JET in Japan. As the local representative of the Japanese government, I thank you for your service and dedication for the past years in Japan. I am sure that your professionalism impressed your fellow Japanese teachers much and your commitment to making Japanese English classes better left the lasting impression in the minds of many young Japanese students you taught. I thank you for this from the bottom of my heart.

This evening you will find many interesting people gathering here. They are kind enough to show up to help you find a good job, or wish you well at the outset of your new life here. So please take advantage of their presence. Your future is wide open. You are only requested to come and get it. So please get ready this time for becoming Americans. Be aggressive and ambitious!

All the best!