Kanpai Toast by C.G. Yoshi Kamo

at the U.S.-Japan Council Symposium Reception in Honolulu

 December 3, 2010 

It’s been a long day. My role at last. I have been waiting for this moment since morning. I don’t want to spoil the happy mood of the party, but please allow me to congratulate all of you on the success of the symposium.

I found the symposium most interesting and informative. Governor Ariyoshi moved us by his shoe shine boy story. Admiral Willard mentioned his Japanese counterpart General Oriki four times in his remarks. No wonder our military to military relationship has never been better. D-G Umemoto reminded us Japan went into military alliance three times with mixed results. Admiral Fargo added that U.S.-Japan Alliance has endured ups and downs, from the cold war to the current war on terror. These are some of my takeaways from the symposium.

I also want to thank our generous hosts, the U.S.-Japan Council and the Japan America Society of Hawaii, for their excellent arrangement for this wonderful reception and the thought provoking symposium. It is my great honor to play a role to conclude our long day by proposing a toast to a successful U.S.-Japan relationship in the 21^st century.

By the way, some of you may be amused why I was chosen as a kampai toaster. A kampai toaster is supposed to be either eldest or wisest of the group. Obviously I am neither of them. What is my qualification? Well, I could be one of the luckiest. Ambassador Schieffer would agree that I was lucky as I was posted to Houston, Texas as Japan’s Consul several years ago. Senator Inouye would have agreed that I am lucky that I have landed at Hawaii at last, after all these years in Texas.

While Hawaii has been a most desirable destination for Japanese diplomats, it has always been a forefront of U.S.-Japan relations from the very beginning. In the mid 19^th century, Japanese drifters, including John Manjiro and Josef Hico, were rescued from shipwreck in the Pacific by American whalers and were taken to Hawaii, where they looked for opportunities to go back home. While they were in Hawaii, they told local Americans, missionaries and merchants, what Japan was like. Their stories motivated Americans to demand Japan to open its doors and to go into trade. From 1885, Japanese immigrants came to Hawaii in numbers, which deepened its relations with Hawaii significantly. The Pacific war broke out from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in 1941. In the post war era, U.S.-Japan Alliance has served well in maintaining peace and stability in Japan and the rest of Asia and the Pacific. The Pacific Command has been the central pillar of the Alliance. Its headquarters are proudly sitting here in Hawaii. In sum, Hawaii has occupied a very special place in the relations of our two great nations. It will continue to be a most exciting frontline where our vital interests cross.

Tectonic changes are taking place in Asia, while we remain principal stakeholders in the region. As the Symposium suggested, innovative initiatives and foresighted leaderships are in need to break the new horizon of the 21^st century. Whatever comes, deepening U.S.-Japan relationship, based on our bilateral security arrangements, holds the key to our continuing success in the region.

That is why we look to the U.S.-Japan Council. It has proved to be an excellent vehicle to jointly address to the issues of our mutual concerns and advance our common interests. So let’s charge this vehicle with our renewed commitment so it can make a good start.  Let’s take advantage of the great mileage it gains in achieving our common goals. U.S.-Japan partnership has come this far. It will go a long way in the years to come.

With these words, I would like to ask you to join me in a toast to the U.S.-Japan Council, to the Japan-America Society of Hawaii, and to U.S.-Japan relationship. Kampai!