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CG Kamo’s Remarks

the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Installation Banquet

July 24, 2010 

Well, I did not hear what I was described by our MC as I was engaged in the conversation with my friend when I was called upon. Anyway, thank you for your kind introduction.

It is a great honor and pleasure for me and my wife, Etsuko, to be here with all of you. We are so privileged to be included in this friendly, intimate and forgiving party. I am most grateful for having an opportunity to speak to this distinguished gathering. Wherever I go and speak in Hawaii, I find new discoveries and learn something new out of the experience. It is most rewarding and I am always thankful for that.

I congratulate Darren Ota for his official appointment as the president of the Junior Chamber. But I have to express my appreciation for the number one table. For instance, the table is taken by the members of Renkyo, United Japanese Society of Hawaii. Thank you for coming out tonight. This is the Junior Chamber’s gathering, though, they make a contribution of raising the average age of the participants tonight. Table three has people from the Senior Chamber, the mainstay organization for the Japanese-American business community. Well, we have Wayne Kato, President of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber at our table, number two. Many special thanks should go to the Hawaii Junior Chamber’s Stan Richtman who has just conducted the ceremony of oath pledging so beautifully. This is certainly the best oath pledging ceremony I have ever witnessed in the recent past. Thanks to the excellent lead role by Stan, the ceremony went impeccably well. The other oath ceremonies we saw were more prone to get frustrated. We saw the installing officers standing speechless during the formalities.

I think everybody agrees that the Junior Chamber’s work is best exemplified by the annual Cherry Blossoms Queen beauty contest. We all enjoyed the excellent slide show by the JJCCH. You notice that the 80% of the slides show was dedicated to the Cherry Blossoms Queen and her Court. The scope of work of the Junior Chamber should be much broader, including the Business Roundtable, community service, fundraising and so forth. Well, never mind. Back in June we celebrated the 125^th anniversary of the Government Contract immigration from Japan to Hawaii by holding a special event at Iolani Palace.  The Chamber was instrumental in organizing the grand event. The leadership, coupled with sweat and tears by the Chamber volunteers made that happen. The success of the Shiranami Gonin Otoko kabuki performance at the Shinnen Enkai by the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce cannot be achieved without the active participation by the Junior Chamber’s most talented actors and actresses. The Junior Chamber is going strong everywhere.

As Japan’s Consul, I am happy to enjoy the traditional Japanese play performed by young Japanese-Americans. I am most heartened to see traditional Japanese values are harmoniously blended with Hawaii’s local culture. No doubt about that. But I want to approach it from a different way. What do you think I would like you to do most? What do I expect of you? I do not expect you to become noh players. I do not expect you to watch sumo on TV every day. I think my basic message is simple. I would like to see you become successful in business. Yes, I want you to become rich and influential. You need that. You deserve that. That makes the Chamber stronger, and thus, making us all happiest.

The Chamber is a great place for the young and ambitious, but it does not give you easy success automatically. You need to work for that. It will give you numerous opportunities and trials for developing leadership, organizational skills and networking connections. I hope you will make the most of these opportunities.

Lastly, to Kris Miyamoto and David Kaneko, thank you for what you have done for the Chamber. Congratulations and best wishes of success to Darren Ota and his officers as you embark on assuming your heavy responsibility.

Thank you.