Consulate Activities
2018/12/6
Memorial Ceremony for the 77th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
On December 6, the Consulate General of Japan and the US Navy conducted the third annual joint memorial ceremony on Ford Island to remember and honor both Japanese and American lives that were lost in the attack at Pearl Harbor 77 years ago. Around 100 participants took part in the ceremony, including Governor David Y. Ige and Ed Hawkins, Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development of the City and County of Honolulu. The US-Japan co-hosted ceremony began in 2016, which marked the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, and was followed by a historic visit by both respective Heads of State to the Arizona Memorial together on December 27 in 2016.
The ceremony this year started with both American and Japanese national anthems, followed by a moment of silence. Consul General Koichi Ito and Rear Admiral Brian Fort, Commander of the Navy Region in Hawaii and the Naval Surface Group Mid-Pacific, made opening remarks as the co-hosts, and Ms. Jacqueline Ashwell, Superintendent at the World War II Valor at the Pacific National Monument, delivered a keynote speech, in which she explained the history of Japan-US reconciliation at Pearl Harbor and this young joint memorial ceremony itself. She concluded her speech stating that the Arizona Memorial and all of the guests who gathered to attend the ceremony were proof that no matter how intractable a disagreement is, peace and reconciliation are always possible, which is also a lesson for the world.
The ceremony this year started with both American and Japanese national anthems, followed by a moment of silence. Consul General Koichi Ito and Rear Admiral Brian Fort, Commander of the Navy Region in Hawaii and the Naval Surface Group Mid-Pacific, made opening remarks as the co-hosts, and Ms. Jacqueline Ashwell, Superintendent at the World War II Valor at the Pacific National Monument, delivered a keynote speech, in which she explained the history of Japan-US reconciliation at Pearl Harbor and this young joint memorial ceremony itself. She concluded her speech stating that the Arizona Memorial and all of the guests who gathered to attend the ceremony were proof that no matter how intractable a disagreement is, peace and reconciliation are always possible, which is also a lesson for the world.
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