Consulate Activities
2021/11/30
2021 Foreign Minister’s Commendation Dr. James Barahal President, Honolulu Marathon Association
On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, Dr. James Barahal, President/CEO of the Honolulu Marathon Association, received the 2021 Foreign Minister’s Commendation at the official residence of the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu. The award is in recognition of his achievements in promoting economic and cultural relations between Japan and the United States.
Dr. Barahal began his tenure as President of the Honolulu Marathon Association in 1987 and continues to do so today. Under his leadership, the Honolulu Marathon has become one of the world’s top marathons and is especially popular among the Japanese people. Over the years, 470,000 Japanese nationals have come to Hawaii to compete and for the last 29 years, 10,000 Japanese have participated each year.
Program:
- Opening Remarks Consul General Yutaka Aoki
- Conferment Consul General Yutaka Aoki to Dr. James Barahal
- Recipient’s Speech Dr. James Barahal
- Guest’s Speech Dr. Jon Cross, Vice President, Honolulu Marathon Association
- Kanpai Toast Mr. Hiroshi Kuroda, Regional Manager, Japan Airlines, Hawaii Region
In his speech, Dr. Barahal humbly thanked the teams both in Hawaii and Japan for their continuous efforts to grow the Honolulu Marathon and making it a meaningful event for everyone by bringing together the people of Japan and Hawaii. He said that it was “an incredible honor to receive the award on behalf of the team and everyone who made this event possible.”
NOTE: The conferment ceremony was held under the guidance of the Honolulu City’s Safe Gatherings rules.
