Consul General Ito’s Remarks at Welcome Reception
2017/10/31
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen…
Good afternoon and Aloha!
My wife Misako and I are honored to be here, and would like to extend a very warm mahalo to all of the organizations that sponsored this welcome luncheon for us today.
Over three weeks ago, I left my last post in China to make my trek over the Pacific Ocean and arrived in Honolulu on October 8.
This is the first time I am living in the United States since my graduate school days back in 1988, some three decades ago.
I actually visited Hawaii about 25 years ago on business, when I was working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, to attend a conference on U.S.-Japan economic cooperation. It was a long time ago and I don’t recall much about the conference but I do remember well what happened on the flight en route to Hawaii. In order to keep cost down, back then, younger MOFA employees who were traveling international for business were often placed with regular tour groups. It turns out that the tour group I got placed in was made up of all newlywed couples coming to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Seeing that I was the only passenger on the plane in coat and tie, the flight attendant asked me how many couples were on board today. Not understanding her question, I asked her what she meant, only to find that she had mistaken me for the tour coordinator!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
To share a little bit about myself, I entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984 as a career diplomat, and have worked in Tokyo and abroad a number of times. In calculating my years of service abroad, out of the total of eighteen years, twelve were in China and Taiwan, and the remaining were in Geneva, Switzerland and in Malaysia. Of course, as I had mentioned earlier, I had the opportunity to live in the U.S. for one year when I was a graduate student, attending the Graduate School of Arts and Science at Harvard University.
Japan considers its partnership with the United States as a most significant and vital one. A few months ago, when I was at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, I was given preliminary notification that my next assignment would be the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu. In the U.S., there are consulates in fourteen cities, of which the one in Honolulu has, historically, the deepest and closest ties with Japan. Hawaii is, indeed, a crucial place for strengthening and maintaining the strong and friendly bonds between the U.S. and Japan, so I was happy and I felt so honored to be assigned to work here.
But having said this, it’s not as if I had past opportunities to learn about Hawaii through my work with the Ministry nor do my wife and I have any friends who live here. This is why I have made it my priority first and foremost to familiarize myself with Hawaii and educate myself on the dynamics of the U.S./Hawaii-Japan relationship, and really listen to and learn from the stories shared by the people who call this place their home.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to fully understand the depth of U.S.-Japan relations as it relates to Hawaii, however, I must first learn the history of the Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. Before arriving here, I had a chance to visit the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum in Yokohama. Since my arrival, I have also toured the Okage Sama De exhibition here at JCCH, as well as offered flowers at Punchbowl and at the Makiki Cemetery. I would like to thank the Meiji-kai members, many who are in attendance today, for their kind assistance at Makiki Cemetery.
The exhibits at the Yokohama museum and at JCCH featured photographs and displays of tools used by Hawaii’s first generation Japanese immigrants, or issei, and depicted the hardships they endured in the sugarcane fields under the scorching sun. Being newcomers to an unfamiliar land, the issei also struggled to overcome language and cultural barriers. I could not help but be moved by their sacrifices, their dedication, and their determination, which laid the foundation for future generations of Japanese-Americans to become well-respected American citizens.
I visited Punchbowl after watching a recorded DVD interview of the late Senator Daniel Inouye. I cannot even begin to imagine the magnitude of the internal struggle of the nisei, or the second generation Japanese, who witnessed their parents’ motherland, Japan, declare war on their country, America, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Then, in order to show loyalty toward America, they voluntarily enlisted in the military and fought on the frontlines of war in many fierce battles in Europe, where many gave the ultimate sacrifice with their life. In visiting Punchbowl, I noticed that a great number of gravestones belonged to nisei Japanese-American soldiers who perished when they were not much older than twenty. Since joining the Ministry and working in Asia, I have had many opportunities to reflect on historically significant issues, the relationship between the state and the individual, and how priceless peace really is. Yet, as I stood at the final resting place of the many Japanese-American and American soldiers, I was overcome with indescribable feelings of sorrow and deep emotion.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
So now, the partnership between the U.S. and Japan has become the most important bilateral relationship in the world. These two great countries that sandwich the Pacific Ocean have come to develop strong bonds based on goodwill and friendship. These ties can be greatly attributed to the continuous efforts spanning decades by, among others, the Japanese-Americans in Hawaii and their issei ancestors, as well as those who have come here from Japan to work in various industries.
Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants, or Gannenmono, to Hawaii. Many Japanese-American and Japanese groups and organizations have already begun planning many events to commemorate this anniversary year, and the members of the Kizuna are an integral part of this endeavor. My colleagues and I at the Consulate would like to continue working with you to make this 150th anniversary a huge success. It is my hope that this anniversary will play a pivotal role in inspiring many fourth, fifth, and sixth generation Japanese-Americans and other ethnic groups, to become interested in Japan-Hawaii exchanges and gain a newfound appreciation for the history of immigration to Hawaii. Moreover, by reflecting on the shared history between Japan and Hawaii, I am hoping that it will inspire more opportunities to ponder, not only the future of Japan-Hawaii relations, but to help us recognize the importance of working together to strengthen the multiethnic and multicultural fabric that makes Hawaii so special.
I am looking forward to working with all of you in the coming months to further the bonds of friendship between Japan and Hawaii.
Thank you very much and Mahalo nui loa!
Ladies and Gentlemen…
Good afternoon and Aloha!
My wife Misako and I are honored to be here, and would like to extend a very warm mahalo to all of the organizations that sponsored this welcome luncheon for us today.
Over three weeks ago, I left my last post in China to make my trek over the Pacific Ocean and arrived in Honolulu on October 8.
This is the first time I am living in the United States since my graduate school days back in 1988, some three decades ago.
I actually visited Hawaii about 25 years ago on business, when I was working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, to attend a conference on U.S.-Japan economic cooperation. It was a long time ago and I don’t recall much about the conference but I do remember well what happened on the flight en route to Hawaii. In order to keep cost down, back then, younger MOFA employees who were traveling international for business were often placed with regular tour groups. It turns out that the tour group I got placed in was made up of all newlywed couples coming to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Seeing that I was the only passenger on the plane in coat and tie, the flight attendant asked me how many couples were on board today. Not understanding her question, I asked her what she meant, only to find that she had mistaken me for the tour coordinator!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
To share a little bit about myself, I entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984 as a career diplomat, and have worked in Tokyo and abroad a number of times. In calculating my years of service abroad, out of the total of eighteen years, twelve were in China and Taiwan, and the remaining were in Geneva, Switzerland and in Malaysia. Of course, as I had mentioned earlier, I had the opportunity to live in the U.S. for one year when I was a graduate student, attending the Graduate School of Arts and Science at Harvard University.
Japan considers its partnership with the United States as a most significant and vital one. A few months ago, when I was at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, I was given preliminary notification that my next assignment would be the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu. In the U.S., there are consulates in fourteen cities, of which the one in Honolulu has, historically, the deepest and closest ties with Japan. Hawaii is, indeed, a crucial place for strengthening and maintaining the strong and friendly bonds between the U.S. and Japan, so I was happy and I felt so honored to be assigned to work here.
But having said this, it’s not as if I had past opportunities to learn about Hawaii through my work with the Ministry nor do my wife and I have any friends who live here. This is why I have made it my priority first and foremost to familiarize myself with Hawaii and educate myself on the dynamics of the U.S./Hawaii-Japan relationship, and really listen to and learn from the stories shared by the people who call this place their home.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to fully understand the depth of U.S.-Japan relations as it relates to Hawaii, however, I must first learn the history of the Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. Before arriving here, I had a chance to visit the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum in Yokohama. Since my arrival, I have also toured the Okage Sama De exhibition here at JCCH, as well as offered flowers at Punchbowl and at the Makiki Cemetery. I would like to thank the Meiji-kai members, many who are in attendance today, for their kind assistance at Makiki Cemetery.
The exhibits at the Yokohama museum and at JCCH featured photographs and displays of tools used by Hawaii’s first generation Japanese immigrants, or issei, and depicted the hardships they endured in the sugarcane fields under the scorching sun. Being newcomers to an unfamiliar land, the issei also struggled to overcome language and cultural barriers. I could not help but be moved by their sacrifices, their dedication, and their determination, which laid the foundation for future generations of Japanese-Americans to become well-respected American citizens.
I visited Punchbowl after watching a recorded DVD interview of the late Senator Daniel Inouye. I cannot even begin to imagine the magnitude of the internal struggle of the nisei, or the second generation Japanese, who witnessed their parents’ motherland, Japan, declare war on their country, America, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Then, in order to show loyalty toward America, they voluntarily enlisted in the military and fought on the frontlines of war in many fierce battles in Europe, where many gave the ultimate sacrifice with their life. In visiting Punchbowl, I noticed that a great number of gravestones belonged to nisei Japanese-American soldiers who perished when they were not much older than twenty. Since joining the Ministry and working in Asia, I have had many opportunities to reflect on historically significant issues, the relationship between the state and the individual, and how priceless peace really is. Yet, as I stood at the final resting place of the many Japanese-American and American soldiers, I was overcome with indescribable feelings of sorrow and deep emotion.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
So now, the partnership between the U.S. and Japan has become the most important bilateral relationship in the world. These two great countries that sandwich the Pacific Ocean have come to develop strong bonds based on goodwill and friendship. These ties can be greatly attributed to the continuous efforts spanning decades by, among others, the Japanese-Americans in Hawaii and their issei ancestors, as well as those who have come here from Japan to work in various industries.
Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants, or Gannenmono, to Hawaii. Many Japanese-American and Japanese groups and organizations have already begun planning many events to commemorate this anniversary year, and the members of the Kizuna are an integral part of this endeavor. My colleagues and I at the Consulate would like to continue working with you to make this 150th anniversary a huge success. It is my hope that this anniversary will play a pivotal role in inspiring many fourth, fifth, and sixth generation Japanese-Americans and other ethnic groups, to become interested in Japan-Hawaii exchanges and gain a newfound appreciation for the history of immigration to Hawaii. Moreover, by reflecting on the shared history between Japan and Hawaii, I am hoping that it will inspire more opportunities to ponder, not only the future of Japan-Hawaii relations, but to help us recognize the importance of working together to strengthen the multiethnic and multicultural fabric that makes Hawaii so special.
I am looking forward to working with all of you in the coming months to further the bonds of friendship between Japan and Hawaii.
Thank you very much and Mahalo nui loa!