The Best Interpreters in Hawaii !

by Kazu

My former counterpart Administrator, Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism Mr. Dennis T. Ling is so experienced and seasoned able officer of the State of Hawaii. He is so nice and countable. I hope my actual successor will keep the good relationship with him and his staff. 

Different from the frequent personnel change in Japan, DBEDT  can retain their able staff for long time span. Needless to say, they can keep their competitiveness and cutting edge to compete in the world.

Ms. Mayumi Miyahara and Ms. Nikki Thompson have helped us every time we visited Hawaii as interpreters and advisors. We really appreciate their supports in Hokkaido and Hawaii. ms. Miyahara visited Hokkaido with her husband in 2018 with the delegation from the State of Hawaii. I hope they will visit Hokkaido again.

 

Friends of Hokkaido !

by Kazu

The members of Hokkaido Club in Hawaii have given us good supports to establish and develop the sister-state affiliation with the State of Hawaii. They set the booth for the advertisement of Hokkaido tourism in Honolulu Festival and other events.   

These are the core members of the Hokkaido Delegation other than the representatives of the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly and the Hokkaido Ainu Association. Ms. Mitsue Varley, the Country Director for Japan of Hawaii Tourism Authority kindly joined the row.  

I will not be able to visit Hawaii this year but I will see my friends in Hawaii in the not-so-distant future with my wife. They provide us "Pleasure".

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After the Official Reception !

by Kazu

I was so happy to see this wonderful couple the former Senator of the State of Hawaii Mr.Brian and Mrs. Jan Taniguchi. Thank you so muchi for nice souvenir ! 

The Chief Brand Officer of Hawaii Tourism Authority Mr. Kalani L. Ka'ana'ana and Ms. Mitsue Varley, Country Director for Japan gave me a chance to take photos with Mr . Debo Akibe, one of the symbolic figures of the indigenous people of Hokkaido Ainu. 

The last but not least, please do not forget these people, the members of Hokkaido Club in Hawaii who devote themselves to the solid, caring, beneficial and everlasting relationship between Hokkaido and Hawaii. 

 

The Ainu Performers Fascinated !

by Kazu

The President of Hokkaido Club in Hawaii Mr. Tatsuya Ohtake and his wife Chinatsu took photos with the Ainu performers at the end of the official party reception thrown for the delegation from Hokkaido, Yamaguchi, and Hiroshima. Mr Ohtake graduated the same elementary school, junior high school and high school as my alma mater in Kitami City. 

The former President of Hokkaido Club

in Hawaii Mr. Kanzo Nara, the incumbent Chair of the Kenjinkai Association in Hawaii joined the photo session. 

Mr. Ohtake is one year younger than me but his world is much wider than mine. I am sure that he will amply enjoy his life with his family and be successful in his business. 

 

The Ainu Performance Grabbed the Heart of The Hawaiian People !

by Kazu

The very simple and comfortable rythm of the performance by the indigenous

people of Hokkaido grabbed the hearts of the audiences in the official guesthouse of the State of Hawaii The Washington Place. 

The audiences kept quiet and listened to the songs played by the Ainu performers. The performers kept

the pace for a while and made the tempo faster gradually. Soon all

the audiences experienced the climax of the performance. 

Applause from the audiences continued for a while after the end of the performance. Their performance was different from that of the Hawaiian traditionals but the respects to the nature and the lives seemed to be almost the same.  

 

Ainu Performance Started Solemnly !

by Kazu

The traditional dance and songs of the indigenous people of Hokkaido Ainu started  just in front of the top brasses of Hawaii including the new Governor of the State of Hawaii The Honorable Mr. Josh Green, his predecessor Mr. David Yutaka Ige and the Legend Mr. George Ariyoshi, the first Japanese-American Governor in the US.

The Ainu performance started so solemnly and the eyes of the audiences focused on the move of the performers. Even the delegation from Yamaguchl Prefecture was struck and overwhelmed by the atmosphere created by the performers. 

The Lady played the role of the deer hit by the arrow shot by the Ainu hunter. The performers were the representatives of

the Ainu Association in Hokkaido. They showed their best performance on this big opportunity.

 

The New Governor of the State of Hawaii Delivered the Words !

by Kazu

The official reception got started with the welcome remarks delivered by the new Governor of the State of Hawaii The Honorable Mr. Josh Green. The delegation from Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture was also in the venue, the Washington Place on that day.

The delegation from Fukuoka Prefecture that had made annual visits to Honolulu every year seemed to had left Honolulu before this official reception. 

Fukuoka Prefecture was the place where the Legend Mr . George Ariyoshi was born. In Hawaii, the descendants of the immigrants from Okimawa, Fukuoka, Hiroshima and Hokkaido have the power. 

 

The Legends of Japanese Hawaiian Showed Up !

by Kazu

I was very happy to see the Legend, the First Japanese-American Governor in the United States Mr. George Ariyoshi again. SinceＩhad met him in May of 2017 when Hokkaido Prefectural Government and the State of Hawaii established a Sister-state Affiliation and the Governor Ige, at that time, kindly threw us a party reception, it was the first time to have the honor to talk to him.   　 

His son was giving good supports to him. When I met him for the first time, I did not know that he had a good command of Japanese, so I talked to him in English.  He kindly praised my command of English but he started to talk with his Japanese-American friends in Japanese so fluently after the talk with me. 

I was so ashamed that I could not imagine his good command in Japanese.

 The Delegation  the member of the indigenous people in Hokkaido Ainu looked so relaxed and enjoying themselves near my

table. 

 

The Top Brasses Got Together !

by Kazu

Dr. Rochelle Mahoe, the Complex Area Superintendent of Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani Complex Area kindly introduced her colleague the Complex Area Superintendent of West Hawaii Complex Area , Dr. Jannette F.L. Snelling to me. I really appreciate this opportunity to see them all. 

My old friend the Principal of Kaiser High School Dr. Justin S.N. Mew also visited Hokkaido in January, 2020 with his staff and fellows. So did the Principal of Ke Kula Kaiapuni 'o Anuenue the immersion school , Dr. Christopher Yim in 2022.

The former Governor David Yutaka Ige and his wife Mrs. Dawn Ige also gave me a chance to take photos with the Consul General of Japan in Honolulu Mr. Yutaka Aoki. So gorgeous top brasses got together on that day.  

 

The Official Reception hosted by the New Governor of the State of Hawaii !

by Kazu

My friends in Hawaii showed up at the venue of the Official receptionist before the  official reception hosted by the new Governor of the State of Hawaii, The Honorable Mr. Josh Green.  

Dr. Rochelle Mahoe, Complex Area Superintendent of Farrington--Kaiser-Kalani Complex Area, Honolulu District kindly gave me a chance to take photos with me.  

So did the former Senator Brian Taniguchi and his wife Jan. at their table.  We had a dinner together and a day trip to the Port City Otaru last October. I was very happy to see them again! The delegation members from the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly seemed so happy and satisfied with the participants to the official reception.