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July 19, 2012

Dear Friends,

I gave a speech at the JACL National Convention Sayonara Banquet held in

Bellevue, Washington on July 7th

. I called it, “My Two Years of Service with Japanese

Americans,” and touched on several of the many moving experiences I have had since

coming to Seattle to serve as the Consul General. I would like to share the text with you,

who have been a part of these amazing two years. I hope you enjoy the retelling half as

much as I enjoyed living it.

Sincerely,

Kiyokazu Ota

Consul General of Japan in Seattle

“My Two Years of Service with Japanese Americans”

I. A New Experience

Welcome to Seattle, the Emerald City of the Evergreen State! I arrived here as

Consul General of Japan 2 years ago and found that many Japanese spoke excellent

American English. I was upset! I thought to myself, “I am a diplomat, but I can’t speak like

that! How will I manage?” A few days later, I learned that the speakers were Japanese

Americans! They were native speakers! I realized that I had never lived in a city with a

Japanese American community before, and I couldn’t wait to learn more about it!

(Ambassador Fujisaki and Nisei Veterans at the Memorial Wall, NVC, July 4, 2012)

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II. Seattle as a Starting Point

A century ago, Seattle was the entry port for Japanese immigrants to the United

States. Some settled in the Pacific Northwest and others spread across the country. Like

many immigrant groups before them, they came here for economic opportunities and a

chance to achieve their dreams. And yet, in reality, they faced many difficulties:

discrimination, hostility, and laws that prohibited them from owning land, to name a few.

In 1902, Hirobumi Ito, the first Prime Minister of Japan, came to Seattle and spoke

to Japanese American immigrants. At the packed venue, he said, “I am most happy to see so

many of our fellows here in Seattle!” He requested, “Please retain your Japanese pride. You

may face many challenges here, but be proud of being Japanese. At the same time, you

should devote yourself to the United States. Your dedication to American society will

improve the American view of Japan and Japanese. Being good Americans will be the

ultimate loyalty to your mother country of Japan.” The whole audience listened to him with

tears in their eyes. They understood his request, even as they understood that it would be “a

long and winding road that leads” to acceptance in American society.

Calligraphy by Duke Hirobumi Ito (1841-1909) in Seattle “Strive for Brotherhood among All Mankind” on display at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington

Duke Ito is the great-grandfather of Ambassador Fujisaki

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III. A Chapter in History

My blood is stirred by Japanese American history and I am captivated by their

ordeal of internment during World War II. I have visited Fort Missoula, Manzanar, Tule

Lake, Topaz and I joined the pilgrimage to Minidoka last year. I felt privileged to spend

time with the internees and to hear them share their personal stories with emotion and quiet

dignity. I am so relieved to see that all the camps are designated as National Historic Sites

and work is being done to preserve and renovate them as museums for future generations to

learn from. Their legacy, both good and bad, must be remembered, not only for the sake of

Japanese Americans, but for all Americans.

IV. Gaining Respect in American Society

All of you here today have made many contributions to American society and risen

to positions of honor and responsibility in the past decades. Japanese Americans are

counted among respected leaders in business, government and academia. At the same time,

I see that Japanese Americans preserving their Japanese pride and core virtues of patience,

diligence, decency and respect for the elderly, just as Prime Minister Ito hoped would

happen over 100 years ago.

Japanese Americans had a long march to win acceptance and respect in American

society. Seattle played a significant role in the early days of the JACL as well as the

successful redress campaign. I was touched when I saw the restored Honor Role at

Minidoka, where the ratio of military volunteers was highest out of all the camps.

(Honor Guard, Minidoka National Historic Site, July 3, 2011)

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I would like to express admiration of Seattle-born Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi, who

passed away Jan 2nd

this year. He bravely fought for Japanese rights and human rights even

after his retirement. Dr. Hirabayashi is most deserving of his Presidential Medal of

Freedom, the Highest Civilian Award in the United States, posthumously presented at the

White House on May 29th

and accepted by his widow.

I was very moved at the Congressional Gold Medal Seattle Regional Celebration

for Nisei Veterans on Jan 14th

this year at Meany Hall at the University of Washington. As

(Honor Roll, Minidoka National Historic Site, July 2, 2011)

(Meany Hall, University of Washington, January 14, 2012)

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the curtain went up, I saw over sixty veterans representing the US Army’s 100th

Infantry

Battalion, the 442nd

Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service. Under the

spotlights, these honorable, elderly soldiers could stand proud as Congressman Jim

McDermott, this year’s JACL President’s Awardee, and Congressman Adam Smith placed

the medals around their necks one by one. I was glad of the opportunity to pay my respect

to these Japanese Americans, who did their best to win the confidence of, and a good

reputation in, American society.

V. Disaster and Debris

Last year, on March 11th

, Japan was struck by a three-fold disaster. Although they

were surrounded by devastation and despair, the people of Tohoku stuck to their principles

of perseverance, dedication and order. They cared for each other and paved the way for a

quick recovery of utilities, and transportation and communication networks. All of Japan is

now united to rebuild the region!

The JACL donated 6.5 million US dollars to the afflicted in Tohoku. 4 million of

those dollars have already been used to support 250 different projects in the area. We are

much encouraged by your warm support. I would like to express heartfelt thanks to JACL

members for the help you extended to the people of Tohoku. Arigato gozaimasu!

(Meany Hall, University of Washington, January 14, 2012)

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Now the debris washed offshore by the tsunami is becoming an issue for both

Japan and the United States. At a meeting at the White House on April 30th

, Prime Minister

Noda expressed his concern to President Obama about tsunami debris approaching the West

Coast of the US and said that Japan would like to cooperate with the US to tackle this issue.

The governments of Japan and the US are already cooperating in anticipation of this

“delayed natural event.” We had a meeting on June 25th

here in Seattle between Japan, the

US and Canada to discuss research and explore possible future action.

Japan, in close contact with the US, is working on possible measures for handling

the tsunami debris. We are a country and people who uphold the virtues of decency and

dignity. You all have inherited and continued to cherish these qualities on the American

continent, and our collective future is brighter because of it.

Thank you.

(Prime Minister Noda and President Obama at the White House, April 30, 2012)