Remarks by Mr. Shintaro Ito
Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
at the Welcoming Dinner on the Occasion of
the Centennial Celebration of
the Japan Society of Northern California
12 April 2006
（於：東京）
フォーリー元駐日米国大使とともに
トーマス北カリフォルニア日本協会会長とともに
Mr. John Thomas, Chairman of the Japan Society of Northern California,
Mr. Takahiro Moriguchi, Chairman of the Japan Centennial Committee,
Distinguished Members of the Japan Society of Northern California and the Japan Centennial Committee,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am Shintaro Ito, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs responsible for North American Affairs. I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to the board members of the Japan Society of Northern California and to the members of the Japan Centennial Committee.
I am a Member of the House of Representatives from Miyagi Prefecture, which is located around the same latitude as Sacramento. I have a special personal tie to California, having once enjoyed the privilege of living in Los Angeles. I see some familiar faces tonight from my days in California. In fact, I was a partner with one of tonight's guests in a venture capital project in San Francisco. I also spent one summer at UC Berkeley when I was a sophomore in college. It is truly an honor for me to host tonight's dinner on the occasion of the Society's centennial celebration.
I feel especially honored that Ambassador Foley has joined us this evening despite his busy schedule.
Although I know that everyone here is well-versed on the close relationship that has evolved between Japan and Northern California, let me briefly touch upon a few important points. It has been more than 150 years since the arrival in San Francisco of the Kanrin-maru, a small escort vessel for the U.S. steamer which carried on board the instrument of ratification for the Japan-U.S. Treaty of Amity and Commerce. This historic mission opened a new chapter of Japan-US relations and stimulated Japan's quest for modernization.
Since that time, many Japanese followed the same route across the Pacific in order to conduct business and start new lives in Northern California. San Francisco's Japantown was created in the aftermath of the great earthquake that devastated the city in 1906, and it remains to this day the oldest Japantown in the United States. Although World War II affected the region and its people, San Francisco once again carved its name into the history of our bilateral relationship in 1951 when it served as host for the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. During the post-war period, Japan and Northern California re-established thriving exchange in the fields of business, trade, and culture.
Given the close historic relations between Japan and California, it is no surprise that the Japan Society of Northern California has reached the centennial anniversary milestone. I wish to express my appreciation to the Society for its production of a book and DVD highlighting its many accomplishments over the past 100 years. It is my sincere hope that your visit to Japan to celebrate the anniversary will further enhance and expand the close relations we have enjoyed for so long.
I would also like to point out that the very existence of the Japan Centennial Committee symbolizes the vibrant links that exist between Japan and Northern California. Many prominent Japanese companies have established their corporate base in Northern California. At the same time, the region's prestigious universities actively engage in academic and student exchange with Japan. The Japan Centennial Committee has been instrumental in helping the Society celebrate its centennial anniversary from this side of the Pacific. One particularly noteworthy success has been the creation of a strong network of so-called "California alumni" in Japan.
Today, Japan and the United States enjoy the most important bilateral relationship in the world. The two countries share the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights, and the market economy. We are working together for peace and prosperity around the world based on these common values and interests. The foundation for our bilateral relationship will always be multi-layer exchange between our two nations. To this end, I firmly appreciate the work of the Society to promote mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.
In conclusion, I would like to propose a toast: to the achievements of the Japan Society of California over the past century and to its continued success for the next century to come, and also to the further prosperity of Japan-US relations and our people.
[Kampai!]