Consulate-General of Japan in New York
在ニューヨーク日本国総領事館

Vol.21
April 2009

Ambassador Nishimiya Takes Office
On March 30th, new Ambassador and Consul General, Shinichi Nishimiya arrived in New York and took office, succeeding Mr. Motoatsu Sakurai. After working at the Embassies in Washington D.C., Moscow and London, he served as the Director of Policy Coordination Division, Foreign Policy Bureau and as Deputy Director-General, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, both in Tokyo. From 2005 to 2006, he served as a minister and Subsequently as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Embassy of Japan in Beijing.
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Ambassador Nishimiya Visits Philadelphia
On April 5th and 6th, Ambassador and Mrs. Nishimiya visited Philadelphia to join Sakura Sunday, the highlight of the 2009 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival. Sakura Sunday was held at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park, attracting a record-high
40,000 visitors. The Cherry Blossom Festival was organized by the Japan-America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP).
JASGP aims to promote a better understanding between Japan and the US by offering opportunities for people to experience Japanese culture.
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Ms. Toshiko Calder of the Princeton Community Japanese Language School is Honored
Ms. Toshiko Calder, the chair of the board of directors of the Princeton Community Japanese Language School, was awarded the Consul General’s Commendation. On March 17, the certificate was presented to Ms. Calder during a ceremony at Ambassador Sakurai’s residence, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the promotion of Japanese language education for Japanese and Japanese-American children in the United States.
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The World Heritage Sites in Japan: Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
In 1994, UNESCO designated historic Kyoto and its neighboring areas, which includes groups of ancient temples and shrines, as a World Heritage Site for its representation of Japanese traditional culture as well as its cultural influence on the rest of the world.

Manga as a Tool for Learning Japanese
Manga, Japanese comic books, has achieved a phenomenal level of success outside of Japan as popular entertainment. It has certainly motivated many to start learning the Japanese language and culture. But can manga be useful in the teaching process as well?

As you see by the headlines, I arrived in New York on March 30th to assume the post of Ambassador and Consul General. This is my first message to you through Japan Info. In this column, I look forward to telling you my views and ideas. I think that the relationship between the Consulate and the local community should be as “interactive” as possible.

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