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 Ten individuals and three groups from the
New York area received Commendations in
Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the
U.S.-Japan Relationship from Japan's Foreign
Ministry and were honored at a May 27th
reception held at Ambassador Ando's residence.
This year, 97 individuals and 61 groups were
presented with the Foreign Minister's
Commendation, including both Americans and
Japanese recipients living in the United States
and in Japan.
Individuals recognized for their many contributions to strengthening
Japan-U.S. relations.
 Mr. Shinichi Doi,
foremost among all the Japanese curators
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Doi's commitment to the restoration
process, as well as his work to improve
the research center and the quality of
Japanese staff members of the Museum, has
contributed greatly to artistic and
intercultural exchange between the United
States and Japanese universities.
 Ms. Midori Goto, a talented and
world-renowned violinist, enrolled as a
special scholarship student in the
Juilliard School of Music when she was
only ten years old. She continues to
perform worldwide, and has actively
promoted U.S.- Japan relations through
music by establishing a non-profit
organization, "Midori & Friends" that
supports music education programs in both
New York and Japan.
 Mr. Walter Hautzig, an accomplished
pianist who has performed in more than
fifty countries, is particularly acclaimed
in Japan where he made twenty-six tours
throughout the country and has recorded
extensively. His impact on Japan's music
scene is substantial and has strengthened
Japan's ties with the United States.
 Ms. Linda Hoaglund, born and raised in
Japan, is a bilingual authority on
Japanese film. She has subtitled over 100
Japanese films in English and also works
as an international producer. Her
involvement with Japanese films has been
an important factor helping increase their
recent international recognition.
 Ms. Seiko Ichida's numerous contributions
to the Japanese American community through
her many years of volunteer service has
been especially important to helping
Japanese Americans and Japanese senior
citizens residing in New York. An author
of two books on American literature, Ms.
Ichida also dedicates her time to
introducing American literature to the
Japanese, promoting cultural exchanges,
and writes a bimonthly column for New York
Life, a Japanese newspaper.
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 Mr. Robert Immerman of the East Asian
Center, Columbia University, has conducted
extensive research on Japanese politics,
foreign policy and the East Asian national
security system. In addition to
contributing to the development of
Japanese research in the United States, he
also serves as the advisor to the Columbia
University Student Organization's Japanese
study group.
 Ms. Fumi Matsuki, Supervisor of
Hamilton-Madison House Counseling
Services-Japanese Unit, has helped provide
greater awareness of mental health
problems among Japanese in the New York
metropolitan area, and has worked to
support those Japanese with emotional
problems. Since the September 11th
terrorist attacks, Ms. Matsuki has been
quite actively engaged in fundraising
activities to assure that the Center can
continue to provide much-needed aid to the
afflicted.
 Professor Mieko Murase, former professor
of Japanese art at Columbia University
from 1962 until 1996, now serves as a
special advisor to the Metropolitan Museum
of Art. Her passion for Japanese art has
helped increase the numbers of Japanese
art researchers. In her current position,
Dr. Murase continues to promote,
coordinate and support Japanese art and
culture-related events.
 Ms. Nobuko Cobi Narita, Representative of
Universal Jazz Coalition, has offered many
young Japanese jazz musicians
opportunities to perform in New York,
providing them with technical and public
relations advice, and in general, helping
nurture promising young Japanese
musicians.
 Mr. Kazuto Ohira's achievements include
introducing Japanese film to American
audiences in the aftermath of WW II (when
Japanese films were not yet recognized),
pioneering Broadway musicals in Japan, and
introducing Japanese theater to American
audiences, thus strengthening relations
between the two nations via the performing
arts. |
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Three group
commendations were awarded in recognition
of outstanding contributions to enhancing
U.S.-Japan relations.
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American Juyukai was honored for its close to four decades
dedicated to diffusing and promoting
Japan's traditional martial art, judo, in
the United States. American Juyukai is the
organizer of the East Coast Judo
Championships, and has contributed greatly
to the world of judo by inviting judo
athletes from Japan to share current judo
trends with American enthusiasts of the
sport.
Japanese American Social Service, Inc. (JASSI)
provides free consultation and other
social services to Japanese Americans
residing in the New York area, especially
to victims and families of the September
11 attacks. JASSI has been focusing on
providing these victims and their families
with counseling services to help them deal
with the psychological and financial
impact of this tragedy. |
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The Japan Center for International
Exchange USA (JCIE/USA), a nonprofit
organization, works to strengthen U.S.-
Japan relations by building collaborative
networks between policymakers and
researchers around the world. It conducts
exchange programs for members of the
Congress and the Diet, Congressional
staffers and state legislators, and
sponsors policy studies and dialogues that
bring together researchers, policymakers
and civil society leaders to examine
common challenges facing their respective
countries. Its U.S.-Japan Parliamentary
Exchange Program has provided more than
270 members of the Congress and the Diet
with opportunities to visit each other's
country early in their careers and to
engage in intensive dialogues with leaders
from a broad range of fields. Former
participants in the U.S.- Japan
Parliamentary Exchange Program include Keizo Obuchi, Tsutomu Hata, Al Gore, Dan
Quayle, Howard Baker, Donald Rumsfeld and
Thomas Foley.
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