News in Japanese & in English

９月１９日（木）札幌パークホテル3F「エメラルド」において本協会創立６５周年祝賀会とイブニング・レセプション（秋のジャズの演奏会）が開催された。祝賀会には鈴木知事、秋元市長はじめ来賓者、財界・政界の関係者、会員ら１１５名が駆けつけ参加し祝辞を賜った。

 September 19(Thu.Evening)　was a very memorable day for the AJSH–A Happy 65th Anniversary Celebration DAY!  Govenor Suzuki, Mayor Akimoto –who gave kind congratulatory remakrs–together with  other disguished guests and the AJSH’s members(115 attndees) attended the ceremony.       　

 祝賀会にはオレゴン米日協会(JASO)からオレゴン産のローグビールがプレゼントされた。会員のフレッド・カフマンさんも追加のローグビールをドーネート下さった。お二人の寛大さ、それにJASOの専務理事のグラハム・モリス氏にも感謝申し上げたい。

　ジョセフ・ヤング臨時駐日米国大使が感動的なビデオ・メッセージを送って下さった。心温まる祝電のメッセージが藤崎一郎・全日日米協会連合会会長、ディーン・アルトマン・オレゴン米日協会、マサチューセッツ北海道協会の森田喜代子・ケイン会長等からも届いた。

第二部のイブニング・レセプションは、新たに就任されたアンドリュー・リー総領事の乾杯でスタートし、日米友好親善・文化交流プログラムに協力しているThe Saapporo TOMODACHI Jazz Trio(小笠原はるの・矢木章・御手洗昭治会員）が「秋のジャズ演奏会の夕べ」で数曲のリクエスト曲を披露。最後に参加者で1960年代初期に世界的ヒットとなった坂本　九さんの「スキヤキ」（上を向いて歩こう）を合唱し会場が盛り上がった。

One big surprise was 100 bottles of Oregon’s famous local Rogue Beer had arrived as  presents all the way from Japan-America Society of Oregon! Mr. Phred Kaufman, our member, also donated us extra 20 bottles of Oregon made beer. We apprecite their generosity and Graham Morris,Executive Directo of JASO!  

The audience was moved by Mr. Joseph Young’s heart-felt video messages. Mr. Young, CDA made the video message on behalf of American Ambassdor.

Congratulatory kind messages were arrived not only from Mr. Ichiro Fujisaki, President of NAAJS, and Dean lterman,Chair of JASO, but also from Kiyoko Morita Caine, Chair of Massacusetts-Hokkaido Association.   

   Riggt after the ceremonial event, Evening Reception got underway with a few kind  words and “Kanpai” proposal by Mr.Andrew Lee, newly appointed U.S. Consul General.   The Dinner part  was highlighed by “Jazz Music Concert in Fall.”   The Sapporo TOMODACHI Jazz Trio (Piano:Haruno Ogasawara, Base: Akira Ygi,& Drums: Shoji Mitari)— involved in U.S.-Japan goodwill cultural activities— played Jazz music requested by AJSH’s members.  

   At the end, the audience sang together  Kyu Sakamoto’s world famous “Sukiyaki” song in Jazz sytle.(His record turned out to be  No.1 hit song in Bill Board music magazine in 1961 in the U.S., and 130 million of  Sukiyaki record has been sold in the entiire world since then.  

“Fascinating Sister City Portland, Oregon!”

News in Japanese & in English

7/25（木）札幌パークホテルで開催されたイブニング・ディナ―・講演会には、国際短編映画祭、札幌・ポートランド姉妹都市提携50周年記念交流を機に、映画・芸術関連の事業を担当されている久保　俊哉（マ―ヴァリック・クリエィティブ・ワークス代表取締役プロデューサーをお招きして、オレゴン州の「姉妹都市ポートランドの隠れた魅力！」を映像を通して紹介して頂いた。環境No.１のバラの都ポートランドのイノベーティブな技術関係者、小学校をホテルに代え、観光スポットになったケネディ小学校などの紹介もあり、参加者も見入っていた姿が、印象的であった。

ところで、今年は札幌・ポートランド姉妹都市提携６０周年記念の節目の年であり、札幌から市長はじめ経済訪問団、市民訪問団も６月５日にポートランド市で開催された式典参加した。本協会からも加森副会長夫妻、札幌商工会議所の会頭で本協会の岩田理事、御手洗専務、それに商工会議所の廣田専務も参加し、６月６日には、ポートランドの商工会議所グループのポートランド・ビジネス・アライアンスの事務所において、本協会とオレゴン米日協会のデーン・アルタマン会長と加森　公人 副会長との間で提携の調印式が行われた。

On July 25, Mr. Toshiya Kubo–a wellknown short movie producer of Maverick Creative Wrks Ltd. was a guest speaker for the Evening Dinner. As Mr. Kubo has been involved in film making regarding Sapporo-Portland Sister City programs for the past 50 years, he intdoduced not only beauty spots of Portland but also bestkept secret tourism spots and places in and around Portland. Kennedy Elementary school is one example– a school building turned itself into  one of the finest and  fascinating hotels by inovative  Oregonians. The audience loved the new hotel at first glance.

Incidentally, as this year marks the celebration of the 60th annivesary of the forming of Portland-Sapporo Sister City Relationship, Mayor of Sapporo, business leaders’ group, and citizen’s group visted Portland, Oregon to attend ceremonial events held on June 5.

On June  6,  Japanese-American Sociaty of Oregon(JASO) and our society(AJSH) concluded Memorandum of Cooperation and Unterstanding signed by our Vice President, Kimito Kamori of AJSH and Chair, Mr. Dean Alterman.

From our side, Keigo Iwata- Chaman of Sapporo Chamber of Commerce and AJSH’s,Board member, Ryu Shibata, AJSH’s Board member,  Shoji Mitarai,Executive Director, Mrs. Kazuko Kamori, Kyoichi Hirota　,Executive Director of Chamber of Commerce also attended the signing ceremony.

３月の例会には、ミズーリ州セントルイス出身の新進気鋭で在札幌米国総領事館勤務のカール・ホジソン大尉・兼海外地域指揮官（ミズーリ州立大・陸軍士官学校卒）をお招きし、講演会を開催しました。演題は「海外地域担当者としての私」。北海道と日本文化、外交、異文化体験についてパワーポイントを使用し、日本語で語って頂きました。上智大学にも在籍経験のあるカールさんは、空手、柔道にも精通されておられ異文化コミュニケーターでもあります。

Our guest speaker Captain Carl Emery Hodgson is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri. After graduating from the University of Missouri in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, he attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in November 2008.　Currently, he works as a Foreign Area Officer (48H-Northeast Asia) at U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo. As he also attended Sophia University, he がgave a talk in Japanese with visual materials.

Carl Hodgson ’s talk centered around his home State Saint Louis, Missouri–home of the famous jazz music St. Louis  blues, the professional baseball team the Cardinals, Bud Wiser Beer, Arch and other places of interest.    He is a great athlete in Karate and judo. We also happily found that he was  a tough rugby player.

What interested the audience was his :1) initial encounter with Japan and the Japanese language(He learned it while he was studying at Sophia University and took the Japanese Language Basic Course in Yokohama.).  One photo was taken  at the Imperial House; and 2)  military experiences and careers in Texas where he served as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer until October 2012, including an OEF deployment to Afghanistan in 2011-2012.  He served as the battalion plans officer until September 2014 in Hawaii. He has obtained many military awards –which include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, and Basic Parachutist Wings.

His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, Ranger School, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, Mechanized Leaders Course, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course, Mountain Leader Course and Mountain Leader Course and the Japanese Language Basic Course.

We wish him well and the best of luck in the future!

５月２４日（木）は総会日であり、総会の初めに杉野きりん先生率いる 北海道インターナショナルスクールの４４名からなるミュージック・グループによる素晴らしく、目を見張るショーとエンターテイメントに参加者全員が感動。なお総会前には本年度の理事会が開催され、会長には伊藤義郎会長、副会長には加森公人、小池善明、藤田道子、それに専務理事いは御手洗昭治理事らが再任された。また、運営理事には、布施正樹、安斎勲、石井純二、杉山喜一郎、眞木陽子、高橋希典、御手洗昭治が選任された。

On May 24, 2018(Thu.)  the 2018 General Assembly was held on the 3rd floor Ginsen at Sapporo Grand Hotel. Prior to the General Assembly, the AJSH’s Board meeting was held and Mr. Yoshiro Io was reelected as Chair(President)  of the AJSH. Vice Presidents–Kimihito Kamori, Yoshiaki Koike, and Michiko Fujita were also re-elected, and Shoji Mitarai was named  the Executive Director again.    Masaki Fuse, Isamu Anzai, Jyunji Ishii  , Kiichiro Sugiyama, Yoko Maki, Maresuke Takahashi, and Shoji Mitarai were chosen as Managing Directors.

At the beginning of the General Assembly, music groups  HIS students made up of 44–led by Kirin Sugina put on a very energetic, lively and splendid  show and performance.  The audience was lured by their dynamic music and entertainment.