From the Desk of Consul General Osumi

　On April 5th and 6th, I visited Las Vegas, Nevada. On the first day, we inspected the political and economic situation in advance of the fall elections, and visited UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), where Associate Professor of Japanese Naoko Takemaru was killed in a tragic shooting last December. On the second day, we attended the new students’ entrance ceremony of Las Vegas Gakuen, a local Japanese supplementary school, and the 7th Annual Kizuna Japanese Spring Festival. This was my second visit to Las Vegas since the Akimatsuri Autumn Festival last fall, and I was able to meet many new people and greet a few who remembered my face. Thank you very much to all those who made it a successful trip.


Impression: From San Francisco to Las Vegas
　“Bathed in the glistening sun;” “Forged by nature’s harshness;” "Taking the first step toward our dreams;" these are lines from the school song of Las Vegas Gakuen. Coming from San Francisco, where it had rained the night before, Las Vegas was bright and sunny; the land was dry, and the earth and blue sky seem endlessly expansive. In airports and hotel lobbies, slot machines blared at passersby with bright neon lights and loud exhortations to sit down and try their luck. Since 2008, the population has grown by 20%, to approximately 3.2 million. There seems to be a large influx of people from the neighboring state of California. Crowds of tourists walk in droves along the main streets lined with casinos, giving the impression of a "city on the upswing" after recovering from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The city is huge, so I made full use of Uber to get around, which is a problem when gasoline prices are so high. Las Vegas has been actively attracting sporting events, such as the F1 championship held throughout the city, and this year's Super Bowl. Following the Raiders, the Oakland A’s will be relocating to Las Vegas. The people of Oakland must be hurting from these relocations.


Japanese Language School
　The entrance ceremony for the Las Vegas Gakuen Japanese school was held on Saturday, April 6th. The school is located in the suburbs of Las Vegas, where the mountains surrounding the city feel as though they are about to close in. There were 11 new students in the kindergarten, eight in the elementary school, and six in the middle school, and you could tell that a wide variety of families had come to the school, including those with international marriages. It is no mean feat to bring one's child to a supplementary school every Saturday in search of a connection with Japan, and I was impressed by the students’ resilience. I was particularly impressed by Mr. Kip Malasek, the representative of the current students, who welcomed the new students with a clear, dignified, and compassionate speech.
　In my congratulatory speech, I encouraged the children to be carefree and excited, and told them that the reason why Japan is so popular in the U.S. today is an appreciation for the unique qualities and beauty of Japanese culture. Studying the Japanese language, which is full of those qualities, is a very happy and life-enriching experience. I wonder if they got the message. As the school song says, I hope that students will "spread the wings of their hearts amidst the bounty of nature.”

Visit to UNLV and Japanese Language Education
　I am convinced that promoting Japanese language education promotes Japanese culture, and that Japanese culture can contribute greatly to the development of world culture. Therefore, I believe that Japanese language education is very important for everyone, not just for those living in Japan or the Japanese American community. In that sense and more, it was a true tragedy that Associate Professor Takemaru, who had devoted many years to Japanese language education at UNLV, was killed in a mass shooting last December. Professor Takemaru had for many years supported the Consulate General’s work, including the JET Program and other initiatives. 　
　During my visit to UNLV, I spoke with the university’s provost, who also seemed devastated by the situation. As Consul General, I expressed my heartfelt condolences for Professor Takemaru. I asked him to continue promoting Japanese language education in accordance with Professor Takemaru’s wishes and work, and was glad to hear that he also would like to give more support to the program.
　Also, due to the pandemic, we have not been able to hold a Japanese speech contest in Las Vegas for the past several years. We will work together with the people involved to revive the contest as soon as possible.


Kizuna Japanese Spring Festival
　Blessed with spring sunshine, the Kizuna Festival was a great success. This was the seventh time the festival has been held, and after the pandemic, it was finally able to resume in earnest. Kathleen Blakely, Honorary Consul of Japan in Las Vegas, led us around the large stage where there were various stalls selling all sorts of Japanese delicacies. Sake, tea, ikebana flower arrangement, kimono dress-up, and even Okinawan tattoos were set up; it was hard to make much progress through the booths since everyone knew each other! There were roughly 30 people in line at the shaved ice stall.　
Midway through the program, the band onstage began to play Miki Matsubara's “Stay with Me” – a hit from 1979. Matthew, one of our staff who was accompanying me, sang along and said, "That’s nice. This is trendy right now." That brought back some memories.
　Nevada has two U.S. Senators and four members of Congress. Congresswoman Dina Titus herself attended the ceremony, along with representatives from the offices of two Senators and one Congressmember. There was also an aide from Governor Lombardo’s office, and everyone gathered together on the stage at the ceremony. In my speech, I shared my visit to UNLV and condolences for Professor Takemaru, and highlighted the significance of this festival, which is apparent in its name: the festival celebrates Kizuna, or “bonds,” between Japan and Nevada. I also discussed Prime Minister Kishida’s upcoming visit to the United States, and Congresswoman Titus also reiterated the importance of the prime minister's visit in her remarks. 　
　The festival was a wonderful opportunity to see the real potential of the some 4,000 Japanese and 30,000 Japanese Americans living in Nevada. I, too, felt proud, and enjoyed the festival. Thank you very much.
 

Nevada Political and Economic Affairs 　
　I know it is obvious to those who live in the area, but for those like myself who only visit on a business-trip basis, it was informative to meet various people and hear about the situation in the area; I’d like to thank everyone who was kind enough to meet with me. There are many issues to be discussed regarding this fall's election, such as the economy, immigration, abortion, and the Middle East, but my conclusion, though perhaps a bit obvious, was that it was too early to tell. With such a high degree of uncertainty, I think it is necessary to question common assumptions and predictions.


In Closing
　I would like to thank the many people who were so gracious to me during this business trip. Although the Consulate General is located in San Francisco, it is one of our most important duties to maintain a good relationship with Las Vegas and Nevada. We will continue to provide consular services, support for the Japanese American community, Japanese language education, support for Japanese companies, and other services to the utmost of our ability.