From the Desk of Consul General Osumi

　One of my most important tasks as Consul General is to welcome various guests to my officia l residence and develop relationships with them, as well as to set up opportunities for them to meet visitors from Japan. While it is nice to visit each other's offices in a professional setting, there is something special about “stacking cups,” as the Japanese say, over food and drink and engaging in more freewheeling conversation. At the same time, we must consider how we can best satisfy our guests and ensure they feel their precious time has been well spent in coming all the way to our residence. I have been in a process of constant trial-and-error in this regard in trying to create a “once-in-a-lifetime encounter.” While food, sake, and tea may first come to mind, I would like to explain a little about how we set the stage this time.

Conversation topics, Setting, and Takeaways
　The official residence of the Consul General of San Francisco is a property with an excellent location and beautiful view, and we are honored to hear that it is highly regarded by the consuls general of many countries. Although it is a perfect facility for welcoming our distinguished guests, as hosts, our most important tasks are to ensure that our guests find their visit worthwhile and to think about what we want them to bring back home. For this purpose, it is very important to consider three elements: conversation topics, setting, and takeaways.

　For example, in June of last year, we held a luncheon meeting for Japanese and U.S. participants on the theme of “space” and “startups.” Most of the participants had never met before, so we had to think about what kind of conversation topics we could start to break the ice and have a lively exchange of opinions. At the beginning of the session, I talked about how popular outer space is in Japan and showed them a space travel version of the Chikyū no Arukikata (“Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook”) travel guide series, similar to “Lonely Planet.” This edition, which I brought from Japan, featured the popular manga Uchū Kyōdai (“Space Brothers”). I explained how it broke down all the details of a trip to space as though it were a normal vacation, from the planning stage to research, budgeting, advice on the best season to travel, items and clothes to pack, physical fitness, lodging, meals, and other important information. The guide got people laughing and kickstarted the conversations between the participants.

　After that, we invited them to speak about the status of space tech in the Bay Area and the overall vitality of tech, the idea of a space complex in the region, national security strategy in Japan, and the related reference from the U.S.-Japan Joint Statement issued this April, priming the event for relationship building. As a result, we were able to have very active exchanges among participants, and they were extremely satisfied with the lunch meeting, which, I hope, could lead to further development in the future.

　On May 22, during Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, I invited the consuls general of Asian countries, San Francisco city officials, members of the Japanese American community, cultural and business professionals, and business associations to a reception at the residence. Considering the future of Japan, I felt it was important for us to proactively encourage connections with fellow Asian Pacific nations . It was thus beneficial to provide this kind of setting so that we could foster a greater sense of community in the Bay Area, where a large Asian population coming from many different backgrounds lives side-by-side.

　Consuls general from China, Korea, India, Australia, Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan were all present at the reception. In addition, Maryam Muduroglu, San Francisco’s Chief of Protocol, and Claudine Cheng, the president of the AAPI Heritage Foundation and organizer of AAPI Heritage Month events, were in attendance. Ms. Cheng shared her perspective as an immigrant from Hong Kong on how she saw the Japanese American community improving the status of Asians as a whole in the region, which I found very interesting. Dr. Karen Korematsu related the story of her father, the late Fred Korematsu, who fought the injustice of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, and the hardships faced by Japanese Americans. It greatly intrigued some of the participants, as they were hearing that kind of story for the first time. Many guests went up to talk to Dr. Korematsu after her remarks. All the participants on stage were women except for myself, and I asked my wife, Misao, to say a few words. Ms. Muduroglu and several of the consuls general’s wives expressed their appreciation for the fact that Misao spoke. They said that it was the first time they’d seen a consul general’s wife giving remarks and that consuls general’s spouses should deserve that kind of credit for their contributions.

　New friendships and a sense of unity are the best takeaways for visitors. It is also a good takeaway if guests can discover new things or deepen their knowledge. For example, I have been using every opportunity to explain to people connected to Japan, including businesspeople, our current efforts to stem the cuts to Japanese language classes in the local public schools, and to expand exchange between young Japanese Americans and Japanese. Maintaining and expanding Japanese language classes is one of the best ways to foster more friends of Japan . It will also eventually benefit Japanese businesses. Moreover, it is the duty of the current generation to nurture the next. I also point out the degree to which Japan’s good reputation in the United States is underpinned by the efforts and struggles of Japanese Americans. It is always an honor to see how interested audiences are to hear what I say; many even offer helpful suggestions or assistance.

　We sincerely hope that these visits and our efforts help more people develop a positive image of and respect for Japan, and encourage them to become more involved with Japan in the future.