The Japanese National Flag Raising Ceremony at San Francisco City Hall

2016/12/28
The Japanese National Flag flies at SF City Hall
On December 23rd, the City and County of San Francisco raised the Japanese National Flag at San Francisco City Hall to commemorate Japan’s National Day, the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. This ceremony first started locally in 2007, and this marks the tenth consecutive year of the flag raising at City Hall on Japan’s National Day.

Approximately 30 people attended the flag raising ceremony, including Mayor Ed Lee, Mr. Mark Chandler, Director of San Francisco Mayor's Office of International Trade and Commerce, Allen Okamoto and Kathleen Kimura, Co-chairs of San Francisco-Osaka Sister City Association, Consul General Jun Yamada, and representatives and leaders from the Japanese community, businesses, and media.

At the outset of the program, Mayor Lee and Consul General Yamada raised the Japanese national flag on the balcony of the Mayor’s Office at City Hall while attendees watched.

Next, Mayor Lee praised the friendship between Japan and San Francisco and presented a proclamation to Consul General Yamada, pronouncing December 23, 2016 as “Japanese-American Friendship and Heritage Day” in San Francisco.

In return, Consul General Yamada expressed his appreciation for San Francisco’s arrangement of the flag raising ceremony. He went on to commend Japan and San Francisco’s continuous close relationship. He concluded his remarks by expressing his hopes for the strengthening of both the friendship between San Francisco and Japan, and the sister city relationship between San Francisco and Osaka, of which we will celebrate the 60th anniversary in 2017.
Japanese National Flag Raising
Mayor Lee and Consul General Yamada
Group photo with Mayor Lee, Mr. Sato, President of Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California, Ms. Kimura, Co-Chair of SF-Osaka Sister City Association and Mr. Okamoto , Co-Chair of SF-Osaka Sister City Association

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