Consul General Akira Muto Message to the Black Churches of The United Methodist Church November 2020 скачать в хорошем качестве

Consul General Akira Muto Message to the Black Churches of The United Methodist Church November 2020

I extend my heartfelt greetings to you on behalf of the Government of Japan. I’ve been pleased to serve as Consul General in Los Angeles since 2019, overseeing a region of great diversity that includes Southern California and the State of Arizona. One of my missions in Los Angeles is to reach out to diverse communities and nurture harmony, in line with sentiments expressed by His Majesty the Emperor Naruhito of Japan. At the beginning of the new Reiwa Era – which in Japanese means “beautiful harmony” – inaugurated with the Accession to the Throne of His Majesty in May 2019, His Majesty expressed the hope that Japan will contribute to the friendship and peace of the international community, and the welfare and prosperity of humankind. Last month was a very exciting one for Angelenos, with the Dodgers winning the World Series for the first time in 32 years. It was a moment of great pride for Japan as well, as Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts is of partial Japanese descent. His mother is from Okinawa, which is where he was born and spent part of his childhood. The Dodgers was also the team of the celebrated Hideo Nomo, the first Japanese player to make it big in the American major leagues. Sports has always served as a bridge between cultures, and Japan looks forward with great anticipation to welcoming the world to Tokyo for the Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2021. The Olympic Committee had to make the difficult decision to postpone the Games for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the world together has confronted this unprecedented challenge, the Tokyo Games will be a momentous opportunity to join together in celebrating victory over the pandemic. An important theme of the Tokyo Games is unity and harmony in diversity, and we hope all of you too will join in the joy of the Games, cheering on your favorite athletes, and being inspired by their athleticism and stories of personal triumph. Like Dave Roberts, we have powerhouse sports figures of the younger generation of mixed Black and Japanese ancestry who are leading the way as role models for today’s youth. Chief among them are tennis champion Naomi Osaka and Washington Wizards basketball player Rui Hachimura. Sports is just one way that we can forge and strengthen connections between the African American community and Japan. I look forward to exploring how the Consulate General of Japan can learn from and work together with the churches and communities of the United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, and forge even stronger bonds between the Japanese and African American communities, through the world of sports and beyond.