JASH 5:01 at Halekulani

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Hau Terrace, Halekulani Hotel

On Thursday, September 7, 2023, members of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH) were able to connect thanks to the generous support of GIN Corporate Member Halekulani Corporation. Mr. Shigeto Aoki, Senior Vice President and his team welcomed over 60 JASH members who enjoyed delicious pupu and drinks.

(L-R) Ms. Atsuko Igarashi, Ms. Barbara Tanabe and Ms. Sachi Braden

(L-R) Ms. Yuri Hirata, Ms. Naoko Tachida, Mr. Steve Dyer and Ms. Jill Ishimatsu

At this exclusive event, JASH members expressed their thanks and well wishes to Consul General Yutaka Aoki and Mrs. Takako Aoki who were soon leaving Hawaii and heading back to Japan.

Consul General Yutaka Aoki & Mrs. Takako Aoki

(L-R) Mr. Steve Sombrero, CG Yutaka Aoki, Mr. Alex Jampel

(L-R) CG Yutaka Aoki, Ms. Shinobu Fukakusa, Mr. Alex Jampel and Ms. Reyna Kaneko

JASH President Reyna Kaneko presented Consul General Aoki with a beautiful wooden bowl to express JASH’s sincere gratitude for the work and support he provided while here in Hawaii. In addition, Ms. Kaneko shared a recap of the inaugural Hawaii-Japan Sister State and Sister City Summit which took place from July 25-27, 2023 and the robust educational programming both existing and new that JASH has been working on. New educational programs include the Hiroshima Peace Scholarship Program and the Hokkaido Snow Camp.

JASH was humbled and honored to have welcomed 22 Governors, Vice Governors, and Mayors from our sister prefectures, cities, and towns to join this first ever summit. In addition, Hawaii’s own Governor Josh Green and Mayor Rick Blangiardi along with all three neighbor island mayors participated in the summit and met in executive sessions with their Japanese counterparts to discuss various topics. There is no time in history that such a remarkable collective of Hawaii and Japan government leaders have gathered in collaboration toward achieving shared goals.

CG Yutaka Aoki and Ms. Reyna Kaneko

MAHALO to Mr. Shigeto Aoki, and Mr. Peter Shaindlin, COO of Halekulani Corporation for their generous support and for hosting JASH corporate and life time members!