On December 15, 2015, Consul-General Nozomu Takaoka hosted a reception celebrating the 82nd birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan which was attended by over 160 distinguished guests.
Among the guests were Texas House of Representatives Hubert Vo, Houston Council Member Richard Nguyen and Astronaut Koichi Wakata.
Ed Emmett, Judge of Harris County, Texas reflected on Consul-General’s time in Texas and thanked him for his hard work. Congratulatory messages for the occasion were sent from the proclamations of Governor Greg Abbott, Congressman Sheila Jackson-Lee as well as Mayor Annise Parker were read aloud. At the end of the formal part of the reception, Consul General and his wife were graciously appointed by Mayor Parker as Honorary Citizens of Houston.
In his remarks, Consul General Takaoka referred to energy, geographic centrality and high technology as three forces that he hopes will contribute to continued good relations between Japan, Houston and Oklahoma. In closing, he thanked the people he met during his term and wished them the best. |
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