Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for Miwa Sakashita, Board Member of Japan-America Society of Houston
2022/12/10
On December 8, 2022, Ms. Miwa Sakashita, Board Member of the Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH), received a commendation from Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in recognition of her contributions towards promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United States in the Houston area. Consul General Murabayashi hosted a reception to celebrate this commendation at his official residence with about 40 guests in attendance.
As a longstanding Board Member of JASH, Ms. Sakashita has chaired JASH’s Houston-Chiba Sister City Committee, the Program Committee, and countless fundraising galas. She has also played a leading role in launching the Japan Festival Houston and inviting various Japanese artists to perform in Houston. Ms. Sakashita and her husband, Dr. John Stroehlein, Professor Emeritus of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, have continually supported JASH’s mission as the organization’s largest individual donor.
At the beginning of the reception, Consul General Murabayashi praised Ms. Sakashita for her longtime contribution to JASH’s various activities, especially Houston-Chiba Sister City relations and Japan Festival Houston. He also thanked her and her husband Dr. John Stroehlein for supporting Japanese physicians pursuing fellowships at MD Anderson. Consul General Murabayashi then presented the certificate and a commemorative gift to her.
Ms. Miwa Sakashita highlighted several instances of Houston-Japan cooperation that she had the pleasure of witnessing, including the G7 Summit in 1990, the creation of Hermann Park’s Japanese Garden in 1992, the inaugural Japan Festival in 1993, the opening of the Arts of Japan Gallery in the Museum of Fine Art, Houston in 2012. She accepted this commendation as a representative of all the people who care and contributed in so many ways to make the community better.
Mr. Laird Doran, President of Japan-America Society of Houston, expressed how proud he was of Ms. Sakashita, adding that he does not know any other person who is as dedicated to the Japan Festival as she is.
Mr. Gary Tinterow, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, said that Mr. Sakashita helped the Museum acquire a number of very important Japanese works including Ukiyo-e prints, samurai armor, kimonos, and the newly acquired Zen paintings that will be on view at the upcoming exhibition next spring.
Mr. John Mangum, Executive Director and CEO of the Houston Symphony, thanked Ms. Sakashita for all of the connections she facilitated between Japanese artists and the Symphony. He noted that through those connections, the Symphony would host a guest Japanese Shakuhachi player to perform in a February 2023 production that includes pieces by Japanese Composers Tōru Takemitsu and Toshio Hosokawa.
As a longstanding Board Member of JASH, Ms. Sakashita has chaired JASH’s Houston-Chiba Sister City Committee, the Program Committee, and countless fundraising galas. She has also played a leading role in launching the Japan Festival Houston and inviting various Japanese artists to perform in Houston. Ms. Sakashita and her husband, Dr. John Stroehlein, Professor Emeritus of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, have continually supported JASH’s mission as the organization’s largest individual donor.
At the beginning of the reception, Consul General Murabayashi praised Ms. Sakashita for her longtime contribution to JASH’s various activities, especially Houston-Chiba Sister City relations and Japan Festival Houston. He also thanked her and her husband Dr. John Stroehlein for supporting Japanese physicians pursuing fellowships at MD Anderson. Consul General Murabayashi then presented the certificate and a commemorative gift to her.
Ms. Miwa Sakashita highlighted several instances of Houston-Japan cooperation that she had the pleasure of witnessing, including the G7 Summit in 1990, the creation of Hermann Park’s Japanese Garden in 1992, the inaugural Japan Festival in 1993, the opening of the Arts of Japan Gallery in the Museum of Fine Art, Houston in 2012. She accepted this commendation as a representative of all the people who care and contributed in so many ways to make the community better.
Mr. Laird Doran, President of Japan-America Society of Houston, expressed how proud he was of Ms. Sakashita, adding that he does not know any other person who is as dedicated to the Japan Festival as she is.
Mr. Gary Tinterow, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, said that Mr. Sakashita helped the Museum acquire a number of very important Japanese works including Ukiyo-e prints, samurai armor, kimonos, and the newly acquired Zen paintings that will be on view at the upcoming exhibition next spring.
Mr. John Mangum, Executive Director and CEO of the Houston Symphony, thanked Ms. Sakashita for all of the connections she facilitated between Japanese artists and the Symphony. He noted that through those connections, the Symphony would host a guest Japanese Shakuhachi player to perform in a February 2023 production that includes pieces by Japanese Composers Tōru Takemitsu and Toshio Hosokawa.