ヒューストン日米協会主催ガラ・ディナーでのスピーチ 2006年11月15日在ヒューストン日本国総領事 加茂佳彦
Good evening Ambassador Shieffer, Secretary of State Williams, Mrs. Kato, Other Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Thank you, Shara, for your kind words of introduction.We are most honored to have the United States Ambassador to Japan, Thomas Shieffer as our keynote speaker this evening and we welcome you Mr. Ambassador to Houston.Thanks to its President, Glen Gondo, this is the first time ever that a current U.S. Ambassador to Japan has spoken at a Japan America Society Gala Dinner in Houston.Although his Japanese counterpart, Ambassador Kato, could not be here, we are most honored to have Mrs. Hanayo Kato here with us tonight.
Glen’s efforts to renew and enable the Japan America Society of Houston’s role in the Houston community are paying off with new and important corporate and individual members. This has happened because of exciting programs such as Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams speaking at a Japan America Society luncheon last spring, Houston’s Mayor White speaking at last year’s gala dinner and this year we welcome Ambassador Shieffer.
Ambassador Shieffer is one of the closest among high ranking U.S. officials to our Prime Minister, Mr. Shinzo Abe.He worked closely with now Prime Minister Abe to draft the highly successful UN Security Council resolution regarding North Korean test firing of their missiles back in July of this year, but despite this valuable and successful diplomacy, he doesn’t forget where he comes from.When the U.S. beef issue was resolved after the BSE (mad cow disease) scare, Tom Schieffer was the first one in line for the returning of the “Beef Bowl” item to a fast food chain in Japan.It was on television all over Japan and he is a great salesman for Texas beef in Japan.His love of Texas is best demonstrated by the huge Lone Star Flag hanging in his residence in Tokyo where he and Mrs. Shieffer hosted a welcome reception when the Texas delegation headed by First Lady of Texas Anita Perry and Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams visited Japan to attend the Aichi Expo 2005 last summer.I am sure that it was great to see his old friend Roger Williams and to enjoy watching a Japanese professional baseball game together.
If the state of Texas were a country, I’ve been told that it would be the 10th largest country in the world when you talk of gross domestic product figures.To carry this image a little farther, Roger Williams would be the Foreign Minister of Texas, and as such, part of his job is to promote Texas.This effort has apparently been quite successful.One reason is that only two weeks ago hundreds, possibly as many as a thousand, Japanese ladies came to Texas and specifically to Houston.These Japanese housewives came here to attend the annual International Quilt Festival held at the GeorgeR.BrownConvention Center.They learned about American traditional handicrafts and add a bit of Japanese creativity and aesthetics.
This is an excellent example of cultural and grass-roots exchange which enhances friendship and tourism at the same time.If the Japanese baseball player, Daisuke Matsuzaka, decides to play for the Texas Rangers, this could result in a Texas boom among Japanese.
Congratulations to the Japan America Society of Houston and, of course, the Houston Dynamos for bringing fun and excitement to town.Thank you for coming tonight.