市姉妹都市交流の可能性 - テキサス州タイラー市でのスピーチ 2007年8月10日
在ヒューストン日本国総領事 加茂佳彦
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
My wife and I are most grateful to you for your warm welcome here in Tyler. This is my second visit to this beautiful East Texas community with your uncommon sense of friendship and goodwill. I was most fortunate to have been able to join you in welcoming the Yachiyo Delegation two years ago. I also had the privilege of giving two lectures on Japan and my home country’s relationship with the U.S. I spoke right here at UT/Tyler and at Tyler Community College.
This time I have brought my wife, Etsuko, with me because I do not want her to miss out on visiting Tyler and this part of Texas before we go back to Japan at the end of this month.
Time flies and I am already completing my 3 year assignment in Texas. This trip to Tyler is my last trip outside of the Houston area where I am based before I return to Japan. This is a wonderful way for my wife and I to wrap up our tour of duty in Texas and be able to immerse ourselves once more in your true American hospitality and graciousness.
Tyler has a warm spot in my heart. You gave me a Tyler yellow rose of Texas baseball cap the last time I was here and I wear it whenever I take a walk under the scorching Houston sun.
When I was here last time I very much enjoyed being a part of the sister city exchange event when the Yachiyo delegation came to Tyler. On that evening the whole community of Tyler and the Yachiyo delegation were united as one in the spirit of appreciation, fulfillment, joy, excitement and brotherhood—a true binding together of family. Another fond memory was when I tried my best to deliver my remarks before a fully packed UT Tyler audience in a beautiful recital hall and I very much appreciated the audience and their patience and attentiveness as they remained seated during my speech. That was the most rewarding speaking experience.
You may find my recollections a bit pretentious or self gratifying, but I am emotional in the final days of our stay here. I feel strongly that there is a special destiny between Tyler and me. The Japanese culture anticipates the super natural that links us between ourselves and our environment. Here I am now entering the realm of cultural differences between Japan and the U.S. caused by what could be called our disparate religious faiths. In Japan we tend to think that our past deeds dictate the future. Today’s good deeds will be repaid in the future. This is why we tend to see significance in what appears to be coincidence. We tend to view our deeds long term, anticipating a cause and effect situation. We attach importance to relationships, cultivating long lasting ones even though they appear somewhat ephemeral at first and appear to have no direct link to our commercial interests.
The sister city relationship between Tyler and Yachiyo is a telling example of what a difference we can make when we are united in commitment to opening our hearts and letting mutual understanding grow by accommodating our differences. The exchange event I witnessed here two years ago was really touching. The whole crowd was overwhelmed by an outpouring of emotions. I saw all of the children from Yachiyo crying and wishing for a longer stay with their host families.
Okay, you might say, these children stayed with their host families for several days, they were placed randomly--who they stayed with was purely coincidental. They had a good time and we had a good time. Let’s say goodbye and move on.
But I think their tears were genuine. They knew they would really miss their Tyler families and they were committed to keeping the relationships alive for life. It was almost like they went through a religious experience. As Yachiyo students they came to Tyler and met with their host families. They were welcomed with great kindness and recognition. That was enough for them to believe in their karma and it was their destiny to fall in love with Tyler. Intuitively they knew that this relationship, despite its coincidental nature, should be taken seriously and carefully nurtured. This proclivity has made your sister city Yachiyo, very active and anxious to reciprocate your Tyler-style hospitality.
In business what matters is the bottom line—profit, not loss. Business relationships seek out mutual interests. Sister-city relationships entail broader dimensions with mutual interests being significant. I believe that few Americans factor money-making potential into their sister-city relationships. This applies to the Japanese, as well. The ability to build and foster grass roots exchange is the common strength of both the U.S. and Japan.
This grass roots exchange can be embellished and expanded beyond your sister-city relationships. The Tyler area of East Texas is potentially a virtual playground for Japanese tourists. Your lakes, streams and trails beckon. Conversely, American tourists from this area—whether retirees or adventure seekers—will greatly enjoy the hot springs, resorts and hiking spots of my home country. And the Yen-Dollar exchange rates are very favorable right now, especially compared with the Euro, so take advantage and explore Japan. I believe we have a reservoir of great potential in all of the activities of your sister-city relationship and beyond. I could talk about educational exchanges here too, but I’ll save that for another time and let you use your imaginations on it.
Ladies and gentlemen:
Here is the good news. The American perceptions about the Japanese have never been better than they are today according to a recent poll conducted by an American public policy agency. According to that survey, Japan has scored its highest approval rating in history. Our two countries have seen ups and downs in our relationship in the last 150 years. Prejudice and misunderstanding, military conflict and economic competitions have prevailed in the past. However, we have gradually learned to understand and respect each other. Despite this deepened understanding and respect for one another, old habits die hard. Prejudice and self interest still play a big part in manipulating perceptions. The Japanese image has been easy prey in this game because we—Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans—are a very small minority in the U.S. Few Americans have found their Japanese business interests all that critical or life/death type issues. Despite this, it is truly encouraging that more and more Americans have made Japanese people their good and trusted friends and have a love for Japan and things Japanese.
On the international front, the bilateral security arrangement between the U.S. and Japan has deepened and provides a rock solid base to our bilateral relationship. The once severe trade frictions between our two nations have greatly subsided. These factors no doubt contribute to the improving image of Japan. The most salient factor, however, is the growing people-to-people contact through sister city and other exchange programs that help to greatly dissipate the stereotypes about Japan and the Japanese.
Tyler is standing on the frontlines of the U.S.-Japan relationship in this sense. Please continue to give Japanese young people a chance to experience the world and your warm friendship and generous Texas hospitality through the window that Tyler provides.
The Tyler experience gave the Yachiyo students a whole new perspective which eventually changed their mindsets for life. They learned a critical lesson and they now honor the difference that diversity makes in life.
I would like to pay my respects to all of you who have worked hard to make this wonderful relationship with Yachiyo take root and grow. It is an anchor to our mutually prosperous future.
Last but not least, I touch on the business relationship between the U.S. and Japan. The U.S. is a business friendly nation. So is Japan. I appeal to businessmen here to renew your interest in doing business with Japan. Japan’s cutting edge business is manufacturing. We are good at it, although we are not good at playing politics. Manufacturing is the source of wealth we look to, which explains why we adhere to perfection in quality. You can count on Japan to produce the highest quality goods. I know that most advanced, modern economies are led by the financial service industry. By comparison, the manufacture-driven economy may seem a bit quaint, but Japan’s ability to produce high-tech products, manufacturing prowess, the most demanding market with the most curious consumers, legal stability, high standard of civility, social integrity and originality constitute Japan’s assets. Japan’s weakness is the inability to discard old time success experiences. Structural reform is being vigorously pursued, but needs further acceleration. Globalization and Information Technology impose new challenges on Japan to get ready for global competition. English skills, mobility and a flexible labor force constitute our priority challenges.
Texas is on the move to an even more prosperous future and is prepared to take on challenges. Texas has the potential to establish mutually beneficial business relationships with Japan. We already have many happy pairings between Texas and Japan: San Antonio and Toyota, El Paso and Japanese Auto parts companies, Dallas and 7-11 convenience stores, Austin and Tokyo Electron, Houston and Mitsubishi-Caterpillar, to name a few. Did you know that Japan is the 3rd largest foreign employer after the U.K. and France in Texas? For that matter it may be the best kept secret that Japan is still number one in terms of U.S. market outside of NAFTA countries. Japan is number two in terms of foreign investment in the U.S. and number 3 in terms of job creation in the U.S., not to mention that Japan’s GDP is larger than that of China, India, Korea and the ASEAN countries combined.
Japanese businesses look to Texas for future opportunities such as distribution hubs (land, sea and air), R&D (medical, space and material, nano-technology), manufacturing (machinery, petrochemical, electric and semiconductor), energy and environment engineering, education and tourism. Japan has captured America’s imagination with our unique, yet universally appealing culture. Japanese food, sports, fashion, anime and manga, for instance, all became popular and have generated great interest. With newly added vigor, there can be vast room for the U.S. and Japan to join hands in business. Awhile ago I said that sister-city relationships are great without business interest implications. They become even greater if business gains are made, as well. We have already found a good partner in each other. We just need to continue to enjoy our relationship and build on it for better fulfillment, prosperity and the future.
Thank you for your kind attention and I wish you great success in all of your endeavors.