在ヒューストン日本国総領事館

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

It is my pleasure to welcome you here tonight to commemorate the conferral of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, upon Dr. George Jiro Hirasaki.I am happy to see so many JACL members, Dr. Hirasaki’s close friends, and relatives here this evening, as we join together to celebrate this momentous occasion.

To begin with, please allow me to briefly explain the very prestigious decoration that Dr. Hirasaki has received.The Order of the Rising Sun was established by the Meiji Emperor in 1875, and was the first such honor to be created by the Japanese government.There are six different categories of the Order, and it is presented under the name of the Emperor to individuals from around the world who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields. Dr. Hirasaki is one of 13 American recipients in April this year to have this high honor conferred upon him.Receiving some category of the Order this April along with Dr. Hirasaki are notables such as Clint Eastwood, the world-famous film director, Arden L. Bement, Director of the National Science Foundation, and Setsuko Matsunaga Nishi, Founding President of Asian American Federation of New York.

Although most of you know Dr. Hirasaki well, I would like to take a few moments to introduce him and highlight just a few of his many achievements. For many years, Dr. Hirasaki has participated enthusiastically in activities of the Houston chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). With broad recognition by the Japanese-American community of his contributions to the league, Dr. Hirasaki became its president in March 2002.

While at the helm of JACL, Dr. Hirasaki has greatly enhanced the status of the Japanese-American community and promoted mutual understanding between Japan and the United States by increasing the league’s visibility and participating in various Japan-related events.

When not furthering the cause of the Japanese-American community, Dr. Hirasaki enjoys great success professionally. He performs research in the field of chemical engineering and has been teaching at RiceUniversity for many years. Such are his achievements that he was offered the title “A.J. Hartsook Professor.” Without a doubt, Dr. Hirasaki’s fame as a professional has further enhanced the standing of the Japanese-American community.

I am sincerely grateful to Dr. Hirasaki for his contributions to Japan-U.S. relations, and would like to conclude my remarks by expressing my heartfelt congratulations to him on this momentous occasion. Thank you very much.