Greetings from Consul General
Aug. 1, 2014
Dear Friends,
It is a pleasure to introduce myself, Tsutomu Himeno, as the new Consul General of Japan in Boston. Over the course of the next several years, my hope and ambition is to do all that I can to further develop relations between Japan and the six New England states.
In the past, I have served at the Embassies of Japan in the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C. and Singapore, at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, and, immediately prior to my appointment in Boston, as Deputy Permanent Representative and Minister of the Permanent Delegation of Japan to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. I have had a few occasions to visit New England and to experience its charms, but this will be my first extended stay here. It is an honor to work on Japan-U.S. relations in this region which has such deep and historic ties with Japan.
Of course, the Consul General’s office will work closely with the Japanese community and continue to provide consular and other services to Japanese nationals to ensure that they have a safe and comfortable sojourn in New England.
In all the various functions that my office performs, I hope that you will feel free to offer me your suggestions. At the outset, however, I wish to set my focus on the following three points.
First, I intend to make a great effort to inform New Englanders about what Japan and the Japanese people have to offer. Ever since December, 2012, Japan’s economy has shown a remarkable dynamism as a result of the Abe administration’s “Abenomics.” And preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have already picked up considerable steam since the Tokyo venue was announced in September, 2013. Japan is taking a forward-looking posture in many different fields. For example, in the arena of international peace, the Abe administration is set to make Japan a “Proactive Contributor to Peace.”
My second point is to strengthen our efforts to make New England and its many attractive features better known in Japan. Of course, those attractive features are infinite. I am looking forward to experiencing as much as I can during my stay here, and intend to send dispatches back to my home office on what I learn.
My third priority is to promote Japan-U.S. collaboration wherever and whenever it is possible. In New England, which has such a rich history and such strong traditions in art and culture, relations with Japan are already deep and well developed. There are many individuals across the region who are engaging in grass-roots exchanges with Japanese friends through, for example, Japan-America societies and sister-city organizations. Those participating in these exchanges are an invaluable asset to our relations. It is my wish to join with you in this important undertaking and raise the exchanges between our peoples to a new level of activity and significance.
For this, I depend on your guidance and your encouragement.
With best wishes,
Tsutomu (Tom) Himeno
Consul General of Japan in Boston