National Day Reception

On Thursday, February 23rd, The Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage held the National Day reception in celebration of the 64^th birthday of His Majesty, Emperor Naruhito of Japan, at the Anchorage Museum. The event began with a vocal performance by Pipeline Vocal Project (PVP) of each country’s national anthem; followed by a speech from Head Consul Kiyohiko Hamada wishing for His Majesty’s good health and a deepening of Japanese-Alaskan cooperation and friendship; which was then followed by another speech by former Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell wherein he detailed Japan and Alaska’s long-standing economic ties and his hope for their future development. Afterword, the celebration continued with a video message from the mayor of Anchorage Dave Bronson and a toast by the president of the Japanese Alaska Association George Tolbert. The ceremony was an amiable affair in which one could feel US-Japan relations strengthening.