Happy New Year to the readers of Rafu Shimpo.

I have entered my second year since being posted to this region in September 2022. During this time, I have focused on meeting with as many people as possible. I am deeply grateful to Japanese nationals and members of the Japanese American community, and to all friends of Japan who have warmly welcomed me.

The Japan-U.S. relationship is as strong an alliance as it has ever been. Yet, we find ourselves at a turning point in history, with the global security environment in a precarious situation, underscoring how favorable ties between nations are based on unwavering efforts by all parties to achieve peace. As we usher in a new year, I would like to build and cultivate people-to-people connections at a grassroots level in various regions, communities and fields, and thus contribute to further elevating our close Japan-U.S. relations.

This region is home to the largest population of Japanese nationals outside of Japan, one of the largest Japanese American populations, and also a major gateway to Japan. As such, consular duties are one of our most important jobs. Online applications for passports and visas began at the end of March 2023, followed by online applications and payments for certificates from the end of November. Our office will continue to strive to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and also to make various services more accessible.

With resumption of face-to-face activities after the pandemic last year, the Consulate General of Japan has sought to revitalize interactions and exchanges in different fields as we look ahead to the future.

Japan and California are neighbors connected through the Pacific Ocean. Our economic ties are firmly underpinned by cooperation between economic organizations on both sides of the Pacific and the business activities of private-sector companies. In 2023, the U.S. government designated investment bases for domestic hydrogen infrastructure, with the State of California at the forefront. Going forward, through demonstration projects and related infrastructure investment at ports, along with expectations toward Japan’s leading hydrogen technology, we are anticipating further expansion of economic ties between Japan and California. The Japanese Consulate will strongly support public-private initiatives. We will also work with Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japanese restaurants, and food industry representatives to promote further growth and exports of Japanese food and alcoholic beverages.

In the field of public diplomacy and culture, the Japanese Consulate will work with Japan House Los Angeles and the Japan Foundation Los Angeles to further promote awareness and appreciation of Japan. In Southern California, Japanese culture and Japanese language are widely accessible and well known. In addition to promoting Japanese language education among U.S. nationals, we will further support Japanese heritage language (Keisho Nihongo) learners in the Japanese American community, and Japanese nationals. As for the cultural field, our office will strive to strengthen the Japanese presence of movies, music and other entertainment field content in the U.S. in addition to promotion of traditional Japanese culture.

At the same time, we hope Japanese American leaders in different fields in the U.S. will solidify ties with their counterparts in Japan and work together towards strengthening our bilateral relationship even further. In particular, putting more emphasis on younger, next-generation leaders, we will continue our efforts to create opportunities for their collaborations.

To conclude, I wish all Rafu Shimporeaders a Happy New Year, full of good health and happiness! May Japan-U.S. relations deepen further in the new year!

Jan. 1, 2024

Kenko Sone

Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles