The Hyogo Club

John Stanford International School (JSIS) is a Seattle public elementary school which offers a dual-language immersion program in Japanese and Spanish. The program focuses on not only language but also culture so that students will success globally.

Hyogo Business & Cultural Center had a booth to provide sightseeing information about Hyogo for the students and their parents who are going to visit an elementary school in Kobe in this summer. We also had a playing space for children to enjoy Origami and Japanese toys such as Kendama, Daruma-otoshi and Koma. A lot of children visited our booth, and they were fascinated with Japanese toys. We appreciate the great opportunity to give people a better understanding of Hyogo and Japanese culture.

John Stanford International School “Japan Night”John Stanford International School (JSIS) is a Seattle public elementary school which offers a dual-language immersion program in Japanese and Spanish. The program focuses on not only language but also culture so that students will success globally.?They held a Japanese Cultural event called “Japan Night” on February 5th. There were Japanese Drams and Shorinji Kempo Martial Arts performances, and many booths that introduced Japanese culture. ?Hyogo Business & Cultural Center had a booth to provide sightseeing information about Hyogo for the students and their parents who are going to visit an elementary school in Kobe in this summer. We also had a playing space for children to enjoy Origami and Japanese toys such as Kendama, Daruma-otoshi and Koma. A lot of children visited our booth, and they were fascinated with Japanese toys. We appreciate the great opportunity to give people a better understanding of Hyogo and Japanese culture.

The event was held during the day on Friday, December 11, 2009 at the Official Residence of Consul General Mitsunori Namba.? Due to the total number of participants (250 registered guest) a parking lot was reserved off-site, with shuttle bus service provided to the facility.? Guests received name tags from a pre-arranged registration table, and were screened by metal detector before entering the residence.?? Consul-General greeted each guest upon their arrival.

?The event was attended by many distinguished guests from the Seattle area, including political, economic, military and media figures, as well as members of the Consular Association of Seattle.?? The official ceremony lasted only 15 minutes.? Both national anthems of Japan and the United States were played, followed by remarks by Consul General.? The two speakers invited to speak, Washington State Senator and Seattle City Councilwoman Jan Drago made mention of the Sister-City relationship between Hyogo Prefecture and the importance of developing relationships at all levels for the betterment of overall US-Japan relationships.?

?Many people at the event took note of our office representatives and were very positive about the work of the HBCC.? Sister-city association representatives, educators, and Japanese community group leaders expressed their interest in HBCC’s programs for the coming year, and shared in the excitement of our staff regarding our relocation to the JCCCW.

?Various tables were arranged showcasing Japanese cuisine and goods.? Master Chef Tak Suetsugu demonstrated his mastery of knife skills, and demonstrated the creation of edible decorations at his table. Chef Suetsugu has worked with HBCC in the past, demonstrating kaiseki ryori.? He often mentions the famous kuromame from Hyogo Prefecture when discussing his style of cuisine and the culture of Japanese cooking. The 20th century? pear, and a special mikan tangerine were also showcased as potential future exports.

?In the future, given the level of interest in the sister-state relationship between Hyogo and Washington, and the ability to feature goods from a particular prefecture, HBCC could inquire about coordinating with the Consulate-General in the future to promote the goods and exports of Hyogo Prefecture at this event.

Hi, I am Asami. I work for the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center as an intern. I am in a one year study program at Bellevue College, and I enjoy studying in the culturally diverse environment on campus. I took some classes for credit the last two quarters. It was challenging for me to take such classes with native English speakers, but I took pleasure in being involved in class through group projects and class activities.
I grew up in Kanie town, in Aichi prefecture in Japan, and I go to Aichi Gakuin University, where I am studying psychology. My hometown, Kanie, is located next to Nagoya city. Nagoya is famous for its unique food. My favorite Nagoya food is “Hitsumabushi” which is small cut backed eel with sauce on rice. People enjoy it in many ways. First, we eat it as it is served, then we add spices and green onions. Finally, we add some Dashi soup.? When you come to Nagoya city, please try “Hitsumabushi”. You will love it!

Hi, I’m Mari and now I am working in the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center as an intern. I was born and raised in Tokyo,Japan, and came to Seattle this March. I graduated from Waseda University in Japan, and now I am studying Business English at the University of the Washington.

My home town, Toyosu, is surrounded by Tokyo Bay and the Sumida River where the famous? Ogata Bune runs up and down frequently.Ogata Bune is a boat in which

people enjoy scenery with dining. It was started in the Edo Period. You can see a panoramic night view of Odaiba, and the famous Rainbow Bridge. Near my

hometown, there is a famous area, Tukishima, known for “Monjayaki” dishes cooked using hot iron plates. Every weekend many people visit the “Nishinaka”shopping Street”, which consists of nearly 100 Monjayaki restaurants. Also,close to the Tukishima,you can visit a famous fish market, Tsukiji. You should like to stop these places when you visit Japan by all means.

During my University days in Japan, I studied Family sociology and volunteered with a Non Profit Organization which supports children’s education in developing countries. Therefore with the Hyogo BCC, I am looking forward to engaging in educational program for students. I like listening to music, reading books, taking pictures and enjoying art, so I enjoy staying in Seattle which is full of music and art.

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