Japan America Society of Southern California Green Conference

“Green Conference,” sponsored by Japan-America Society of Southern California, was held on May 27th. At the conference, the both Japan and the US think about environmental issues together every year. They exchange their opinions from each perspective. As they marked its 4th anniversary this year, they entitled the conference “The Future of California High-Speed Rail.” They had presentations by experts from the industry. East Japan Rail Company, as a representative of Japan, was appealing to the crowd by talking about a bullet train as an example of their technology that focuses on safety. Norman Mineta, former-United States Secretary of Transportation, delivered a keynote speech and emphasized that California High-Speed Rail is a much-needed project. About 150 people, including students and railway officials, attended the conference. Since the technology newly introduced this time looked fresh to the visitors, they were talking about the feasibility of California High-Speed Rail intensely. We look forward a future of California High-Speed Rail.

Aurora Foundation Speech Contest

On May 29th, “7th National Convention Japanese Speech Contest,” sponsored by Aurora Foundation, took place in Irvine. They hold the event every year to increase the number of people who understand Japanese language and culture. The participants are 16 American high school students. As the panel decided whom to win in terms of contents, wording, and delivery of speeches, it was Shandi Ziroki who captured the victory. He talked to us about why he started learning Japanese. Ziroki adores a Japanese gangster rock band, Kishidan, He studied Japanese hard because he wanted to go to Japan and become“ a bike-gang.” The panel valued his unique topic choice and his unique delivery of the speech. Ziroki will attend “Japanese Language Speech Contest for International high school students in Tokyo as the representative of the United States.

Memorial Day Ceremony

On May 31st, a Memorial Ceremony was held at Evergreen Cemetery, in Boyle Heights, which is home to many Japanese American soldiers killed in World War Two, Korean War, and Vietnam War. The ceremony took place in front of a monument made for Sadao Munemori. He saved his peers of 442 Regiment by placing himself over them against a hand grenade at Italian Front, This Memorial Ceremony started in 1949. Bereaved families, comrades, and representatives of Japanese-descended organizations put flowers on the monument to commemorate the deceased soldiers.