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Dalton Tanonaka to tour Japan

The PBEC President was selected by the Japanese
government as a promising Japanese American leader

[ Dalton Tanonaka ]HONOLULU (December 5, 2002) — Dalton Tanonaka, President of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), has been selected by the Japanese government to participate in a goodwill tour of Japan next week.

Arriving in Tokyo on Sunday, Dec. 8 — following meetings with PBEC members and leaders in Seoul — Tanonaka will begin five days of visits and tours with prominent members of Japan’s private and public sector. Destinations include:

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
  • Association of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad
  • Japanese Overseas Migration Museum – Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
  • NHK/Japan Broadcasting Corporation
  • Tokyo Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • Nagatacho House of Councilors
  • Recording Industry Association of Japan
  • Toyota Public Plant

The special invitational program – overseen by MOFA – aims to identify active and prominent Americans of Japanese ancestry who are expected to play an even greater role in their communities in the future, and allow them to converse with government and business leaders in Japan.

The Japanese Consulate in Honolulu assisted the government of Japan in securing Tanonaka’s participation. “We suggested Mr. Tanonaka because we feel he will play a very great role in this community in the future,” explained Consul Takashi Hatori.

“The Japanese government hopes these leaders will grow to understand today’s Japan, and that the Japanese government and business people who meet with them get to know tomorrow’s Japanese American leaders,” Hatori added.

Tanonaka is one of only three Japanese American leaders participating in the program. He will be joined by a government officer from Seattle and a private business owner from Toronto.

Tanonaka returns to Honolulu on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Media Contact:
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
Manager, Information Technology & Communications
PBEC International Secretariat
900 Fort Street, Suite 1080
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 96813
E-Mail: ryan@pbec.org

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Last Modified: 15 January 2003