3.11 2nd Anniversary Speech by Prime Minister Abe
 On March 11th, Prime Minister Abe delivered remarks at the ceremony attended by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress to commemorate the second anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The Prime Minister conveyed his sympathies to all those affected and pledged his government's efforts for a full recovery. Click the left link to see his remarks, and the right link to see the Prime Minister's website for Japan's revival:
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2013 Japan Bowl of Southern California 
The inaugural
Japan Bowl® of Southern California took place on Saturday, March 9th, 2013 at the LAX Sheraton hotel. High school teams of three competed on knowledge of history, culture and current events, as well as Japanese language. The winning team from Pebble Beach receives a trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the national Japan Bowl on April 11-12th. |
Tomodachi San Diego 2013
The Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana co-sponsored a very special meeting of seven Japanese students from Kesennuma, Iwate prefecture, and US Marine and Navy representatives who were members of Operation Tomodachi in 2011. The ceremony, attended by Mayor Bob Filner and Deputy Consul General Masahiro Suga, was part of a five day visit by the students to San Diego.
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Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival
 The City of Monterey Park and the 2013 Cherry Blossom Festival Committee present the 16th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival on April 20 & 21, 2013 at Barnes Park, located at 350 S. McPherrin Avenue; Monterey Park, CA. Experience dance, taiko, martial arts, tea ceremony, Asian food, and games and crafts for kids. Entry to the Festival is free.
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Dr. Shinya Yamanaka Wins Life Science Prize in US
 A new life-science award foundation in the US has awarded a three-million-dollar prize to each of 11 researchers, including the Japanese Nobel laureate, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka. The monetary award is more than twice that of the Nobel Prize. The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences was created to recognize research that could lead to curing intractable diseases. |
Success in Tests to Tap Gigantic New Natural Gas Resource
 For the first time anywhere in the world, Japan has successfully extracted natural gas from frozen methane hydrate deposits in the seabed in Pacific waters off central Japan, possibly opening up a significant new energy source that could help fuel Japan's economy for decades to come! |
JAPAN RELATED EVENTS FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA & ARIZONA
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Love to Nippon Memorial Event Speech by Consul General Jun Niimi
Consul General Jun Niimi joined Los Angeles residents at LAPD Headquarters on March 10th to remember the victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The event was organized by the Love to Nippon Project, the Japan America Society of Southern California, and the Nichi Bei Fujinkai, and included an ecumenical service, performances, and panels on diaster preparedness.
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Consul General Niimi speaks at UCLA and UCSD
 Consul General Jun Niimi introduced the Prime Minister's new government to university and public audiences at the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies at UCLA on February 27th and the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UCSD on March 4th. He delivered a presentation entitled "The Newly-Elected Abe Administration and Its Policies" and answered a broad array of questions from students, professors and community members.
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Japanese American Delegation in Japan
The 2013 Japanese American Leadership Delegation recently visited Fukushima, where they observed the second anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake, recognizing the progress made towards recovery and the strength and determination of the people of Tohoku. In Tokyo, they met with Prime Minister Abe, Foreign Minister Kishida, and other high level leaders.
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Sogetsu Iemoto Ikebana Live at JACCC JAT
 On Saturday, April 27th, the headmaster of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, Akane Teshigahara, will create a large arrangement in front of a live audience at the Aratani Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo. For event and ticket information, click here: |
Hapa Japan 2013
This festival highlighting mixed-race and mixed-roots Japanese people and culture kicked off on April 2nd with musical performances and ran through the 6th with a two-day scholarly conference. It was held this year for the first time in Southern California. Consul General Niimi hosted participants at his official residence for an evening of fusion food and celebration.
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Arizona Matsuri 2013
 More that 60,000 people attended the 29th Annual Arizona Matsuri on February 23rd and 24th at the Heritage and Science Park in downtown Phoenix. The wide array of Japanese foods fueled numerous performances and vendor exhibits, and was capped with a mochizuki demonstration by Los Angeles' Fugetsu-do. The volunteer-run festival is free and open to the public each year.
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs News
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This newsletter is issued by the Japan Information & Culture Center