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3/26/2017 at La Jolla Riford Library
Welcome to Twentieth Annual San Diego Japanese Speech Contest!
My name is Fumiko Tachibana. I have been the chair of the contest for many years now, and it is our great pride to be celebrating our twentieth anniversary with all of you today. Welcome back to La Jolla.
It is not easy to prepare this event each year, but it was a pure joy and happiness as I look back upon 1996 when it started for the first time. I personally had luck to see my students competing and winning in the first two years when I was teaching at private school in La Jolla. Memories go round like a revolving lantern. It’s hard to believe that twenty years have passed. Many of the students competing today weren’t even born.
We are an event volunteer group that is entirely done out of love for culture, language, and community. As a thank you and a celebration of this milestone, we have prepared a nice coffee mug to celebrate our special day. It is a small token of our appreciation for every one’s hard work and dedication, contestants or volunteers or supporters.
Today’s MC team consists of Mr. Frederic Hewett and Mr. Dacoda Strack. Fred has served as our MC for a number of times. He understands several languages. The Japanese Friendship Garden, where he is employed, is so fortunate to have such a talented program coordinator. Dacoda is a national and international speech contest champion. He served as MC last year, and he is back to help us out! Thank you so much.
Today our MC’s are making a report on their trips to Japan. This year, we are also joined by last year’s college category winner, Ms. Cianna Rabern. I don’t know how many times she traveled back and forth between the US and Japan last year. She is a busy traveler, but today she is going to say hello to you by joining Fred & Dacoda’s report.
We are so fortunate to have many gift supporters.
We would like to appreciate Kyocera International for their inspiring donation of the book called Passion to Success written by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, the founder of Kyocera. Today Ms. Yoshi Bogart from Kyocera is in the audience. Thank you so much for being with us. I hope you will enjoy the speeches.
SONY has been one of the earliest and most generous supporters. My generation love SONY, and we appreciate their warm contribution. Thank you.
Temple University has donated the cash prize for the top three winners for two categories. Thank you.
JAL has made it possible for us to offer a round trip ticket to the college winner. Thank you. Cheng & Tsui, Stone Bridge Press for their great books! JPT America, Japan Foundation and many other generous companies, thank you!
Locally, we have Mr. Kocho of San Diego Japanese Marketing System, Mr and Mrs. Chiba of Yoshi's Jam and Invent Dreams , Ms. Kazuko Coyne, Nijiya Market and Mitsuwa market, Chopstix, Menyu, and so on. We wish to list all the names, but we will run out of time. Thank you.
We appreciate the special guests, judges, teachers, and dedicated volunteers who have worked very hard to support the contest. Without their help, we wouldn’t be able to host this event. Thank you.
We appreciate the warm support that all of you have extended to the participants.
Now most importantly, I’d like to extend my best wishes to the contestants. You are already winners! By deciding to come here to make a speech, you are destined to enjoy the time. THIS excitement is a LIFETIME treasure that rarely happens. Make the most of it. Try hard. Your efforts will always be rewarded. We make our own merit.
Good luck. Ganbarimashou!
-Fumiko Tachibana
Our mailing address:
San Diego Japanese Regional Speech Contest Committee, ATTN: Mrs. Fumiko Tachibana, Chair
P. O. Box 28884, San Diego, CA 92198, sdjscc@gmail.com
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