ISSUE #73

JULY, 2012

JLGC NEWS LETTER
Japan Local Government Center ( CLAIR, New York )issue no.73 July, 2012

ICMA INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEEAT MIYAGI PREFECTURE GOVT.

ISSUE NO.73 JULY 2012

A Greeting from the New
Executive Director (1-2)
Comments from ICMA International Committee’ sJapan Tour Participants(page 3-7)
Comments from JETAA
members who volunteered at
the JLGC booth in the New
York Times Travel Show
2012 (page 8-10)
Introduction of JLGC New
Staff (page 11)
JLGC New Staff visitedNovi, Michigan (page 12)

My name is Takaaki Ogata, the New Executive Director of Japan Local Government
Center (JLGC), CLAIR New York. I am
originally from the City of Kobe, and wasdispatched from the government of Hyogo
Prefecture to take over from my predecessor, Mr. Masaaki Akagi, starting from
April of this year.
First of all, I would like to take this occasion to express, on behalfof all of us here at JLGC, our sincere gratitude for your continued
support for and cooperation with our office. I believe that strong,close friendships between nations can generate peace, development, and prosperity on both sides, and I look forward to establishing and strengthening closer relationships between Japanese communities and their counterparts in the US and Canada. I will do
my best to achieve these goals during my time as Executive Director of JLGC, and would greatly appreciate your kind understanding and cooperation.
We mainly have three core missions at JLGC: Firstly, to strengthen grass-roots relationships and cooperation by state/provincial/
local governments between North America and Japan; secondly, tosupport the activities and research carried out by Japanese local
authorities in the US and Canada; and thirdly, to support the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program (JET) and the JET Alumni Association.

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER(CLAIR, NY)
3 Park Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10016-5902
212.246.5542 office • 212.246.5617 fax
www.jlgc.org

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Until this March I worked to promote communityto-community and government-to-government relations & exchanges at the local level as the directorof the International Relations Division for Hyogo
Prefecture. I was also in charge of JET Program
matters, supporting Assistant Language Teachers
in local areas and working with Coordinators forInternational Relations in my office in Kobe, so I
love JET members and know the importance of the
JET Alumni Association (JETAA) and the JET network very well. The activities of JETAA have beenhighly evaluated by so many people, and I, too,
think the organization is a living treasure for Japan and for the US and Canada.
These days the world is facing so many problems –recession, terrorism, piracy, civil war, unusual
weather, natural disasters – but, working together,
the US, Canada and Japan can take the lead in
addressing these. And I think that we here at
JLGC can, in our own small way, contribute to these efforts at the local level.

I love world history. History gives us dreams, hopes
and knowledge, and often shows us the way we should
act and how to build better relationships among people.
I would like to learn more about the history and cultureof the US and Canada by visiting a lot of historic sites –cities, towns, parks and places with beautiful sceneryand nature. I hope to encounter great experiences andmake new friends, In return, I would also like to share
Japanese culture and spirit with the people I meet.
The year 2011 was an extremely hard time for Japan,
owing to the triple disasters on March 11. However, theTohoku region has begun the long road to its revival,
thanks in part to generous support from the US andCanada, as well as from the JET alumni in both countries. I truly appreciate your support for Japan, and I’dlike you to visit beautiful Japan again, and especially
the Tohoku area, with its abundant culture, history,
food and excellent scenery, to see the progress that’s
been made.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the friends, supporters of CLAIR, and JETAA members, for your invaluable
contributions as we work together to strengthen ties between North America and Japan.
With warmest regards,

Takaaki Ogata
Executive Director of Japan Local Government Center(CLAIR, New York)With Mayors at the USCM Annual Conference 2012

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Please visit our website at www.jlgc.org for more information

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Comments from ICMA International Committee’s Japan Tour Participants
Mr. Mark S. Watson
ICMA International Committee Chairman
City Manager
City of Oak Ridge, TN

The International City/County Manager Association (ICMA) International Committee met in Tokyo, Japan and toured Miyagi prefecture from
April 16 to 20, 2012. It was the first time that an
ICMA Committee met in a nation which doesn’t
have a partner organization similar to ICMA.
The decision to visit Japan centered around adesire to learn about the newest systems of local
government in Japan and to observe the recovery
of areas which were huge damaged by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. It’s also
important to remember that ICMA and JLGC
have a long lasting relationship with each other.
<The itinerary included>
 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Japan Association of City Mayors
 Council of Local Authorities International Relations
 Miyagi Prefecture Government
 Sendai Airport (observation) Yuriage district, Natori city (observation)

The International Committee meeting in Japanwas insightful. A model of good planning and implementation. Upon visiting one of the tsunami impact
sites in Miyagi Prefecture, I was struck by the utter
destruction. Ten thousand souls were lost, land
structures underwater and tons of debris. Yet, I
found hope in the exemplary enthusiasm of Japanese public servants to recover quickly and efficiently. A ten-year plan, with benchmarks and processes
was readily identified by national, prefecture, andlocal governments to assist with the recovery. Freetaxation zones were established to encourage immediate development of jobs. Local governments examined new ways to plan parks and open space where
re-building was not feasible. I was impressed with
their desire to learn from this event, which was epitomized by the Sendai International Airport Director
stating that he was collecting thoughts and directives about the airport’s experience and sharing itwith every major airport in the world! This disastereven affected our sister city of Naka, nearly 35 kilometers from the coast, where they were without water systems and roads for two weeks after the earthquake. A 200-year-old local sake brewery shared
their spring water with the local townsfolk until thesystem was repaired. Truly, Japan has resilient people with ultra-abilities to respond to the worst ofdisasters!

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Please visit our website at www.jlgc.org for more information

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Comments from ICMA International Committee’s Japan Tour Participants
Mr. Peter Agh
ICMA International Committee Vice Chairman
ICMA Vice President

City Manager
City of Nove Zamky,

Mr. Jim Toye
CAMA （Canadian Associationof Municipal Administrators）
President

Nove Zamky, Slovakia
The International Committee of the ICMA hasfor a number of years promoted international
cooperation and strengthened the relations between managers worldwide. Its recent Spring
meeting in Japan and study tour of the 2011
Great East Japan Earthquake area showed how
managers from other parts of the world can facesimilar experiences and learn from each other.
There was much to learn from our Japanesecounterparts who were forced to come up withnew ideas and new ways of dealing with thisdisaster in just hours and days. It was when I
learned that over 250,000 people were relocatedin 30 minutes time between the earthquake andthe tsunami and only 10,000 were lost in thistragedy in Miyagi, that struck me as remarkable. My appreciation of Japanese people is great
for their discipline as they face tragedies resiliently and like the ancient Phoenix, rise fromashes every time. My last two days I spent inHiroshima, where the day after the bomb was
dropped, citizens were hooking up electrical
power lines. The third day after, the streetcar
service started and two weeks after the bombing, the first city council meeting was held in
the destroyed city hall building. Today, some 67
years later, it is a beautiful lively city with almost 2 million inhabitants. Also an excellent
example of the Japanese strong will.

The International Committee meeting / study tour
was informative and interesting. I would like tothank Ross Hoff and the Japanese Council of Local
Authorities for International Relations (New York)for planning the event. It is well known that Japanis a major economic power in the world and although
there was a minor downturn after the tsunami and
the Fukushima Nuclear Plant shut-down, the economy is back on track. With the implementation of avariety of incentives, tax reductions and an aggressive marketing campaign, a number of new businesses are being constructed or are being re-established.
Japan has been a leader in climate change initiatives and the presentation of the Tokyo Climate
Change Strategy by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials was insightful. Similar programs areevident throughout the country. Reducing energy is
an important issue as Japan reviews their future useof nuclear power. On our visit to Sendai and Miyagi
Prefecture, it became evident the extent of the decimation and damage the tsunami caused in the area.
On a positive note, it was apparent in the hard workand determination of the various levels of government and the people, in general, that this area wasgetting back to normal within a year of the catastrophic event. We were informed that professional
staff from all levels of government and prefecturesfrom across the country helped with the initial cleanup and the recovery and re-construction plans of thedamaged areas. A true team spirit in a time of need.
The reuse and recycling project in Miyagi Prefecture
was also impressive and well planned. Thank you forthe opportunity to attend this event.

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Comments from ICMA International Committee’s Japan Tour Participants
Ultraland Japan: Resilience in the face of ultrachallenges
By Clay Pearson and Bill Hammon

Three years ago, co-author, Clay Pearson visited
Japan to learn to the country’s local government

Mr. Clay Pearson

Mr. Bill Hammon

City Manager
City of Novi, MI

Assistant City Manager
City of Alcoa, TN

structure and community-building activities. His
impressions focused in Japan as a land of ultras:
ultraclean, ultrasafe, ultraprompt, ultratasty, andultracohesive.
A return to Japan with the ICMA International
Committee in April 2012 for a work study andmeeting did nothing to diminish that characterization, even following the epic earthquake and tsunami disasters and subsequent Fukushima nuclear reactor problems of March 2011. We heard how
the Japanese planned for and cope with significant
widespread disaster. The prefectures of Japan
have developed individual ten-year plans to recover, rebuild, and improve because ten years is a realistic timeframe.
ICMA International Committee members met inTokyo for a series of meetings with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), andthe National Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Participating ICMA members fromaround the United States, Canada, and Slovakia
attended with logistical support from ICMA. Eachmember underwrote their own attendance. ICMA
President-elect Simon Farbrother, ICMA Vice
President Peter Agh, and International Committee
Chairman Mark Watson led the delegation. The
ICMA Japan Tour was arranged and supported by
CLAIR Headquarters in Tokyo and the Japan Local Government Center in New York, and CLAIR
staff that liaised with our group during the entire
stay.

Tokyo is a city of 13 million people that runs likeclockwork. Trains, commerce, connections, anddeliveries are ultra-smooth. The Tokyo government is a uni-government, functioning as a traditional state, county, and city. It works well. The
vice governor for the consolidated Tokyo Metropolitan Government hosted us in its massive towered government offices; ultra-good hospitality
and generosity remained a hallmark even at these high levels of government. We were additionally hosted for a series of meetings with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications andthe Japan Association of City Mayors. The Japan
Association of Mayors functions much as our U.S.
National League of Cities, providing a forum forthe elected Representatives of local governments
to meet and confer.

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Ultra-hospitality and Ultra-efficiency
While the local government managers in our travelgroup marveled that every pavement striping andasphalt work looked like it had just been newly completed, the people of Tokyo moved with ultra-grace
and welcomed us with ultra-hospitality. You canguess the adjective for the speed and efficiency of the

Shinkansen bullet train that took us from Tokyo to
Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture -- yes, ultra-fast.
The bullet train’s two-hour ride (driving takes morethan five hours) is part of a nationwide network thathas operated for more than 50 years without incident. Trains leave on the appointed time, the cars
glide across the countryside up to 180 miles per hour,
and the carriages are clean, well-appointed, and wellserved.
Zipping by parts of the country that represent thethird largest economy in the world, one keeps inmind that all this has been achieved since rebuilding
began in 1945. In just over 65 years, Japan has
transformed itself from desolation and destruction toa leading democracy.

Japan’s democracy is real; despite frequent changes
in national leadership. There is lasting continuity inthe public service sector, extending into the local governments.
There are no city managers in Japan. Public servants are part of a system with an elected mayor as
chief executive officer, per the national constitution.
The local officials tend to stay with their jurisdictions
for their working careers, rotating amongst jobs inoften large units of government.
The CLAIR program provides an opportunity for
those local officials to work outside of Japan for up to
three years, learning best practices at one of seven
offices around the world. ICMA has a long, positive
working relationship with the CLAIR office in New
York. Many of the CLAIR staff members who haveattended ICMA conferences were able to renew
friendships during the International Committee visit.

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Setting Sights on Recovery
Sendai City is the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, which

The chilling site visit included a trip to the Sendai

endured the greatest direct damage and suffering

Airport. The airport was one of the countless tsuna-from the March 2011 tsunami. Even though Japan’s

mi videos made public in the wake of the disaster.

emergency preparedness is considered “tops” in the

The airport is just a couple of miles from the seacoast

world, the scale of the disaster was daunting, even as

and images showed the mass of water and debris

the recovery has accomplished so much.

sweeping across it. Yet, the airport reopened within

One measure is the debris. There are mountainous

four days for relief flights and then commercial flightpiles of neatly sorted materials along the coastline.

resumed within about one month. Many times there

There is as much debris to dispose as the prefecture

was appreciation expressed for the support of thewould normally produce in 23 years. There are an esti-

United States citizens from the beginning of the dis-mated 250,000 housing units to replace. Such scale

aster, especially the U.S. military’s work at Sendai

would make most despair, but such is not the way

Airport to assist Japanese forces.

with the Japanese.

There was great assistance from the U.S. military for

We met with Miyagi Prefecture officials who sharedthat airport recovery, an effort that was recognized

their 10-year recovery, reconstruction, and improve-and appreciated with respect from Tokyo throughout

ment plans. There was ultra-focus and ultra-

Miyagi Prefecture. While the airport is refurbishedcooperation. We realize that these official briefings are

and ramping back up to pre-disaster levels, the for-the packaging and planning. There are obviously go-

mer residential areas are laid level.

ing to be skirmishes between the local governments

Where there were housing and shops, there is cleared

and the national government about resources and di-open land and an occasional wrecked fishing boat.

rection.

There are no definitive decisions yet, but rebuilding

One just gets the sense that selfless cooperation will

housing this close to the coastline is not likely in themake this recovery work. Sendai City, a city of more

future. Whatever gets done, you know it will be ultra-

than 1 million people, has its center several miles in-right.

land, is bright and bustling. The city is quite large
and does have coastal areas, but the central business
district was directly unaffected by the encroachmentof sea water.

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Please visit our website at www.jlgc.org for
more information

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The New York Times Travel Show features
Japan’s Tohoku Region (March 2-4 at the Javits Center)
At the New York Times Travel Show 2012
(NYTTS), the Japan Local Government Center set
up its JLGC booth with “Learn About Beautiful
Tohoku and Visit” as the theme after the March 11,2011 disaster in Japan.
At the Exhibit booth volunteers handed out brochures, and administrated a Quiz of Tohoku* , so
visitor could learn about sightseeing spots, accesses, and the recovery situation after the earthquake.
We conducted demonstrations of Japanese calligraphy and ken-dama to promote Japanese culture.

At the NYTTS, we received substantial contributions from JET Alumni Association of New York(JETAANY). The nine members who were working
in Tohoku region (for example: Hiraizumi-cho(Iwate), Siogama city (Miyagi) and Iwaki city
(Fukushima) ) joined the event to support ourbooth as volunteers.

*Quiz of Tohoku (You can try!!)> Answers of the Quiz are here

They promoted the attractive areas of Tohoku byusing their experience and knowledge. Thanks totheir help, we distributed 5,500 brochures and assembled 675 answers on the Quiz of Tohoku.

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Please visit our website at www.jlgc.org for more information

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Comments from JETAA members who volunteered at the JLGC boothin the New York Times Travel Show 2012
Mr. Owen Rosa

Mr. Sam Frank

Iwate Prefecture 1999-2002

Hiraizumi-Cho, Iwate Prefecture
2002-2004

The New York Time Travel Show
was a great opportunity to demonstrate to the people of New York that the Tohoku area is still safeand one of the most beautiful areas of Japan tovisit. Although some people showed concerned
about the safety of the area after the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Disaster I found most did not careand hardly asked any questions about the March
11th, 2011 Great Earthquake and Tsunami. People at the show were interested in visiting themore traditional Japan and wanted to experience
Hot Springs and the outdoors, which was why the
Tohoku booth was so popular. I was happy toshare my experiences in Iwate and Tohoku with somany people and hope JLGC continues to promote
Tohoku. Thank you.

Ms. Alexei Esikoff
Fukushima Prefecture 2001-2002
The travel show was a bright, colorful, and hectic event. We JET alums talked
about how beautiful the Tohoku region is. People
were eager to take the Tohoku quiz JLGC had prepared, especially kids, who wanted little Akabekosof their own as prizes.

Volunteering at the New York Times
Travel Show was a wonderful opportunity for me toreconnect with one the most impactful experiences in
my life, living in the Tohoku region of Japan. Working alongside JLGC staff, I got to share stories about
all the wonderful food, kind people, and beautiful
landscapes that Iwate Prefecture has to offer. Whilemost Americans associate Tokyo and Osaka with Japan, the New York Times Travel show put a spotlighton one of Japan’s best kept secrets, and it was anhonor to share it with everybody. Yokoso!
Mr. Dominic Abordo
Akita Prefecture 2008-2011
I felt blessed to be able to volunteer at the NY Times Travel Show as a JET Program alumni. Not only did it allow me to share themany beauties of Japan and my life-changing experiences with eager individuals, but it also enabled
me to help others realize that traveling to the Tohoku Region – where I worked for three years – is bothsafe and worthwhile despite the aftermath of the
March 11 natural disasters. There are many beautiful things to see and experience in northern Japan,
and I hope that future visitors will take the time towitness these for themselves.

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Published by Japan Local Government Center
3 Park Avenue, 20th floor, New York, NY 10016 / Tel: 212-246-5542 / Fax:212-246-5617 / E:mail: jlgc@jlgc.org / http://www.jlgc.org

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Comments from JETAA members who volunteered at the JLGC boothin the New York Times Travel Show 2012
Mr. Rashaad Jorden
Yamagata Prefecture 2008-2010
When I learned about the opportunity to volunteer at the New York Times Travel
Show earlier this year, I quickly jumped on it. Little did I know how much fun the day would be.
Decked in a happi coat, I manned the Japan deskwith several fellow former JETs and others. I was
unsure about how many visitors would stop by ourdesk because in general, Japan seems to be an unknown country for many people.
But my worries were quickly dispelled. We werebombarded with folks eager to take the nice little
quiz on the Tohoku region we prepared for them.
Of course, they were motivated in large part totake the quiz so they could be receive some goodies, including an onigiri pin.
The most rewarding aspect of the day was seeing
more people learn about Japan, especially the
Tohoku region, as a tourist destination. I had thehonor of living in Yamagata Prefecture and meeting so many wonderful people there. Japan is a
special place, and one people will love once they
get the opportunity to explore it.

Ms. Alma Jennings
Fukushima Prefecture 20082010
I’m so glad I got the chance topromote Tohoku! I hope that by talking to theTravel Show visitors, we were able to share ourwonderful memories and inspire other travelers to
explore the north. If they go, they will not only experience one of the most beautiful areas of Japanbut also help the people living there by bringing
business to the many incredible hotels, restaurants, and attractions that have been struggling.
Ganbappe, Tohoku!

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Published by Japan Local Government Center
3 Park Avenue, 20th floor, New York, NY 10016 / Tel: 212-246-5542 / Fax:212-246-5617 / E:mail: jlgc@jlgc.org / http://www.jlgc.org

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Introduction of JLGC New Staff
Takaaki Ogata(Hyogo Prefecture)

Ayuko Ono
(Sakai City)

Keiko Washioka(Wakayama Prefecture)

Keiko Washioka, Assistant Director

Ayuko Ono, Assistant Director

Representative of Wakayama Prefecture

Representative of Sakai City

Hello, my name is Keiko Washioka from Wakayama
prefecture, Japan.
Wakayama is famous for its delicious fruits and produces the largest amount of mandarin oranges, persimmons and plums in Japan. Wakayama Castle, theworld heritage site of Koya and Kumano as well as
the beautiful beaches are well known tourist attractions.
During my stay at New York’s Japan local Government Center, I shall be in charge of the CLAIR Fellowship Exchange Program. This unique program affords senior state and local government officials from
Canada and the United States the opportunity to visit
Japan and experience firsthand Japanese public administration. I helpedwith last year’s program in Miyagi Prefecture where participants observed thedamage caused by
the Great East Japan earthquake andtsunami.
Seigantoji Temple and Nachi Falls（the world heritage site）

Do you know Sakai City in Osaka Prefecture? Myhome town, Sakai City has been a groundbreaker
and a trendsetter throughout its history, achieving
remarkable development from its early day’s rightup to the modern era. It was an important hub foroverseas trade in the 16th century and developed
into a city with a spirit of liberty and selfgovernance. People said “everything comes first to
Sakai”. The moats that encircled Sakai at thattime caused one foreign missionary to say the city
was “just like Venice”. As a result,people called Sakai“the Venice of theEast”. This prosperous history provides
a solid foundationfor Sakai’s ongoing
efforts to forge abright, hopeful future.
Sakai is famous for Japanese knives,
so I tried making one for myself!!
Please check: http://www.facebook.com/
SakaiKnives#

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JLGC New Staff visited Novi,Michigan
JLGC new assistant directors visited the city ofNovi, Michigan with the director, Takashi Sonohara on May 16-20, 2012.
The city of Novi is located in southeastern Michigan and has a population of about 55,000.
Every year, the city of Novi is kind enough to accept our staff to let us learn about American local
government.
Following are their impressions of Novi.

Keiko’s Comment
I recently travelled to the city of Novi in the state ofMichigan to learn about American local government
administration. Novi has approximately 2,500 community members and 65 Japanese-owned businesses. The relationship between Novi and Japan has
developed into a long lasting friendship. The citymanager affectionately refers to the city of Novi asJapan’s 48th prefecture. I was pleased to know thatsuch a friendly and rewarding partnership exists
between Novi and my country.

Japanese craft (Origami) class in Novi public library

Ayuko’s Comment
This was my first trip outside New York to visit a
local authority, and I was impressed by the hospitality and teamwork of city officials in the City of Novi. I
witnessed many citizens participating in volunteer
activities at city hall, the library, the schools, the firestations, the senior center and many other places.
People communicated with each other and exchanged
their opinions. I believe that active public engagement makes the city very unique and attractive. People in Novi are open to cultural diversity and cherish
friendships with foreign visitors. My colleagues andI felt relaxed and at home. Novi is like a second Sakai City for me.

Keiko Washioka, Takashi Sonohara and Ayuko Ono (from left)

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Published by Japan Local Government Center
3 Park Avenue, 20th floor, New York, NY 10016 / Tel: 212-246-5542 / Fax:212-246-5617 / E:mail: jlgc@jlgc.org / http://www.jlgc.org

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