New Year’s Greeting Party; Ms Kazuko Itoh receives Consul General’s Commendation (15 January 2025)

2025/1/21
Consul General MATSUI
Ms Kazuko Itoh Receives the Consul General’s Commendation Certificate
On January 15th, the Consulate-General of Japan held a New Year's Greeting Reception at the Consul General's official residence. We exchanged New Year's greetings with attendees from the Japanese Society of Auckland and Hamilton, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Auckland (Nisuikai), the Auckland Japanese Supplementary School and the Waitakere Japanese Supplementary School, and also presented the Consul General’s Commendation to Kazuko Itoh, representative of the Waiheke Green Gallery.

Consul General Matsui noted that the first visit to Japan by Prime Minister Luxon in June last year brings great momentum, and emphasized the importance of strengthening the “Strategic Partnership” between the two countries. He also mentioned that, in his second year as the Consul General, he visited Tauranga, Whangarei, Hamilton, Taupo and other places, where he met some Mayors, local Japanese companies and schools teaching Japanese language. He reiterated his determination to make the safety and security of the more than 10,000 Japanese residents living in his jurisdiction his top priority, thus supporting the Japan-NZ people-to-people exchange.

The Consul General's Commendation is presented to those who have made outstanding achievements in relation to Japan that are worthy of special recognition and praise. Ms Kazuko Itoh established the Waiheke Green Gallery in 2001 with her late husband (Mr Shigenori Itoh), and has been providing exhibition opportunities for artists from both countries, with a special focus on ceramics. In 2006, they donated 70 works by 40 artists, mainly contemporary Japanese ceramics, to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which they had collected through their exhibition activities over many years. Ms Itoh has made a significant contribution to the dissemination of Japanese ceramic culture in New Zealand through those efforts. The Consulate-General will continue to work to strengthen friendly relations through artistic exchange between our two countries.

Please follow this link to see the Consul General’s speech. (Japanese only)
Ms Kazuko Itoh’s Acceptance Speech
Group photo of guests