Consul General Hanatani visited Governor Robert Bentley in the Alabama State Capitol and exchanged views about the Japan-Alabama relationship (June 28, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani spoke at the VA Nippon Classic's Business Conference, attended by many businessmen, including Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng (June 6, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani paid a courtesy visit to Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox in the wake of the tornados that heavily damaged parts of the city (June 1, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani met and spoke with the University of Alabama’s Executive VP and Provost Judy Bonner (June 1, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani attended a memorial service held by the city of Tuscaloosa, AL, for victims of the recent tornado outburst there. Several University of Alabama students were among the participants (June 1, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani received at his office Ms. Madeline Bouldin, a student from North Atlanta High School, prior to her departure for Fukuoka, Japan on May 30 (May 25, 2011).

Pictured left to right: Fukuoka-kai chairperson Sue Renfroe, Mr. Clay Bouldin (Ms. Bouldin’s father), Madeline, and Consul General Hanatani.

Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki was keynote speaker at the Japan-America Society of Alabama Annual Dinner, held at the Marriott Hotel in Huntsville, Alabama (May 19, 2011).

Group picture: Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, Mrs. Betsy Rambeau (wife of the Late Marrion Rambeau, Honorary Consul General of Japan), Consul General Hanatani, and Honorary Consul General of Japan Elmer Harris.

Consul General Hanatani attended the opening ceremony of the U.S. Department of State Atlanta Passport Agency. Atlanta's Mayor Kasim Reed was present to welcome Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick F. Kennedy and Deputy Assistant Secretary Brenda Sprague (pictured with Consul General Hanatani) of the Consular Affairs Bureau in Washington, DC (May 16, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani gave remarks at the Japan-America Society of GA and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Post-Concert Reception, honoring Maestro Kazushi Ono, who gave his first appearance in Atlanta. The Consul General emphasized the power of music to heal human brokenness - very apropos words in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake (May 13, 2011).

(Pictured: Mr. and Mrs. Kazushi Ono with Consul General Hanatani)

Consul General Hanatani attended the lunch and dedication ceremony of Savannah Machinery Works, which will manufacture gas turbines and employ 500 people, with a total investment of $325 million. He is pictured here with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle (May 11, 2011).

Japan donated 8,000 blankets and 150 plastic sheets to the tornado victims of Alabama. The donation was handed over in Montgomery, Alabama. Consul General Hanatani expressed Japan’s concern and prayers for a quick recovery of the tornado victims and thanked the Americans for what they have done to support Japan. Attorney General Luther Strange gave a response to the Japanese Government’s gift that "this gesture is a sign of the goodwill between our countries."
The emergency materials were delivered from the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s warehouse in Miami, Florida to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s facility in Montgomery, Alabama (May 5, 2011).

Photograph courtesy of Mr. George Armstrong of FEMA.

(From left to right: JICA U.S.A. Office Chief Representative Keiichiro Nakazawa, Consul General Hanatani, Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Byrne, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, and Seth Hammett, Director of the Alabama Development Office)

Consul General Hanatani paid a courtesy call to Mayor Anthony Foxx at his office in Charlotte, NC and exchanged views about the Japan-North Carolina relationship (April 27, 2011).

Consul General and Mrs. Hanatani visited St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church to receive one thousand origami cranes as symbols of support and friendship to the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. These cranes with a financial gift were sent to St. Stephen's Church in Mito, Japan (April 24, 2011).

Picture: Consul General and Mrs. Hanatani are surrounded by some of the parishioners who participated in folding 1,000 paper cranes (seen in background). The Rev. Patricia Templeton is on the far left.

Senator Saxby Chambliss came to the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, where he signed the Book of Condolence and Encouragement for those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Also Consul General Hanatani and Senator Chambliss discussed the tsunami's impact and talked about the importance of the Japan-U.S. relationship (April 20, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani visited St. Martin's Episcopal School and talked with more than 50 second graders about Japan. The students folded origami and collected donations for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake (April 19, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani gave opening remarks and performed the ceremonial coin toss at the North American Soccer League’s game between the Atlanta Silverbacks and FC Edmonton. The Atlanta Silverbacks designated the game "Japan Relief Night," dedicating part of the ticket sales to earthquake victims in Japan.

The Consul General also welcomed Mr. Kohei Matsushita, a Japanese player who recently signed with the Atlanta Silverbacks (April 16, 2011).

Mayor Kasim Reed came to the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, where he signed the Book of Condolence and Encouragement for those affected by the Tohoku - Pacific Ocean Earthquake. Also, Mayor Reed personally expressed his sympathy to Consul General Hanatani (March 28, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani received students in his office who were visiting as part of the Fukuoka-Atlanta Sister City youth exchange program. These high school students successfully competed in essay writing and an English speech contest to win a trip to Atlanta (March 25, 2011).

Governor Nathan Deal came to the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, where he signed the Book of Condolence and Encouragement for those affected by the Tohoku - Pacific Ocean Earthquake (March 22, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani gave his response to House Speaker David Ralston’s presentation of House Resolution 619, which extended sympathies and encouragement to Japan following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami (March 22, 2011).

A large number of Japanese runners participated in the Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon. Many wore T-shirts that said “Pray for Japan,” and they carried Japanese flags to show support for those affected by the Tohoku – Pacific Ocean Earthquake (March 20, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani received Mr. Takanori Shoji, Organizer of the Japanese Running Group, and Ms. Kiyoka Nabeya, designer of the T-shirt, in his office. They presented the Consul General with a T-shirt from the race (March 29, 2011).

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle came to the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, where he signed the Book of Condolence and Encouragement for those affected by the Tohoku - Pacific Ocean Earthquake (March 17, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani gave congratulatory remarks to graduates of the Japanese Language School of Raleigh, North Carolina at their graduation ceremony (March 12, 2011).
Japanese Language School of Raleigh Principal Shigeyuki Kobayashi is pictured at the far right.

Consul General Hanatani gave opening remarks for Professor Terada's presentation at Georgia State University. In his lecture, titled “Politics on Regional Integration: APEC and US-Japan Relations,” Dr. Terada discussed the interrelated nature of the various economic cooperation frameworks in the Asia-Pacific Region. He also discussed the different goals of their member states. The presentation was co-sponsored with the World Affairs Council of Atlanta (March 09, 2011).
(Bottom Picture, from left to right: Consul General Hanatani, Dr. Terada, Dr. Kim Reimann, and Dr. Cedric Suzman)

Consul General Hanatani gave opening remarks for the premiere movie of this year’s Japanese Film Festival at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. The first film of the festival was "The Chef of the South Pole," or Nankyoku Ryourinin in Japanese (March 04, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani attended the Opening Ceremony and Reception for “Sharaku Interpreted by Japan’s Contemporary Artists,” at the Albany Museum of Art, where he gave opening remarks (March 3, 2011).
The exhibition is one of the Japan Foundation’s traveling exhibitions, and it will be on display until March 26.

Consul General Hanatani visited Governor Nathan Deal at the Governor's Mansion and exchanged views about the Japan-Georgia relationship. He then joined other Atlanta Consular Corps members at a luncheon hosted by Governor and Mrs. Nathan Deal (March 1, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani attended the Opening Reception for “Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco & Modernism in Japan,” at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon, GA, where he attended as honored guest and gave remarks (February 24, 2011).

Picture: Standing to the right of Consul General Hanatani is Ms. Suzanne Harper, Executive Director of the Museum of Arts and Sciences.

Exhibit, sponsored by the Fickling Family Foundation and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, runs through April 10th.

Consul General Hanatani attended the Star Cup International Gymnastics Tournament to encourage the Japanese participants. Participating in the tournament were teams from Japan, the US, Canada, Russia, and Ukraine.
The Japanese participants pictured here with the Consul General are from the Minami Rhythmic Gymnastics Club of Nagoya (February 19, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani paid a courtesy call to Congressman John Lewis (U.S. House of Representatives/Georgia, District 5) and exchanged views on Japan-U.S. cooperation (February 1, 2011).

Consul General Hanatani attended the New Year’s Party of the Japan America Association of South Carolina in Greenville, where he gave opening remarks (January 29, 2011).
From left to right: Mr. Takuma Kondo (Chairman, Japan Affair Committee, JAASC), Katsuhiko Ishikawa (JAASC Co-Chairman), Consul General Hanatani, and Craig Lundgren (JAASC Co-Chairman)

Consul General Hanatani hosted a Tea Ceremony demonstration at his residence. The ceremony itself was performed by the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Atlanta Association. Guests were not only treated to traditionally served green tea and Japanese sweets, but several were invited to perform in the ceremony itself (January 20, 2011).

Photographs © Georgia Asian Times

Consul General Hanatani met with Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara in Charlotte, NC. Minister Maehara stopped at Charlotte on his way back from Tallahassee, FL, where he met with Florida governor Rick Scott and discussed the advantages of Japan's system for high-speed rail networks (January 8, 2011).