2021 Christmas Lunch & First Kazuko Komatsu Award Ceremony

The Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce (JCCOC) held its Christmas lunch and the inaugural Kazuko Komatsu Award ceremony on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at the Italian restaurant Al Porto Ristorante in Gastown. Consul General Takashi Hatori and his wife were also invited, and 30 people, including members and guests, enjoyed a pleasant get-together. This was the first public gathering for the organization in two years.

◇2021 Christmas Lunch & Inaugural Kazuko Komatsu Award Ceremony

The Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce (JCCOC) Christmas Lunch and the First Kazuko Komatsu Award Ceremony were held on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at Al Porto Ristorante in Gastown, Vancouver. We were honored by the attendance of the Consul General of Japan, Mr. Takashi Hatori, and his wife, at this event. Thirty people, including the association members and guests, attended the event and enjoyed the fellowship and festivities at our first public gathering in two years.

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At the suggestion of current chairman Sammy Takahashi, the Komatsu Kazuko Award has been established this year to honor the achievements of the late Komatsu Kazuko, one of the founders and former chairman who led the organization for many years. The purpose of the award is to recognize and show respect for individuals and organizations who have demonstrated a spirit of cooperation and activity in Japan-Canada international business exchange and the Japanese-Canadian community, as good citizens who give back to and contribute to the local community.

The selection criteria were as follows, and nominees were recommended by JCCOC members.

• Category 1: Selecting individuals who have made significant contributions to the Japanese Canadian community over the past 5-10 years.
  (Membership is not required)
• Category 2: Selected from members currently contributing to the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce.
• Category 3: Selected from non-members currently active in the Japanese Canadian community.

The association established the Kazuko Komatsu Award Selection Committee in November, and a fair review process was conducted. After careful consideration, eight individuals and one organization were selected as recipients (see the list of recipients below). Three of these individuals and one representative from the organization attended the award ceremony, which was held on the same day and at the same location as the Christmas lunch. Unfortunately, three recipients—Mr. Iritani, Mr. Fujino, and Mr. Ido—were unable to attend on the day, so an online award ceremony was held for them on Monday, December 20th, at 5:00 PM west coast time in Canada.

Congratulations to all the award winners! I offer my heartfelt congratulations.。

◇2021 Kazuko Komatsu Awards recipients

The reasons for each award are as follows:

The Life Time Achievement Award was presented to Saeko Tsuda, who served as the owner of the Vancouver Shinpo for 41 years, and Gary Matson, a former lawyer, in recognition of their long-standing contributions and achievements to the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Japanese-Canadian community from its early days.

The Young Entrepreneurial Award is presented to Mr. Hikita, who has made remarkable progress in the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce Youth Division, particularly in his role in "connecting Japan and Canada through food."

The Professional Service Award was presented to two individuals for their contributions to professional skills.

Mr. Iritani's long-standing work in extremely accurate and detailed accounting was highly praised and his contributions were commended. Mr. Fujino was recognized for his achievement in successfully holding online events for the association during the pandemic, using social media video editing technology, even while residing in Japan.

The Community Service Award was presented to three individuals and one organization from among non-JCCOC members. Ms. Yamamoto was recognized for her contributions to running a highly popular hula dance class in the Japanese-Canadian community and her dedication to maintaining physical and mental health. Ms. Nakamura was honored for filming videos detailing the process of donating a totem pole to Wakayama and for capturing dynamic and meaningful photographs within the Japanese-Canadian community. Mr. Ido, a popular Vancouver-based YouTuber, was responsible for filming the Japanese town revitalization project and the Wakayama totem pole donation project, both of which were undertaken by the Japan-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. These two individuals were commended for their tireless efforts and dedication to promoting the Japan-Canadian Chamber of Commerce's activities through social media, photography, and videography, and for their unwavering support of the Japanese-Canadian community. The Japanese Cognitive Support Association expressed gratitude for their grassroots efforts in dementia-related activities in Japanese, which have continued since 2017, and honored their tireless efforts and contributions to the Japanese-Canadian community. Our non-profit organization is working tirelessly to raise awareness and understanding of dementia, which has been on the rise in recent years, and to provide a platform for information exchange among people with dementia and their supporters, such as family, relatives, and friends, as well as support services in Japanese.

Each recipient, holding their certificate, beamed with joy. Mr. Tsuda, the first to receive an award, bowed to everyone with a lovely smile, expressing his gratitude. Mr. Matson, having learned of his award on the day itself, expressed his surprise and delight, and politely offered his thanks. Young entrepreneur Mr. Hikita spoke powerfully about how a Christmas gathering he attended three days after moving to Canada three years ago spurred his activities forward, leading to today's award and his deep emotion. He also expressed his strong desire to further strengthen Japan-Canada business activities. Mr. Yamamoto, expressing his joy with a graceful hula dance pose, stated that the award was for all his program collaborators and participants, emphasizing his desire to share the award. Photographer Mr. Nakamura spoke with delight, saying that he continues to find joy and inspiration in photographing sports scenes and smiles, and is looking forward to attending the Beijing Olympics next year as a photographer. He added that the award has further motivated him for his activities in the coming year. Ms. Fukushima of the Japanese Cognitive Support Association, who had a close relationship with the late Kazuko Komatsu during her lifetime, expressed her joy in her thank-you speech, believing this to be a message of encouragement from Komatsu. She also expressed her delight at the new prospect that this could be an opportunity for non-profit organizations to collaborate with economic organizations.

Introduction photos of each award winner

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Scenes from the online awards ceremony　

In the upper part of the screen, the recipient of the Professional Service Award.Kei Fujino, middle right Community Service Award winnerMr. Jakuhide IdoThe Professional Service Award winner in the lower section.Itsuko Iritani　　　

A common theme in the speeches of the award recipients was their gratitude, stating that this award not only honors themselves but also celebrates their colleagues who have worked alongside them and the participation and cooperation of the community that supports them. Those who are active as community leaders always respect the colleagues they work with, which infuses their activities with heart and enthusiasm, and allows them to increase the number of good friends in their community. The Kazuko Komatsu Award was presented to celebrate the achievements of diverse community leaders who are active in such a close-knit Japanese community. JCCOC strongly hopes that this award will serve as a foundation and encouragement for leadership development that strengthens the ties between Canadian and Japanese business, tourism, and cultural education, and that it will motivate our members to dedicate themselves even more to their daily activities. We also hope that it will lead to the further prosperity and development of the entire Japanese community.

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◇2021 Christmas Lunch & Inaugural Kazuko Komatsu Award Ceremony

The Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce (JCCOC) Christmas Lunch and the First Kazuko Komatsu Award Ceremony were held on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at Al Porto Ristorante in Gastown, Vancouver. We were honored by the attendance of the Consul General of Japan, Mr. Takashi Hatori, and his wife, at this event. Thirty people, including the association members and guests, attended the event and enjoyed the fellowship and festivities at our first public gathering in two years.

At the suggestion of the current president, Sammy Takahashi, we established the Kazuko Komatsu Award this year in honor of the late past president Kazuko Komatsu, who was one of the founders of the JCCOC and spearheaded the association for many years. The purpose of the award is to honor and pay tribute to individuals and organizations that have been active in Japan-Canada business international exchange and the Japanese Canadian community by demonstrating a spirit of cooperation as good citizens who give back and contribute to the community.

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Copyright 2021 Manto Artworks

Nominees were nominated by JCCOC members based on the following criteria:

• Category 1: Nominees who have made a significant contribution to the Japanese Canadian community over the past 5-10 years (does not have to be a member)
• Category 2: Nominated by current members of the JCCOC
• Category 3: Selected from non-members currently active in the Japanese Canadian community.

In November, JCCOC formed a committee to select the recipients of the Kazuko Komatsu Award to ensure an impartial review process. After careful selection, the committee eight people and one organization to receive the award (see the list of the recipients below). Three of the winners and a representative from one of the organizations attended the Christmas lunch and accompanying award ceremony. JCCOC also commenced the online award ceremony on Monday, December 20, 5:00 pm (BC time) chosen for the three awardees, Mr. Iriya, Mr. Fujino, and Mr. Ido, who could not attend the ceremony.

Congratulations to all the winners! 

◇2021 Kazuko Komatsu Awards recipients

The reasons for each award are as follows:

The Life Time Achievement Award was presented to Saeko Tsuda, the spearhead of the Vancouver Shimpo for 41 years and one of the founders of JCCOC. Also, Gerry Matson, a former lawyer, was a recipient. JCCOC recognized their life-long contributions and honorable achievements to the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Japanese community over the many years since its establishment.

The Young Entrepreneurial Award was presented to Ms. Hikita. She has been a prominent member of the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce's Youth group and has made remarkable achievements in connecting Japan and Canada through specialty food.

The Professional Service Award was given to Ms. Iritani and Mr. Fujino for their professional skills and contributions. Ms. Iritani received the award for her highly accurate and detailed accounting work and dedicated contribution to JCCOC over the years. And Mr. Fujino received the award for his work in helping us realize major JCCOC online events of 2021 very successfully, even in this time of the Coronavirus pandemic, through social media video preparation while residing in Japan.

◇Award Receipt's Photo

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◇Online Award Ceremony

Receipt/ Top center: Mr. Kei Fujino/ Professional Service Award, middle right:Mr. Tadahide IdoCommunity Service Award, bottom center:Ms. Itsuko Iritani  / Professional Service Award.

The Community Service Award was presented to three individuals and one organization from the non-JCCOC members. The Community Service Award was presented to Mr. Yamamoto for his efforts in running a hula dance class, which is very popular in the Japanese Canadian community, and for his efforts to maintain the community members' physical and mental health. In addition, Mr. Nakamura made a video telling how the JCCOC president, Sammy Takahashi, planned to donate totem poles to Wakayama. The award also recognized him as a great photographer taking photos with dynamism and social and cultural messages sent to the Japanese Canadian community. Mr. Ido, a popular Vancouver-based Youtuber, was filming the Japanese Community Reviving Project and the Wakayama Totem Pole Project, both of which the JCCOC was heavily involved with. They both put their time and effort tirelessly into helping to revitalize the Japanese community by introducing JCCOC activities through social media, photography, and videography. Finally, the Japanese Dementia Support Association received recognition and appreciation for its support services in English, ongoing since 2017. JCCOC is proud to honor their generous efforts and contributions to the Japanese Canadian community. This non-profit organization has been working hard to raise public awareness and understanding of dementia, which has been on the rise in recent years, and to provide a forum for exchanging information and support for clients' family members, relatives, and friends of those affected by dementia.

Each of the awardees had a big smile on their face as they received their certificates. Mr. Tsuda, the first to receive the award, bowed to everyone with a beautiful smile and expressed her gratitude. Mr. Matson was surprised and delighted to learn of the award on the day of the event and politely thanked everyone for their support. Mr. Hikita, a young businessman, spoke powerfully about the Christmas gathering he attended three days after moving to Canada in 2018, which spurred his activities and led to today's award. Mr. Yamamoto, expressing his happiness with a graceful hula dance pose, said that the award was for all his program collaborators and participants and emphasized that he wanted to share the award with them. Mr. Nakamura, a photographer, said that he is looking forward to the Beijing Olympics next year when he will be there as a photographer and that the award has motivated him to work harder in the next year. Before her death, Ms. Fukushima of the Japanese Dementia Support Association had had a close relationship with the late Ms. Kazuko Komatsu. She expressed joy in her acknowledgments, thinking that this award was indeed her encouragement. She also said she was delighted at the new prospect that this would be an opportunity for non-profit organizations to collaborate with economic organizations.

A common theme among the award winners was that they all were grateful for this award, which they honor themselves and their colleagues and supporters in the community. The community leaders can respect the people they work with to make their community activities full of enthusiasm and vitality. As a result, they can increase the solidarity of the community. The Kazuko Komatsu Award recognized active community leaders' excellence in performance, significant achievements and contributions in the Japanese Canadian community. and motivates our members to focus further on them. Additionally, it could help develop global-minded leadership, which is necessary for the prosperity of the Japanese community as a whole.