ATLANTA – State Representative Tom Taylor (R-Dunwoody) will welcome Japanese Consul General, Kazuo Sunaga, to the State Capitol on Tuesday, January 28, 2014. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta.
“It is a privilege to welcome Consul General Kazuo Sunaga to the Gold Dome,” said Rep. Taylor. “Georgia has a meaningful and unique relationship with the country of Japan, and I look forward to many more years of partnership and friendship between Georgia and Japan.”
The Georgia House of Representatives will recognize the Consul General of Japan with an invitation resolution. The Consul General will also speak to the House about the economic and cultural partnerships between Japan and Georgia.
The Consul General will also express Japan’s gratitude for Georgia’s support after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. On March 21, 2011, the Georgia House of Representatives formally expressed its condolences for the Japanese people who suffered in the tragedy through House Resolution 619. During the following year, the House passed House Resolution 1761 to commend Japan’s recovery and rebuilding efforts.
“Actions like this show how deep our bond is,” said Consul General Kazuo Sunaga. “We are truly grateful to have friends like the Georgia House of Representatives.”
The Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta was established on February 15, 1974, to oversee stronger relations with the Southeastern region. Since then, Japan and the Southeast have dramatically increased economic and cultural ties. In Georgia, import and export trade with Japan currently stands at nearly $6 billion, and there are 570 offices of Japanese affiliated company employing more than 30,000 people.
Furthermore, 10 Georgia cities – Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dublin, Elberton, Gainesville, LaGrange, Macon, and Rome – have established sister-city relations with Japan. Eight colleges and universities offer Japanese language programs, and nearly 1,000 students at the K-12 level are studying the Japanese language in public schools. Georgia has also sent 344 young college graduates to Japan as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program since the program’s inception in 1987.
The Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta is an overseas establishment of the Government of Japan. The main function of the office is to protect Japanese nationals and economic interests, provide consular services and cultural exchange. There are 16 Japanese diplomatic missions in the United States. The office’s jurisdiction covers Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
For more information on the Consulate General of Japan, click here.
Representative Tom Taylor represents the citizens of District 79, which includes portions of DeKalb County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and is currently serving as the Vice Chairman on the Regulated Industries Committee. He also serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources and the Economic Development & Tourism and MARTOC committees.
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