The 68th annual Tokyo Kamuro Party meeting was held on June 3rd, 2018 at the Cherbourg-Kayabacho restaurant where 26 people attended (Photo by Matsushige Yamada).
This year’s co-moderator was Chief Officer Kazumasa Otani. President Masatomo Yagi started things off by touting “Shiroki peninsula community committee activities”,
the “Kamuro Party Family Tree Project” and the “Messages to Kamuro Parties” which can be found on the website.
Guest speaker, Hakuseiji Temple’s Second Chief Priestess Seiren Niiyama, described recent developments concerning Okikamuro island life.
Bocho Club Director Nobuhide Izumoto talked about Bocho club activities and told us his father used to be a teacher at Okikamuro elementary school.
Kansai Kamuro Party President Tomiyuki Miyamoto, sent a message to support Okikamuro island which was read out at the meeting.
Mr. Shigenori Okubo, of the Okikamuro Resident Association discussed recent activities on Okikamuro island.
After that, 5 new members introduced themselves to the rest of the attendees. Then a lottery followed by a group Bon Dance concluded the festivities.
KRY Yamaguchi TV broadcast journalist Ms Saki Sugiyama covered this meeting.
This year's receptionists Kumie Iwashita and Mieko Yagi welcoming Hiro Nishimura and Nobukatsu Iwamoto. |
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New member Nobunari Usui expressing his interest in Suo-Oshima to the delight of Tomiyuki Miyamoto, president of the Kansai Kamuro Party. |
Clockwise from the front left: Director of Boho Club, Hidenobu Izumoto with Keiko and Kenji Kimura, Takashi Aoki, Chikako Okazaki, Hiro Nishimura and Akiko Yamada, vice president of Tokyo Kamuro Party (front right). |
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Tokyo Kamuro Party President Masatomo Yagi: “We are supporters of Okikamuro island and Shiroki peninsula community committee’s Dream Plan. Everybody join the Kamuro Family Tree project!” |
Tokyo Kamuro Party Chief Officer Kazumasa Otani was our moderator again this year. |
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Second Chief Priestess of Hakuseiji Temple, Seiren Niiyama: “Okikamuro island is very active now and the Dream Plan is being implemented as we speak!” |
Bocho Club Director Nobuhide Izumoto introduced the Bocho Club and started off by telling us that his father used to be a teacher at Okikamuro Elementary school. |
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Tokyo Kamuro Party Vice President Kazutaka Nishimura read a letter from Shungaku Yanai, a prefectural board member. “Congratulations to all for this 68th annual party of the Tokyo Kamuro Party!” |
Tokyo Kamuro Party Former President Akira Nakayama lead the toast: “Cheers! Wishing all the best for your health and prosperity!” |
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Cherbourg-Kayabacho Restaurant has been the venue since last year, because of increasing average party hall charges in the Tokyo metropolitan area. |
From left to right, Hiro Nishimura president of （Kuusatu Japan） new member, Seiren Niiyama (Second Chief Priestess of Hakuseiji Temple) and Eric Hajime Jego (Associate Professor and Head of Medical English Education at Nihon University School of Medicine), also a new member. |
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Kansai Kamuro Party President Tomiyuki Miyamoto: “Kansai Kamuro Party is supporting Okikamuro island. There are many opportunities to create Okikamuro island prosperity.” |
Okikamuro Island Residents’ Association Head, Shigenori Okubo: “We are working hard to activate Okikamuro island. My sister and children have moved to Okikamuro. They may decide to stay there long-term because they love the relaxing lifestyle there. I'm producing and selling delicious seaweed products known as 'Hijiki kun'. Hijiki is very nutritious and very good your health. Please contact me any time if you’re interested.” |
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Kenji Kimura, Takashi Aoki, and Chikako Okazaki all declared: “We’ve decided to buy Hijiki!” |
Akiko Yamada vice president of Tokyo Kamuro Party and president of Yamada Creative Co. was the moderator for the new member introductions and the lottery. The prize this year was 5000-yen worth of Japanese Sea Bream provided by the Koyosho guest house. |
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New member Nobuyuki Ogasawara, Shigenori Okubo's daughter’s husband: “Okikamuro is the perfect natural place to live if you have adequate employment there. You’ll never get that quality of nature in Tokyo!” |
New member, Hiro Nishimura, is President of Kusatu Japan Co.His business is to take aerial photographs from a motorized paraglider. A new office in Shinagawa, Tokyo has opened recently. “At present, using drones is common, but our paragliders can fly much higher and for long hours. We have plenty of experience taking aerial photographs of natural disaster scenes.” |
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Nathan Funk is a diplomat of the Canadian embassy in Tokyo: “I spoke 2 years ago at the 66th Tokyo Kamuro Party meeting. I returned to Tokyo after working hard on my Japanese speaking skills. I’m likely going to work in Tokyo for about 4 years this time. My grandfather is from Okikamuro island. Okikamuro island is very special to me. I’d like to attend the Tokyo Kamuro Party every year!” (he started his speech in Japanese and ended it in English) |
New member Eric Hajime Jego: Associate Professor and Head of Medical English Education at Nihon University School of Medicine: “Nathan is my amazing cousin, a superstar in our family, and his grandfather was also my grandfather from Okikamuro. My mother is cousins with President Masatomo Yagi so the family ties to Okikamuro run deep. I first came to Japan to find my roots but I’ve found so much more including an incredible life here in Tokyo that I cherish every day.” |
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Chikako Okazaki: “I'm the cousin of vice president Akiko Yamada.” |
New member Nobushige Usui, 'Magokoro clinic'Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist: “Akiko Yamada invited me to this meeting. I'm planning to live a natural life in Suo-Oshima.” |
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Shigenori Okubo (on the right): “Living in Okikamuro is very close to nature. Ms Harada and Ms Hashimoto gave me a potential new members’ list.” (women on the left, Keiko Harada, Mieko Hashimoto) |
FTokyo Kamuro Party Former President Kaname Kijima was asked to draw the name of the first of three winners of the lottery. He drew Former President Akira Nakayama who was asked to draw the name of the second winner. |
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Here is Akira Nakayama (right) looking on as the second lottery prize winner, Nobukatsu Iwamoto (left) picked the third winner. |
Mr Iwamoto drew Eric Jego’s name. The lottery prize for all three winners was 5000-yen worth of delicious professionally prepared Japanese Red Seabream courtesy of Okikamuro’s fabled Guest house, Koyosho. We hope you all enjoy this famous Okikamuro delicacy. |
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From left to right: Saki Sugiyama (Yamaguchi TV), Kazumasa Otani (Tokyo Kamuro Party Chief Officer), Joji Toi (Tokyo Kamuro Party Officer) and Seiren Niiyama (Second Chief Priestess of Okikamuro’s Hakuseiji Temple) |
Nobukatsu Iwamoto is interviewed by Saki Sugiyama Yamaguchi TV. |
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Nathan Funk (diplomat of the Canadian embassy in Tokyo) enjoying good conversation with Mieko Yagi (wife of president Masatomo Yagi), as Nobunari Usui (Magokoro Clinic, Acupuncturist, Massage Therapist) looks on. |
Seiren Niiyama. Eric Jego. |
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From left to right; Kazutaka Nishimura, Kaname Kijima, Akira Nakayama, Akiko Yamada and Nobukatsu Iwamoto (partially outside the shot on the right). |
Bon Dance is revived at the Tokyo Kamuro Party after a long hiatus. Kumie Iwashita and Joji Toi are seen here leading the fun to the tune of 'Kudoki' booming in the background. |
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The Bon Dance ring is gaining momentum with both good dancers and others enjoying the festivities together. |
Closing speech by Tokyo Kamuro Party Vice President Kazutaka Nishimura: “Please join us next year!” The meeting officially ended with the traditional 'San bon jime' which is a special rhythmic clap often used to mark the end of such events in Japan. |
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See here chatting at a coffee shop after the annual meeting is Siren Niiyama and Mieko Yagi. |
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