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Japan’s Foreign Minister Awards Local Sister City Leader

By The North American Post Staff

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced on July 20 that Burton E. Bard Jr., President of the Seattle Sister Cities Association, will receive the commendation for his contributions to deepening relations between United States and Japan.

“Through his service as the Washington Coordinator for Sister Cities International, Mr. Bard has not only supported the Seattle-Kobe Sister City relationship, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year, but also cultivated connections between Washington’s Sister City Associations and local governments in Japan. His longstanding efforts have promoted mutual understanding between our two countries,” the press release states.

The Foreign Minister’s Commendation is awarded to individuals and groups for outstanding achievements in international fields and to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries. Including Bard, the commendation will be awarded to 142 individuals and 31 groups worldwide this year.

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The North American Post is a community newspaper that celebrates Japanese culture in the Greater Seattle area. Founded by 1st generation Japanese-Americans in 1902, the publication is one of the oldest minority-owned newspapers in the region. Today, with bilingual articles in English and Japanese, the publication connects readers with diverse cultural backgrounds to Seattle’s Japanese community. Our articles include local news, event calendars, restaurant reviews, Japanese cooking recipes, community interviews, and more.