52nd Annual Seattle Japanese Queen and Court

On May 28^th, the Kobe Trade Information Office attended the 52^nd Seattle Japanese Queen Scholarship Celebration at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

The mission of the Seattle Japanese Queen Scholarship Organization is the development of Japanese American women into community leaders through higher education, cultural awareness, and community involvement.  In order to fulfill this goal, the participants of the Seattle Japanese Queen program must demonstrate and are judged on academic rigor, public speaking, creative expression, and community service.

The four participants were introduced individually at first, as each one performed a Japanese odori, a traditional style of dance.  Then after showcasing their broad range of creative talents, the participants donned their evening gowns and were interviewed by the Master of Ceremonies.  There were two impromptu questions.  The first one was, “Recently Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in the news for his infidelities, as have a number of other high profile figures.  What effect do you think this has on them being a role model?”  The audience was as shocked as the first participant at the question, but each one managed to put together a response.  Most of the participants acknowledged that it was a private matter, and one even stated that it was not newsworthy.  The eventual queen said that we should not judge high profile people solely by one action, but should take into consideration their performance as a whole.

After this, the participants gave slideshow presentations on their community service projects and then awards were handed out for the best community service, best academic record, and best creative expression.  All of the women did a wonderful job and it’s hard to say which really was the best, but finally the time had come to announce the new queen.  The winner was Frederica Miako Mackert, who also won the Miss Tomodachi (Miss Congeniality) award.

From here on out the 2011 Queen and Court will volunteer in the Japanese American community over the course of the next year.  We are also planning to invite the new Seattle Japanese Queen to Kobe next year to participate in the Kobe Festival Parade.

Clockwise from top left: Frederica Miako Mackert, Erika Lynn Sakamoto Nicks, Lauren Kylie Suguro, and Kirsten Yuko Lee

Ms. Frederica Miako Mackert being interviewed by Terry Nakano

2011 Queen and Court

The 2010 Seattle Japanese Queen, Kisa Nishimoto, visits Kobe City

On May 22^nd, the 51^st Seattle Japanese Queen Kisa Nishimoto and the Queen Committee President Terry Nakano visited the Kobe Trade Information Office and talked about their experiences during their trip to Kobe and their participation in the Kobe Festival Parade on May 15th.

On May 13^th, Kisa participated in the Bell Ceremony at the Kobe Maritime Museum.  Every year at the Bell Ceremony, special guests are invited to ring the bell in hopes of bringing prosperity and safety to the Port of Kobe. 

Later that same day, Kisa attended a special worship and tea ceremony arranged by Chief Priest Kato of the Ikuta Shinto Shrine (who is also the Chair of the Kobe City Festival Committee).  When asked about the ceremony at Ikuta Shrine, Kisa said that while she had been a little nervous, she was happy to have had the chance to experience such a traditional part of Japanese culture.

Kisa later paid a visit to Kobe’s Mayor, Tatsuo Yada, at city hall.  When he asked about her overall impression of Kobe, Kisa said that Kobe was really beautiful and there were so many places she wanted to see during her visit.  Also, next year is Kobe and Seattle’s 55^th Anniversary of their sister city relationship and Kisa invited Mayor Yada to visit Seattle for the event.

Finally, on May 15th, was the big event: the Kobe Festival.  Kisa rode in a red convertible, alongside Deputy Mayor Nakamura.  As the parade went down Flower Road and Sannomiya Chuo Street in downtown Kobe, Kisa greeted the crowds of people with a smile.  When asked about her participation in the parade, Kisa said that the Kobe Festival was bigger than she had imagined, but she had had a lot of fun participating.

Now that she’s back home, Kisa plans to tell as many people in the Seattle area as possible about her wonderful stay in Kobe City.

Mayor Yada and Kisa at the Bell Ceremony

Kisa and Terry at the Tea Ceremony

Deputy Mayor Nakamura and Kisa riding in the parade