The Japan America Society of Southern California’s annual fundraiser dinner and gala took place on July 11 and featured the two most well-known Japanese celebrities in the world.
At the Angel Stadium event, Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani and decluttering guru and best-selling author Marie Kondo received awards for improving Japan-U.S. ties. Kondo began her speech by citing one of her own catchphrases. Kondo is currently a cast member of her own reality program on Netflix.
The 550 attendees of the black-tie dinner were delighted when she inquired, “Is your house tidy?”
After three years of living in the US, Kondo stated, “I am very happy to contribute to my home country of Japan through my mission to organize the world – to help people around the world understand what Japanese people are like and learn more about Japan.” Kondo made appropriate use of her expression, which is turning into a universal symbol of achievement, after getting her medal. She added, “Thank you so much for this award; it has brought me so much joy.”
Emcee Frank Buckley noted during Ohtani’s introduction that the star pitcher-slugger is arguably the main reason that Japanese tourists travel to Southern California. Because of elbow surgery done in the off-season, Ohtani, the American League Baseball Rookie of the Year last year, will not be able to pitch this year. “The Major League Baseball season’s second half starts tomorrow, and I hope to have better results than last year, so I appreciate everyone’s support,” he stated. The purpose of the banquet was to encourage organization membership and raise funds for educational programs for students from low-income homes. International personalities including Grammy-winning music artist Kitaro and Australian novelist James Clavell have already received the International Citizens Award, which is given annually to a person or group that improves ties between the two nations. In celebration of its 110th anniversary, the nonprofit organization that organized the fundraiser is a membership club that fosters business and cultural ties between Japanese Americans and Americans. Following the release of her eight-episode Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” Kondo sparked a new generation of “KonMari followers” who shared their decluttering progress on social media. Her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” is a best-seller translated internationally.