Welcome to the 2009 Sakura Sisters’ Blog!

Today, we met the six new candidates of the 2009 Cherry Blossom Queen Program. We wish them good luck in the whole process and we are so excited for their court year. Like our’s, we hope that their court year will be filled with ever-lasting memories and great encounters!

We’re so lucky to have such a great sushi chef in our Program. His name is King/Sushi Chef Graig I. His bro Seanie is also a great chef. They taught a group of people how to make sushi the real way, and we got to volunteer at and participate in the sushi-making class. Proceeds from teaching this class went to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen Program, and we are thankful for this great opportunity. The Queen Program truly appreciates the generous people who have made the great contributions. We had such a fun time making and eating delicious/oishii sushi!!

On 1/31/2009, Princesses Midori Iwata and Asuka Nagase volunteered at the annual Crab Feed of Sacramento Japanese American Citizens’ League (JACL) at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento. This was Asuka’s 4th time volunteering there, but this year, she got to volunteer in a dual capacity (representing both JASS and the Court). It was our pleasure serving both the morning and night shifts. In the morning, we helped prepare the delicious food, and at night, we helped fundraise for this great cause by selling raffle tickets and participating in the drawing. We also got to mark where the paper airplanes flew for the Paper Airplane Flying Contest, as well as help clean up. We had a very fun time interacting with the JA community and other guests, as well as working with everyone there. We truly appreciate the organizers of this spectacular event for having us.


(with 1995 Princess Jessica Takehara and 2005 Princess Suzanne Sasaki, etc.)

On 1/24/2009, we attended the 18th Annual Nikkei Lions Club Crab Feed at the Buddhist Church in San Francisco. After having dinner, we helped fundraise for the great cause of the Nikkei Lions Club. We sold many raffle tickets and participated in the raffle drawing. We hope that our efforts were ultimately successful. We truly appreciate the Nikkei Lions Club for its continuous support to us and our Program. Thank you for having us! Go Lions!

Queen Ali Kagawa and Princess Rie Watanabe attended the New Year’s Cocktail Reception at Consul General Nagamine’s official residence on 1/15/2009.
Information available here: http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/archives/PR_e/2009/pr_09_0115a.htm
Photos available here: http://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/photo/2009/0115.htm

The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California celebrated its 40th Anniversary at their annual New Year’s Party (Shinnenkai) on January 10, 2009, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. We were invited to this spectacular event, where so many guests were present. Queen Ali Kagawa attended this event wearing her beautiful Fujiyasu Kimono, and the Princesses wore matching black and blue dresses.

The event officially began with the Kagami Biraki, to celebrate the New Year with sake.

The Princesses helped fundraise for JCCNC by selling raffle tickets, and the Queen drew raffle tickets alongside Channel 2 KTVU News anchor/reporter, Ms. Jana Katsuyama, at the drawing. We enjoyed interacting with the members and guests, had delicious meals, and enjoyed watching the performances by a J-Pop singer from Japan, Mr. Junichi Inagaki, who visited San Francisco for the first time.

We truly appreciate JCCNC for having us there. Thank you for this great opportunity, and for your continuous support. Happy New Year. Honnen mo douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

It is this time of year already!!!!! The application deadline to become a candidate for the 2009 Northern California Cherry Blossom Queen Program is fast-approaching, on January 14th, 2009. Please refer to this link to download the application and find out more about it: http://nccbfqueenprogram.org/FAQs.htm
We really need young JA women out there, to step up and join this unique leadership and community service program!!!

On Sunday, January 4, 2009, the Court hosted the Queen Program Tea Informational Meeting for interested potential applicants. We appreciate all of the alumni and everyone else who came!!

We apologize that this is sooo late, but we wish you all had a wonderful winter holiday season!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!!!!!!!!

Here’s what Queen Ali Kagawa would like to say about her Goodwill Trip to Japan she made in November!!!:

I have returned to the States from the Japan Goodwill Tour and I had a wonderful experience. We had a very busy courtesy call schedule and an even more rigorous sight-seeing schedule!

All of the sponsors and supporters who Benh and I were able to meet were extremely hospitable and genuinely kind-hearted people. Some visits were more formal (I was informed in the elevator to the Osaka Mayor’s Visit that I was expected to give a speech with translator! But Benh of course was there to support me) and some visits were more casual and relaxed (having dinner with the rambunctious Umeda Lions Club and doing the Lion’s roar!). I also especially enjoyed visiting the Fujiyasu Kimono Company where they let me try on different kimonos!

On my free time I was so happy to go to Kobe with my family and visit my school. We also visited the Nagata Children’s Home (which my work has supported) and we just fell in love with all the children. My brother is a family psychologist and works with abused children, so this was an especially significant visit for him. We were there only a short while, but the children were not wanting us to leave, hanging on us, and chasing our car as we drove away. It really broke my heart to leave them but I will visit them again.

Besides seeing the sights in Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Obama, we also enjoyed running through the city in the mornings, eating everything we saw, shopping way too much and meeting with Japan friends and making some new ones. I had a great time on the town with Consul General Nagamine’s daughter, Risako, and her friends who took us to some cool spots and even a Jail-themed restaurant.

This was the first time my brother was ever able to go to Japan and I was very happy to share this opportunity to visit the land of our ancestors. We learned so much and we are truely grateful to you all. We are especially grateful to Benh, without whom we may have never found our way. Simply put- Benh is the best.

Thank you all so much. It sure is good to be home!