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The Speech Commemorating the Launch of the New Delta Airlines Route from Sea-Tac International Airport to Kansai International Airport (June 7, 2010)
Thank you very much Governor Gregoire for your introducing me to your fellow citizens and for welcoming me to your beautiful state. I feel privileged to be here with you at this propitious ceremony.
Good morning, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to offer the Port of Seattle and Delta Airlines hearty congratulations on the inaugurating flight to Osaka today. I wish to honor this occasion by briefly mentioning 3 points of interest and potential.
Point number one: this inaugural flight is significant for Seattle, because it develops Seattle as a gateway to Asia and future opportunities. In a Japanese context, the two megalopolises of Tokyo and Osaka now have a direct connection with Seattle. Until today, San Francisco was the only US city in the contiguous United States which had direct flights to Tokyo and Osaka. Seattle now joins it as the only other city which has those links.
Point number two: direct flights with Osaka will accelerate exchanges between Washington and Osaka megalopolises in three major ways.
The first and, as Governor Gregoire mentioned, perfectly timed way is in trade and investment. The Grater Osaka Area alone has a population of more than 20 million, thus affording access to a large market for the Pacific Northwest. The Osaka economy is headed by such renowned enterprises such as Panasonic, Sharp, Suntory and Nintendo.
The second type of exchange of mutual benefit is tourism. Aside from other famous landmarks people flock here to see, you have a famous UNESCO World Heritage Site in Washington State. Olympia National Park is one out of only 20 Sites in the United States. The Osaka megalopolis area has 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: ① Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area, ②Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, ③Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, ④Himeji Castle, and ⑤Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. Americans visit Osaka to enjoy the traditional Japanese culture and delicacies of these areas, and Japanese can visit the Pacific Northwest to enjoy the spacious natural landscapes of Olympia National Park.
The third type of exchange between our regions, that of the sister state and city relationships, is already well known. The Washington – Hyogo Sister States, the Seattle – Kobe Sister Cities, and many more connections are already flourishing, but I look forward to seeing how much stronger they will become with the greater ease of travel now available.
Point number three: Delta Airlines will be operating Boeing 767-300s between Seattle and Osaka. This aircraft designed and manufactured in Everett, Washington, but 20% of the components come from Japan. I would therefore like to conclude my speech by saying that Boeing 767-300 deserves the aircraft career of linking Seattle and Osaka because this plane is a symbol of friendship and cooperation between Washington State and Japan we are happy to celebrate today.
Thank you very much for listening.