Greetings

　This past March, the whole of Japan went wild over Samurai Japan's victory in the WBC. The dedication of the Samurai touched the hearts of many, and their respect and gentlemanly behavior toward the opposing teams was also instantly reported and praised around the world.

　Among the many compliments, I was struck by a comment made by the manager of the Czech national team, which had put up a good match against the Samurai. According to the article, it went something like this: "Baseball is not war.

　I realized that baseball is not a war but a gentleman's sport. Roki Sasaki’s warm-heartedness gave us energy. I want to say thank you to all of Japan."

　I want to tell the world that Shohei Ohtani is playing with a wonderful smile on his face. I also want to tell that although the war between Ukraine and Russia is still going on, there is also such a wonderful world out there."

　Unfortunately, the world, exhausted by the battle with Covid-19, has been further confused by the tragic war in Ukraine that erupted last February.

　Last year, in my inaugural address as Chairman, I said, "I believe that the multiculturalization of a region through exchanges at the private level, and the constant efforts to achieve this goal, will be the first step toward resolving these difficult issues, even if it may seem like a roundabout path at first glance. I found his comments to be a confirmation of this theory and a source of strength for our activities.

　We are determined to make steady progress in our exchange activities this year in order to make Inzai a comfortable place to live for foreign residents. I would like to ask for your further understanding and support.

Shoji Bando,

Chairman