| 
New Mexico Annual Akimatsuri (Fall Festival) Held(09, 28, 2014)
Consul General ONO and his wife attended the annual Akimatsuri Festival (fall festival) in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 28, 2014. This festival is organized annually by Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in New Mexico and this year celebrated its 10th anniversary. The festival continues to grow, with attendance notably larger than previous years as so many people came to the wonderful National Hispanic Center venue. Originally this festival was started for the purpose of fundraising to build a Japan Center, but now it is recognized more as a symbol of fall in New Mexico and is enjoyed by Japanese American people as well as many other locals. Notably, products from the Tohoku region affected by the Great Japan Earthquake in 2011 were on display at a booth set up by volunteer citizens, and many people gathered there to buy seafood from Tokoku.
《PICTURE CAPTION》FROM LEFT:①CG Ono gave remarks at the opening ceremony ②With Okinawan traditional dance Master ③Many young people attended festival dressed in their own cosplay ④The Tohoku booth at Akimatsuri,with products from the eathquake region