Among the many reasons why Portland Japanese Garden has maintained its status as the world’s most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, as well as North America’s preeminent Japanese cultural organization, is the expert guidance and leadership that comes from its Board of Trustees. In 2022, this group of leaders saw one of its longtime members earn a significant honor that further elucidates the immense value they bring to the organization.
Yoshio Kurosaki, a naturalized Issei (first generation immigrant from Japan) and Portland Japanese Garden Board of Trustees Member was bestowed with the Kentaro Kaneko Award. The honor, commonly referred to as the Kaneko Award, was established by the America-Japan Society in 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its founding. This award was bestowed upon Kurosaki in recognition of his longstanding contributions to grassroots exchanges between Japan and the United States.
The Society praised Kurosaki, noting that he, “has been active in various areas of civic exchange with Japan through his support of the Japan-America Society of Oregon, for which he has served as director and president, and has served as [Portland Japanese Garden’s] finance and accounting committee chair, director selection committee chair, and…has also served selflessly and impartially in other non-profit, academic, and sister city/friendship city exchanges.”
“As an immigrant from Japan, I am very happy to see so many people from all over the world visiting our Portland Japanese Garden and enjoying the tranquility…”
Yoshio Kurosaki
In addition to his contributions to the Garden, Kurosaki is the former Director and President of the Japan-America Society of Oregon. There he led and assisted numerous nonprofit and academic organizations and facilitated sister-city exchanges.
Kurosaki, who also serves as President and CEO of Summit Properties, recently shared why Portland Japanese Garden has been so important to him. “As an immigrant from Japan, I am very happy to see so many people from all over the world visiting our Portland Japanese Garden and enjoying the tranquility and most authentic beauty of the Japanese Garden,” Kurosaki wrote. “Being involved on the Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, I am really happy to be a part of such a great community, supporting this excellent garden. I have the deepest respect to all the people involved in the last 60 years, because this beautiful place exists.”