Diplomat strengthens ties with all sectors of Guam community

BY MAUREEN N. MARATITA
Journal Staff

Consul General of Japan to Guam Rumiko Ishigami arrived in Guam on April 25 last year, and since then has hosted and attended an impressive list of events.

However, she told the Journal, making those connections in Guam — and in Saipan — has been a personal aim and a pleasure.

Originally from Tokyo, Ishigami was born in Shibuya. “It’s very famous for the crossing,” she said. Her education began at a local school. “But from junior high school on I went to a private school established by the American Methodist Missionaries called Aoyama Gakuin Junior High School — it’s rather well-known … all the way to university.”

“It was a missionary school, so it was a Christian faith — the basis for my service to society in life.” The school also emphasized spoken English, which Ishigami was good at, and she tried to learn as much as possible. “I was able to say what I wanted to say, basically.”

In high school, Ishigami was selected to participate in an International Fellowship in Ohio. “The exchange program took me to spend my senior year in Ohio. But when I went to join other kids, they talked slang, and I had a hard time.”

Ishigami became immersed in American Government class, American History class, American Literature Class, she said. “In the beginning I was recording the class, and I listened to the class in the evening to make perfect understanding.” Ishigami got very good grades in her first term. “So I was exempted from exams in the second term,” she said. “I was inducted into the National Honor Society, and that kind of thing.” She graduated with her class.

Ishigami went back to Aoyama Gakuin Senior High School to graduate high school there. “In those days the university didn’t recognize the American diploma,” she said.

Ishigami holds a 1985 bachelor of law from Aoyama Gakuin University in Shibuya. Law was of interest to her. “But with law school I could also learn about political science, and I was interested in world affairs.” After her experience of not being able to excel in English in Ohio, she said, “I wanted to do something substantive to learn in English, rather than studying English so that’s why instead of going to the English Department, I went to the School of Law.”

Ishigami wanted to use the English language professionally and studied as an interpreter at the same time. She then found out that a classmate from high school had passed the diplomatic exam. She decided a diplomatic career would allow her to work as an interpreter and meet her other needs. “So I studied for the diplomatic exam.” There are various levels of exam, she said, from top career level to management level to “an expert level — a specialist exam,” Ishigami said. “So that’s the one I took.”

Ishigami entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1985 and was selected to study in the United Kingdom. “I was able to choose which university I wanted to go to,” she said. “I went to Edinburgh and continued with my studies in law.” She holds a 1990 masters in philosophy in law.
From Edinburgh, Ishigami was posted to Acra in Ghana in West Africa, which was under a military coup d’etat government. She was the first female Japanese diplomat to be sent to the country. While Africa is considered a hardship posting, Ishigami enjoyed her time there. “The Ghana government really liked to see the young Japanese diplomat, so I was like a celebrity.”

One of the staff at the Embassy was John Mahama, who would become president of Ghana, and is running for office again.

Ishigami returned home for various appointments at MOFA, which included U.S.-Japan economic relations, and also used her interpreting skills for Empress Michiko. Ishigami got married just before leaving for five years in Vienna. Their son was born in 2001and they returned to Japan where she would work with the Atomic Energy Overseas Establishment.

In 2008 Ishigami said, “That’s when I started the long journey overseas.” She went to New York as consul of Japan, then first Secretary at the Embassy in Bulgaria, consul and deputy consul general at the consulate general in Edinburgh, counsellor and deputy head of mission at the embassy in Namibia in Southern Africa and in February 2020 private secretary to Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, in the Imperial Household Agency.

The realities faced by all expatriate parents led Ishigami and her husband to decide after the first six years in New York and Bulgaria that her son should go to a Japanese school in Japan, after numerous years in English-speaking systems. “After junior high school we sent my son to Japan, and my husband had to follow him, so I was alone.

“I was really excited to go to Edinburgh,” she said.

Of her 2020 appointment, Ishigami said, “The secondment of a foreign service expert like me in the Household Agency was to help with their foreign visits.” Events were cancelled, though she was able to help with online meetings, she said.

As to favorite postings or memories, Ishigami said, “Maybe it’s my personality, but I enjoy wherever I go. I’m not a negative person.”

Since her arrival in Guam, Ishigami has attended a variety of events, including the Rotary Club of Northern Guam’s 9-11 Peace Memorial, the opening of Don Don Donki in April, and Guam’s highly popular Japan Festival, as well as the recent Japan Sunday held to offer a cultural experience at Micronesia Mall.

Aside from the Emperor's Birthday Reception at the Hotel Nikko Guam on Feb. 15, Ishigami hosted a reception for U.S. military personnel who have served in Japan, as well as their families on Oct. 27, 2023 at the Nikko Hotel Guam. This year the event was held Oct. 4. "They can refresh their memories of their time in Japan,” she said. Some personnel have their children in the Japan School, and Ishigami hoped to say that more will be welcome, as the school’s numbers have dropped.

“When I came here, I was wearing a mask and holding my vaccination certificate in my hand. But then I realized nobody’s wearing masks, and the requirement has been abolished.”

Ishigami said, “It’s time to promote Japan to Guam, and Guam to Japan – and then Typhoon Mawar. I was really shocked to see such strong wind and the rain.” Typhoons in Japan are different, she said. “And then no power, and no internet,” though her phone had internet, she said. “I was okay, but my staff had a difficult time.” Some tourists staying in Tsubaki Tower ran out of food, she said. “So we had to deliver food there.” Still, she said, “I was really impressed with the resilience of people, and recovery.”

The Liberation Day parade was cancelled last year. “I was looking forward to it this year, and so glad that I was able to go to all the memorials that were held.”

She also attended the July 10 ceremony at the Office of the Governor of the returning of the remains of Japanese soldiers from World War II. “I thought it was a very good gesture, because the people have very difficult memories of how Japanese soldiers were in those days. But even Japanese soldiers have families. That was the kind words the governor was saying.”

Similar ceremonies are held in Saipan also she said. Ishigami has visited the island. “I also took the small plane to Tinian,” she said.

Being without water for a while reminded her of visiting Japanese volunteers in a remote village in the north of Ghana and being given buckets of water to wash with, she said. “I haven’t had that since then.”

As to representing her country, Ishigami said, “We usually try to promote Japan.” This year however, the country has seen millions of visitors. “The problem is the tourism from Japan to Guam. That has been really difficult.” Before COVID Guam saw 1.6 million tourists. “Japanese tourists were 40%,” she said. “Even then, there was a decrease in Japanese tourists.”

In Japan, she said, “Nowadays, they’re trying to make things easier for foreigners – more English, and you can use Google to translate.” With the current exchange rate, she said, “It’s very expensive for Japanese to come to Guam.” But all adversity aside, she said, “It’s time to promote Guam in Japan,” and recognized the recent Tourism Expo Japan.”

An agreement to promote “wellness tourism” — recently signed by GVB and H.I.S. in Japan could draw visitors, Ishigami said. “I think so, with say, the well-off. Maybe women might like the wellness tourism.”

Ishigami will leave Guam on Oct. 24 to return to Japan. “I’ll miss being here,” she said. Her appointment has not been announced yet.  “My retirement age is coming up soon,” she said. “It’s usually 60 and if you have spent 10 years overseas, it becomes 63.”

When and if she retires, Ishigami said, “I can use my knowledge and skills, I always want to do my part in improving relations between Japan and other countries for the peaceful world.” mbj