since i had the mayor’s cell phone number, i figured to call him on the way back from iwate because we would be passing minami soma again. i know he’s a busy man at a time like this so i wasn’t expecting to get an appointment. then he told me “anytime.” wow!!! i said we’ll be there 9 am sharp. we talked and also took a video of a personal message to the people of hawaii. straight from the mayor. stay tuned for that…
the mayor is like a hometown hero. everybody comes up to him and bows and says thank you. then to top it off, Mayor Sakurai was nominated with one of the most prestigious awards in the world. the TIME MAGAZINE TOP 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD IN 2011. can you believe that??? i can!!! this man has influenced my life and is not only a big part of the reason i’m here in japan now, he’s also the reason i’m planning to do this till the end. through the good and through the bad, i’ll be here.
**CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST OF TIMES TOP 100 OF 2001…
