Embassy of Japan in the United States of America
在米国日本国大使館

Remarks by Ambassador Fujisaki
at the Conferral Ceremony and Reception to Dr. James Ulak

July 6, 2010

Distinguished　guests,

It is a great honor for me to have just presented the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, to Dr. James Ulak.
To honor Dr. Ulak, not only his family members but also his professional colleagues, art collectors including Mr. Joe Price, and friends from all over the US are here.
Mr. Cunard and Board members of the Freer and Sackler Galleries are here as well.
Even his longtime friends from Japan have traveled all the way to be here.
Reverend Nasu of Shounji and other Sakai friends.
By the way, Shounji is the temple where the Freer’s iconic Waves at Matsushima screens were originally created.  
Mr. Iwataro and Yasuhiro Oka of Oka Bokkodo, Japan’s premiere painting conservation studio, are here as well.
What an impressive crowd!
This residence is now packed with the cream of the Japanese art world.
In that sense, this may be the most elegant and refined of all the receptions in DC this evening.
If there is one at the White House, sorry, President Obama.

Most of you know who Dr. Ulak is so let me be brief.
He is from Springfield, Illinois.
He studied Japanese art history in Japan.
He stayed in Japan for 15 years, so he is a Japanese speaker.
By the way, we Japanese are so trained that if a foreigner utters Konnichiwa, Arigato or Sayonara, we would automatically cry out “Oh, you speak excellent Japanese.”
No, not in this case.
His Japanese is genuinely superb and impeccable.
Not only that, it is as intellectual and refined as his manner is.
If he wishes, he could earn his living teaching young Japanese how to speak good Japanese.
He worked as a curator at Yale, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Freer and Sackler Galleries.
After being the chief curator, he became the Deputy Director of the Freer and Sackler in 2003.
He has played a key role in the success of numerous exhibitions.
He has also explained to visitors such as Mrs. Abe, then the first lady, and Mrs. Cheney.
He assisted Princess Akiko of Mikasa when she was here last March.
Last week, my wife and I and our American friends had the privilege of being shown around the gallery by Dr. Ulak.
It was such an honor.
But I had to confess, I was under some stress not to ask an ignorant question and reveal my real self.
As such a gentlemen, he would never say it, but he may think deep in his mind “Is this really the representative of Japan? Can’t he even distinguish the Buddha of Kamakura from that of Muromachi?”

Dr. Ulak has been a bridge between our two great countries.
Thanks to him, there are more and more Japanese art lovers in the US as well as in Japan.
Political and economic relations change from time to time.
There are ups and downs.
In the world of art, your taste will not change so often.
If you love the art of one country, you develop an interest in the culture of the country that produced the art.
Art can connect peoples of different countries.
But this will not just happen.
We need a catalyst.
Dr. Ulak is the catalyst of the best kind.
It is so fortunate to have such an individual here in Washington DC.
We will continue to count on you, Dr. Ulak.
Count on you to guide us through challenging times. 
I thank you.