Previous Story
Lantern ceremony marks group’s 41st visit to the CNMI
The Sanpoen group, in cooperation with the Saipan Mayor’s Office, held its annual lantern ceremony last Sunday at the Minachom Atdao Pavillion in Kilili Beach, marking the group’s 41st annual visit to the CNMI.
According to Yuki Kishimoto, student exchange program coordinator at the Saipan Mayor’s Office, the ceremony is intended to offer peace to those who perished during the Battle of Saipan.
Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang said that he is grateful that the group has continued its ongoing tradition of visiting the CNMI and blessing all of the memorial sites throughout Saipan. The group also held separate memorial services last Saturday at the Banzai Cliff, Suicide Cliff, and the Last Command Post.
Despite the fewer number of Sanpoen participants this year, they were joined by 10 students (ranging in ages from 11 to 16 years of age), compared to last year’s 20.
The students were accompanied by eight staff chaperones, with the group being led by high priest Kansho Kayaki and his brother, Susumu Kayaki.
Apatang said that this was the first time that they used the Kilili Beach for the lantern ceremony, as the regular site at Hopwood Junior High School is still closed off and they will see if the Kilili Beach will be the new designated site for the event.
Among those in attendance was Japan Consul Ono Kazuhiko, 2019 Miss Marianas Shannon Sasamoto, and 2019 Liberation Day Queen Pernalynn Camacho.
This was Ono’s first time to attend the ceremony. He described the occasion as “quite touching” and he hopes that the group can continue this tradition.
“I just want to thank the consul for coming and joining us in this ceremony,” Apatang said.
Apatang also said that they held a farewell party for the group at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan poolside last night. He said that more groups will be coming to the CNMI in the coming months, with the Kokusai Seishonen Kenshu Kyokai group arriving on Aug. 17.
