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Japanese group turns over $3K donation
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Posted on Mar 07 2019
Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, center, poses with members of the Japanese Youth Memorial Association Friday morning. (Contributed Photo)
The Saipan Mayor’s Office received last week a donation from a group of Japanese students intended for Super Typhoon Yutu recovery.
Mayor David M. Apatang received last Friday $3,000 from a Tokyo, Japan-based non-profit organization called the Japan Youth Memorial Association.
While the group did not disclose what exactly was done to raise the funds, a statement from the organization noted that they raised the funds over the last four months.
“JYMA strongly wishes that their effort would demonstrate the sympathy and friendship of the people of Japan and strengthen the ties between Japan and the Marianas again that was once weakened due to the declining numbers of the Japanese visitors in the last few decades,” the organization’s statement said.
Apatang assured that the donation would be put to good use, such as funding projects that would beautify the island.
“I want to thank [JYMA],” said Apatang. “This group has been here many times,” adding that this is also the same organization that archaeologically processes human remains believed to be Japanese imperial soldiers from World War II.
“Every time they come, they give contributions and assistance to the Saipan Mayor’s Office,” he said.
“We use part of it on Japanese monuments here while we also set some of it aside for projects we need to do,” he said, adding that the additional funds also help the office when there are Japanese exchange students on island.
After dropping by the Saipan Mayor’s Office, the group headed to the Tinian Mayor’s Office in the afternoon and also repaired a monument they erected on the island in 1971, which had reportedly been “long forgotten” and has lost its plaques that had words comforting the souls of war victims.
