RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Naoki Ito, has stepped down as Consul-General of Japan in Chicago, after two-and-half years of dedicated diplomatic service of the Empire of Japan; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago City Council has been informed of Naoki Ito's August 28th departure as Consul-General of Japan.in Chicago by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Ito assumed his post as Consul-General of Japan in Chicago on February 21, 2017; and
WHEREAS, Consul-General Ito provided consular services that contributed to the safety and security of more than 33,000 Japanese nationals in the 10-state region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin); and
WHEREAS, during Consul-General It's tenure, Japanese companies continued to expand and develop throughout the region in various fields from manufacturing and agriculture to tourism and finance which has contributed to job creation and the local economies; and
WHEREAS, about 1,300 Japanese business facilities provide 130,000 direct jobs in the 10-state region; and
WHEREAS, Consul-General Ito continued to present Japanese culture and supported the more than 70 sister city partnerships between Japan and the Midwest Cities; and
WHEREAS, in December 2017 Japan's Consulate Office celebrated its 120"' anniversary of its establishment which continues to deepen the economic ties and other exchanges between Japan and the U.S.; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council assembled this eighteenth day of September, 2019, do hereby thank Naoki Ito for his tenure as Consul-General to the City of Chicago and other Midwest Cities, and wish him the very best as he begins the next phase of his life; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Consul-General Naoki Ito.
Edward M. Burke Alderman, 14th Ward