Friday’s series of celebrations in the City of Clarksville for Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month began with a luncheon visit at City Hall between Yoichi Matsumoto, Consul-General of Japan, Nashville; Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts, and their respective teams.
“It was a great honor to have Consul-General Matsumoto of Japan here in Clarksville," Mayor Pitts said. "He was very gracious, and we’ve been economic development partners for a long time in the state, and in Clarksvillle.”
It was Consul-General Matsumoto’s first Clarksville visit.
“We had a delightful visit talking about culture and community, and ways to partner, and we look forward to future visits with him at his home in Nashville, and again in Clarksville,” Mayor Pitts said.
The luncheon served as a forerunner to Friday evening’s planned community-wide, and free-to-the-public Asian-American & Pacific Islander Celebration at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center in Liberty Park.
Consul-General Matsumoto said he enjoyed his visit to Clarksville, a diversely-populated City with global appeal. This emphasis on diversity benefits significantly from the presence of Fort Campbell.
Michelle Lowe, the City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, said Consul-General Matsumoto’s commitment to spend the day in Clarksville demonstrates the importance of people from different backgrounds and cultures coming together to get to know and understand one another.
“With someone of his caliber being willing to come and sit down and talk with us about things that he has experienced, I think it’s pretty awesome for our community,” Lowe said.
“He’s a representative of Japan, traveling and working with a group of select delegates, and he is currently assigned to Tennessee. He focuses on such topics as economic development, and identifies areas where our two nations can help each other,” she said.
Consul-General Matsumoto assumed his post as Consul-General of Japan in Nashville in January 2022. This is his first diplomatic assignment in the United States. The Consul-General has worked primarily in trade and investment fields during his three-plus decades in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
He has extensive experience working with international organizations, including the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World
Trade Organization (WTO). He has participated in negotiations for several economic agreements between Japan and a multitude of nations and international groups.
Consul-General Matsumoto is married with two adult sons.
