On behalf of the 1.03 million citizens in Sendai, it is my great honor to welcome the participants of the third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting to be held here in September, 2010.

It is with great pride that large-scale international conferences like the APEC Japan 2010 Senior Officials' Meeting, with delegates from the 21 APEC economies, will take place in Sendai. I hope all participants are able to share their ideas to contribute to the growth and development of the Asia-Pacific region.

Sendai has flourished as the castle town of the Date clan since approximately 400 years ago and still serves as the political, economic, academic, and cultural center of the Tohoku region (northeast) of Japan. Sendai, a city known as the "City of Trees" is also known throughout Japan as a modern city in harmony with nature. In addition, thanks to the numerous prestigious universities and institutions like Tohoku University, Sendai is recognized as an "Academic City." Furthermore, Sendai prides itself on being a "City of Music" offering various music events throughout the year such as the Sendai International Music Competition and the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival. In terms of sports, Sendai is one of only four cities in Japan that is home to professional soccer, baseball, and basketball teams, so people can enjoy professional sports all year round. I am confident that Sendai is an ideal place for all visitors and I hope that you can experience as much as possible during your stay here in Sendai.

Along with the cooperation of all Sendai citizens, I will provide all possible support to the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting to ensure the conference is a great success. I certainly believe that this meeting will lead to international cooperation as well as further international exchanges among the APEC members.

I very much look forward to meeting you here in Sendai.