I attended the Japanese Cultural Center’s 2009 Celebration of Leadership and Achievement Dinner at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii on Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 5 P.M. to 9:15 P.M.
Japanese Cultural Center’s 2009 Celebration of Leadership and Achievement Dinner
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JON RIKI KARAMATSU 
Thought your decision to promote your run for Lt. Governor by passing out pens at this particular event was in very poor taste. In my own opinion…quite shameful and disrespectful. The purpose of the event was to honor special families whose businesses have survived through generations. This was their night to shine. Many people on the committee who had worked so hard at putting this event together to make it special for the honorees were commenting on this. This was definitely not the time nor place for campaigning.
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Hi Lori,
I am sorry I offended you by passing out my pens at the Japanese Cultural Center’s 2009 Celebration of Leadership and Achievement Dinner at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii on Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 5 P.M. I think you were on the second to the last table in the second row (stage left) with your back facing the stage? I may have interrupted your conversation with a male individual. Sorry about that. I only walked around the banquet room before the formal program started.
I am a member of the Japanese Cultural Center and know a number of the leaders in the institution. I am also a member of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Honolulu Hiroshima Kenjin Kai, Honolulu Yamaguchi Kenjin Kai, and Jodo Shu. I contributed personally to the Japanese Cultural Center and was one of the legislators who helped to appropriate a lot of money to save and maintain the center.
In my experience attending dinners, I have always remembered politicians working the tables. I worked for state House, Honolulu Mayor, and Governor campaigns since I was a teen therefore, I understand campaign strategy. I attend about 200 dinners a year. I have never campaigned a banquet until this year since I am now running for a statewide office.
For small House or Senate races, we have to focus on our district constituency. In the past, I campaigned my Waipahu community events and walked my district up to 3 times in an election year, which is about 19,200 homes. I have walked my district 10 times in my 4 terms as a state representative, which is about 64,000 homes. Very few politicians can say they have done this much work in such a short time.
However, for statewide races, politicians campaign banquets, festivals, and large events to maximize time and effort. Television, radio, and print advertisements costing hundreds of thousands of dollars don’t occur until the last 6 to 8 weeks of the primary election and general election campaign. Thus, these community events are extremely important in a statewide campaign. The night before the Japanese Cultural Center event, I met about 1,000 people at a Chinese banquet until my suit was soaked with sweat because the air conditioning was not working well. I was at four events leading up to the Japanese Cultural Center dinner that Saturday. It takes a lot of courage for politicians to overcome any anxiety to approach people. Since June of 2009, I met about 19,000 people. Of the 19,000 people, you are the first who became upset about me reaching out to the community. Can you imagine yourself meeting 19,000 people? My goal is to personally meet and talk to 100,000 people by September 18, 2010. Now imagine trying to meet 100,000 people? You may not realize how challenging it is when people say politicians are not accessible.
My hero, Governor John A. Burns was known to have campaigned everywhere. When running for Governor he owned only one suit and walked until he wore down his shoes and slept in friends’ homes on the neighbor islands because he couldn’t afford a hotel. I keep his match size sewing kit he used to pass out to people in my office to remind me of him and the rest of that great generation including my grandparents who I miss dearly.
I am pushing the level of campaigning statewide to a whole new level that has never been seen before and it will be very difficult for other politicians to keep up with my work or mimic it. The strategy I am implementing now is what I typed out in 1996 and modified in 2002, 2005, and 2009. I have been envisioning this strategy for fourteen years since I was a student government leader and I am now implementing it. I am bringing back old school style political campaigning to Hawaii when others are relying on millions of dollars to spend on expensive commercials. The positive input I received from the 19,000 people far outweighs the negative of campaigning events including banquets. You are one of the 100,000 people by September 18, 2010 who can say you met me whether you like me or not. However, I appreciate your concern and if there is anything I can do to help you in the future, feel free to contact me. You can read up my work on my website. Who knows, we might someday be friends or work on something together. I know it is possible because at one event, a lady who yelled at me for an hour three years ago when I campaigned by walking door-to-door, came up to me and hugged me. Take care.
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
State Representative
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Correction: Actually this is the second complaint against my campaign. Another person didn’t like me eating lunch with volunteers at a non-profit organization’s booth at another event.
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