Mayor traveling to Tokyo to meet with Japanese corporation executives

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, September 8, 2017

Mayor Kirk Caldwell will travel to Tokyo, Japan this Saturday, September 9 to meet with Japanese corporation executives and discuss the current status of the Honolulu rail project. He will meet with representatives from Hitachi, Seibu, and Tokyu Corporation during three days of meetings. 

Hitachi owns rail car maker Ansaldo, the Italian train manufacturer that is contracted to design, build, operate and maintain the rail system in Honolulu. Seibu Holdings includes Seibu Railway Company, Ltd, which owns and operates several railway lines throughout Japan. Seibu does not have a tie to the Honolulu project, but is a world leader in the railway industry. Tokyu is a railway and land developer in the greater Tokyo area.

“Now that the rail funding issue has been addressed through the state Legislature and City Council, I want to inform our partner in Japan on the latest news on Honolulu’s rail system, and to discuss how we move forward expeditiously,” said Mayor Caldwell. “It’s important to maintain strong communications with Hitachi especially, and I appreciate the opportunity to fortify our business relationship.”

The mayor will be accompanied to Tokyo by Chief of Staff Gary Kurokawa.

For the period of September 9-10, 2017, Nelson H. Koyanagi, Jr., Director of the Department of Budget & Fiscal Services, will be Acting Mayor. Managing Director Roy K. Amemiya, Jr., will be Acting Mayor from September 11-12, 2017.

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