TOKYO - Entertainer Tamori and two other prominent figures were named Honorary Citizens of Tokyo on October 1 in recognition of their contributions to the capital's development and the lives of its residents, with an award ceremony held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government headquarters on Tokyo Citizens' Day.
The three recipients were Tamori, 81, a television personality and longtime program host who lives in Meguro Ward; Eiko Kadono, 91, the children's author best known for "Kiki's Delivery Service," who has also worked actively to foster a new generation of children's literature writers; and Mitsunori Torihara, 83, honorary chairman of the Japanese Para-Sports Association and an honorary adviser to Tokyo Gas who played a major role in bringing the Paralympic Games to Tokyo.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tamori reflected humorously on his half-century in show business. "This is exactly my 50th year in this world. At the beginning, I faced a storm of criticism. People said it was outrageous to appear on television wearing sunglasses," he said. "It was only about six or seven years ago that people finally started praising me little by little."
Tamori also joked about the weather, saying, "Today we finally have a beautiful clear day for the first time in 35 days. Thank you very much."
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike presented each of the three recipients with a certificate conferring the honorary title and an Honorary Citizen of Tokyo medal.
Source: TOKYO MX NEWS
