Hideki Mimura

All over the world, the St Patrick’s Day parade is one of the most prominent visual expressions of Irish culture.

In cities, towns and villages in almost every corner of the planet, communities take to the streets on 17 March bedecked in green.

We have Hideki Mimura to thank for the annual greening of Tokyo. Originally from Yokohama and a 10th-generation potato farmer, Mimura has been working with the Irish Embassy since 1990. In that time he has helped organise St Patrick’s Day parades and greenings in 17 Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya and Yokohama.

Japanese St Patrick’s Day

The first Japanese St Patrick’s Day took place in Roppongi, Tokyo in 1992, on the encouragement of James Sharkey, who was then the Irish ambassador to Japan.

Mimura was working at the Embassy at that time and was very impressed by how the young Irish people in Tokyo were able to organise this first event.

“I learned how Irish young people were very skilful in preparing events by hand, gathering many friends, and organising the parade and other events,” he explains. “It was amazing to see those young Irish people working so hard for their country. I had no experience managing such an event before, but I was impressed by how much we could accomplish with our own efforts if we worked hard and didn't give up.”

Parade planning

The following year, Mimura applied for permission to hold a larger celebration in Harajuku, Tokyo. Events gathered momentum from then on. Soon he was advising on parade planning for St Patrick’s Day events in other cities. In 2004, he had the opportunity to organise a parade in his hometown of Yokohama.

Japanese people learning about Ireland

Mimura hopes that eventually, St Patrick’s Day will be celebrated in every part of Japan. “There are 47 prefectures in Japan, and we aim to hold some kind of Irish event in every prefecture in the near future. Through this, we hope that more Japanese people will learn about Ireland, become interested in it, and travel to Ireland for sightseeing, studying, or business in the future.”

Japan and Ireland similarities

From his time working on events that straddle these two nations, he has noted many similarities between Japan and Ireland. “We are both island nations,” he observes. “We have overcome difficult times, we value the feeling of helping each other, we protect traditional music and dance, we value nature, and we are kind and serious people.”

In 2017, Mimura’s years of work were recognised with a Presidential Distinguished Service Award in the Irish Community Support category.

It was a particularly poignant moment for him and his family as that year they had lost their eldest daughter Melissa in a road accident in Canada, where she had been studying. “The whole family was living a difficult life, and I felt like I had received a light in the darkness,” he says. “I was grateful that the volunteer work I had continued to do was recognised, and that by receiving such a wonderful award, other family members besides myself could receive some encouragement as well.”