SALT LAKE CITY,cikgu hayati lucah Utah — The government of Japan appointed Jani Iwamoto honorary consul of Japan in Salt Lake City in August.
She is the first person to hold this position in Utah.
Honorary consuls are appointed in areas where there is no official office established by a country. The assignment includes such matters as promoting and facilitating mutual working relations and promoting cultural and commercial exchange between Japan and the U.S.
In 2017, Iwamoto received the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Commendation at a ceremony presided over by Hiroto Hirakoba, consul general of Japan in Denver.
In 2023, Iwamoto received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays at a ceremony presided over by Yoichi Mikami, the current consul general in Denver.
Iwamoto holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a law degree UC Davis School of Law (King Hall). She served on the Salt Lake County Council from 2009 to 2013, becoming the first Asian American woman to be elected in Utah. She served in the Utah State Senate from 2015 to 2022. During her tenure, she was elected assistant minority whip by the Democratic senators.
She is the daughter of Yasuko Iwamoto and the late Nobuo Iwamoto.