11/05/2026
🌸 Rotary Connects the World: A Special Connection in Yamagata, Japan 🌏✨
During a recent trip to northern Japan, Camden-Wyoming Rotary Club Past President Ronald Kahn attended a presentation in Yamagata Prefecture highlighting the region’s designated Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage System.
The lecture centered on the region’s historic 500-year tradition of cultivating benibana (safflower) and the centuries-old, intricate craft of extracting rare, vibrant crimson dye from its golden petals. The speaker was 73-year-old Master Masaaki Konno—a renowned Safflower Technology Inheritor, Vice Chairman of the Yamagata Prefecture Safflower Producers’ Association, and leader of the Shirataka Beni Flower Blooming Association.
Amidst the fascinating talk, Ron noticed a familiar symbol displayed behind the presenter: an official Rotary banner.
At the end of the presentation, Ron approached Master Konno to ask about it. The moment he said the word "Rotary," Master Konno’s face beamed. Speaking through an interpreter, he shared his deep love for Rotary International, speaking passionately about our global commitment to peace, understanding, and goodwill.
Master Konno presented Ron with his club’s official Rotary banner to bring back across the Pacific, and Ron sent him a Camden-Wyoming Rotary Club banner via their guide, in the true spirit of international fellowship,
Back home in Delaware, Ron proudly presented the Yamagata banner to Camden-Wyoming Rotary Club President Dan Taylor—a tangible reminder of the unbreakable bond shared by 1.4 million Rotarians across 200+ countries.
Whether halfway around the globe in a quiet Japanese mountain valley or right here in Kent County, Rotary proves that a shared dedication to Service Above Self and international peace makes the world smaller and warmer. 🤝🕊️