Masaru Yanagisawa
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Masaru Yanagisawa was the Honorary Tourism Consul of the Singapore Tourism Board, and the Chairman of the Hakodate Singapore Society. He was instrumental in establishing the linkage between the Hakodate International Tourism and Convention Association (HITCA) and the STB, which facilitates the tourism and business exchanges between the two cities.
As the founder of the Hakodate Singapore Society, he led the society to actively promote Singapore to the locals of Hokkaido. From organising the annual Singapore Food Festivals in Hakodate to leading visits to Singapore, the society enthused in educating people about Singapore and generating interest to visit Singapore.
A philanthropist, he had for consecutively 8 years generously hosted STB’s Annual Tourism Awards winners in the hotel he owned, the Hotel Hakodate Royal. A strong supporter of the Singapore Food Festival, he had sponsored the Hakodate Seafood Night in July 1998. It was also with his assistance that Singapore was able to heighten its international presence by participating in the Hakodate Port Festival in 1999 and 2002, which attracts more than half a million visitors yearly.
His love for Singapore’s culture and lifestyles was reflected in the Singapore elements that he brought back to Hakodate – the merlions erected in the city park and his spa resort in Hakodate, the Singapore Trishaw in his hotel lobby, his souvenir shop named as Sentosa Shop, his bar serving the Singapore Sling and a beer called the Merlion.
In the 19th STB Tourism Awards that honour individuals and organisations with significant contributions to the Singapore tourism industry, he was accorded the Special Recognition Award.
He was re-appointed as STB's Honorary Tourism Consul on 19 November 2007.
He passed away on 21 November 2007 in Japan.
