Buckley and his family were welcomed by the consul general and his wife, Mami Sone. In a post on Instagram, Buckley said, “As the son of a Japanese mom who lived in Japan for part of my childhood, I’ve always hoped to play a small part in helping to bridge the cultures. Maybe you know that feeling and you’ll understand how special this recognition was for my family.”
On Sept. 6, the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles presented the Commendation of the Consul General to Frank Buckley.
The commendation was established to recognize an individual or group who has helped advance the mission of the Consulate General and has provided significant contributions to mutual understanding and promoting friendship between Japan and the U.S.
Buckley is an anchor on the KTLA-TV Morning News every Monday through Friday from 7 to 11 a.m., as well as a host and executive producer of the weekly TV show and podcast “Frank Buckley Interviews,” airing on weekends on KTLA and available on YouTube and all podcast platforms. He also co-anchors “Inside California Politics,” airing weekends on KTLA and on other Nexstar TV stations. He joined KTLA in June 2005.
His past news reporting for KCAL-TV, CNN, and KTLA included hurricanes in the Caribbean and the Carolinas; the Northridge earthquake and the devastating earthquake in Kobe, Japan; wild-fires in Southern California; the Los Angeles riots, and the O.J. Simpson case and trial.
Buckley frequently donates his time to community organizations, including the Los Angeles Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association.
His contribution to the Japan-U.S. relationship includes his visit to Japan in March 2011 in the immediate aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. From Sendai, he reported about the disaster to the KTLA audience in Los Angeles and beyond.
KTLA morning anchor Frank Buckley receives a commendation for his effort to promote friendship between the U.S. and Japan on Sept. 6 from Consul General Kenko Sone at the consul general’s residence.
Irene Hirano Inouye, a founder of U.S.-Japan Council, to his KTLA morning news program and encouraged contributions to Japan through the USJC’s Earthquake Relief Fund.
In August 2018, Buckley interviewed Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who was visiting Los Angeles, for “Frank Buckley Interviews,” contributing to increased visibility of Japan House Los Angeles. He was one of the original members of USC, an organization dedicated to promoting relations between Japan and the U.S. through people-to-people diplomacy, and he was part of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation to Japan in 2006.
He frequently hosts and emcees events organized by such community-related organizations as Japan House Los Angeles, Japanese American National Museum, and Japan America Society of Southern California, utilizing his highly regarded reputation as a media figure to raise awareness about the community and its activities.
The commendation was presented to Buckley in recognition of his significant contribution to deepening mutual understanding as well as friendship and goodwill between Japan and the U.S.