It is with great anticipation that I look forward to the 2007 IIHF World Women Championship Division I in Japan. My enthusiasm for this event is two-fold. First, I am encouraged by the parity that women’s ice hockey is starting to demonstrate. Gone are the days of lopsided results, which have been replaced by exciting and competitive games.

I am also excited for this high-profile event to be played in Japan. After the success of the Asian Winter Games in China, I can see that the sport of ice hockey, for both men and women, has enormous interest in Asia. This championship can only add to that interest.

The women’s game has the highest growth potential of any of the other areas of ice hockey. It is exciting, and competitive international events, like those that we’ve witnessed in the last few years, that will ensure that the sport continues to grow. I am confident that the six teams assembled in Nikko, Japan, Denmark, Norway, Latvia, France and Czech Republic will serve as great ambassadors of the game and will play in an exciting event for the fans in Nikko.

This year, we have an overwhelming five IIHF World Women Championships planned, from the top level event in hockey’s homeland, Canada, to a Division IV competition in Romania. In total 33 national teams will compete in the women’s world championship program—an impressively large number that I know will continue to grow with the ongoing dedication of everyone involved in the sport.

This championship gives six teams an opportunity to establish a tradition, see where they stand and find out what it takes to reach the next level. Any one of these teams is ready for the chance to prove themselves in the top division.

As a president of the IIHF I would like to extend my gratitude to the Japan Ice Hockey Association and the city of Nikko for assuming the responsibility to organize this 2007 IIHF World Women Championship Division I.

 On behalf of Japan Ice Hockey Federation I am most pleased to send my welcome greeting to all participating athletes and officials to the 2007 IIHF World Women Championship Division I to be held for the first time in Japan in our traditional World Heritage possessing Nikko City under a clear and mild spring season.
  Women’s ice hockey was recognized as an official event of the Olympic Games in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games. Here in Nikko there will be thrilling games to be seen for the way to get 8 qualified members in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.At the last stage of the qualification meet for the Turin Winter Olympic Game, Japan lost it, with 1 point short. Since then Japanese athletes did their best by hard training to overcome the lost chance frustration.

I do hope that all teams will show their best to advance into the top division to go forward to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.
  Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who supported to realize this great event including all groups in Tochigi Prefecture, Nikko City, all supported sponsors and spectators to watch the meet.

I would like to extend my heartfelt greeting to the IIHF World Women Championship Division I at Kirifuri Ice Arena in Nikko.First of all I will pay my deep respect and thanks to all those who dedicated to prepare for this big event. It was more than 20 years ago when IIHF World Championship was held in Japan and then the IIHF World Women Championship Division I will be held in Nikko this year to my great pleasure.
  In these days women’s advancement into the sports world has been standing out and traditionally elegant and calm Japanese women are participating in the power-strength required events including ice hockey, too.
  In this event world six strong teams such as Czech Republic, France, Denmark, Norway, Latvia and Japan are participating and Japan will be one of the favorites to my pleasure.
  Surrounded with beautiful mountains and lakes the well known  World Heritage Nikko will offer the best occasion for the participating athletes to express their strength to the full and deepen their friendly relationship and come home with good memory.

It is really my great pleasure to hold the 2007 IIHF World Women Championship Division I with participation of 6 women teams from the world at Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture.
 The ice hockey is a fierce sport event on the ice something like martial arts and its thrilling scenes of speedy skating actions of the athletes, scrambling of ice shooting puck and bumping bodies athletes in the rink are really exciting and appealing to the audiences.
 The venue of Nikko City is favored with the World Heritage of “Nikko’s shrines and temple” , one of the vaunting sightseeing assets of Japan and is full of ice hockey fans.
  I am expecting strongly at this occasion that the charm of ice hockey will be
propagated Japan over from Nikko City and the women ice hockey will be developed more and more from now on.
  In concluding my welcome message I would like extend my sincere thanks to all those who supported and helped to make this event possible and all athletes good luck and at the same time wish the great success of the Championship.