RAWALPINDI: The Japanese embassy introduced new calendars in a six-day exhibition at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) on Wednesday, all showing the different facets and moods of the Japanese culture and the natural beauty of the country.

It is tradition for the Japanese embassy to host an annual exhibition of some sort for promoting their culture and country and with an aim to acquainting the people of Pakistan with the Japanese society.

The exhibition this year was inaugurated by the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan, Junya Matsuura who was accompanied by Resident Director RAC Waqar Ahmed.

Some 118 calendars were showcases, with some being a reflection of the past and others themed around the culture in Japan. The country’s sports, natural scenery, architecture, art and the Japanese way of arranging glowers, Ikebana, are all part of these calendars.

Calendars showing the cultivation of rice, Japanese cars and Ikebana arrangements were among the more popular with visitors to the exhibition. In some of the calendars, houses made of wood and clay that are common in Japan, and pictures of the country’s parks were also shown.

The calendars show how the four seasons are in Japan, with cherry trees in some of the pictures and snow clad mountains in others. Green trees and flowers, a smiling Buddha and monks, all feature in the exhibition.

After the inauguration, Deputy Chief of Mission Junya Matsuura said the purpose of the exhibition was to introduce the Pakistani people to the beauty of his country.

“The calendars put on display here are a vibrant depiction of the Japanese heritage, cultural identity and its socio-economic development”, he said.

He added that the photographers whose images were part of the calendars had worked hard on making the pictures as realistic as possible.

“So you feel like you are part of the scene from hundreds of miles away”, he said.

Mr Matsuura then thanked the RAC for their cooperation in hosting the show.

RAC Resident Director Waqar Ahmed said the calendars told a tale of Japan’s economic, cultural and social development from which, he said, Pakistan could learn a lot. He said both countries had deep rooted relations which will strengthen with time.

A visitor to the exhibition, Mobina Zubair said she appreciated the Japanese Embassy’s efforts for reviving the lost art of calendar making.

“I feel like calendars that you put on walls or on your table really help in reviving love for a country”, she added.

Another visitor, Murtaza Ahmed said the show was a good way for the younger generation to see what calendars looked like before there were computers or smart phones.

He said capturing the perfect scene or painting one for a calendar was an art in itself and lauded the efforts of the artists who had portrayed the cultural and economic struggles of Japan.

After the exhibition, which will continue till February 2, the calendars will be distributed among visitors through a lottery.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2016