“MY first impression of Islamabad was that it’s a lush green city, spacious and peaceful with the Margalla Hills in the backdrop, enhancing its beauty,” said Nobuaki Tanaka, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, recalling his first visit to the capital in the ‘90s. He was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the Japanese calendar exhibition recently held in Islamabad. “I was impressed by the people of Islamabad, whom I found to be courteous and hospitable, and I am really happy to be back.”
A law graduate in his late 50s, Tanaka has served in many countries. An outgoing and friendly person, he makes his presence felt in diplomatic circles and other social events of the capital. Expressing his views on Pak-Japan ties at the exhibition he said his country recognizes the ‘vital and indispensable’ role that Pakistan plays for peace and stability in the region. According to him, he finds his recent assignment ‘very challenging’. “During my tenure as ambassador, I wish to encourage political ties, economic cooperation and cultural exchange which are the three main pillars of the Japan-Pakistan relationship,” he said.
Organized by the Japanese Embassy, in collaboration with the Monbukagakusho Alumni Association of Pakistan and the Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association, “the Japanese calendar exhibition is a much awaited event of the month of January and is a part of Pakistan-Japan Friendship Fest” Ijlal Haider Zaidi, President Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association, informed those who had gathered to witness the event. More than 110 calendars were put on display at the Aabpara Community Centre which ranged from contemporary and traditional art, garden, scenery, costumes, people, art to photography, pottery, sports, automobiles, wildlife, communication and historical places of Japan.
“Every calendar is a piece of art. The producing companies have tried their best to attract viewers through different subjects and mediums. They house images of state-of-the art technology, breathtaking landscapes, exotic wildlife and popular Japanese art of flower arrangement — Ikebana are images that draw the people of Pakistan to the Japanese Calendar exhibition every year,” said the Japanese ambassador.
Few weeks back speakers at the Japanese Film Festival expressed their desire for building a Japanese style garden in Islamabad and suggested Daman Koh or Pir Sohava as its location, On the occasion, chief guest of the event Chairman CDA Kamran Lashari was requested to allocate a suitable place for the purpose. He loved the idea and asked Mr Tanaka to provide technical support for the project. Japan is known for its environment-friendly products, and most of the calendars put on display during the exhibition were produced through an eco-friendly process. It was amazing to see that the non-conventional paper source used in making the calendars did not affect the quality of paper or brilliance of printing. The calendars were in fact ‘little windows’ looking into the world of Japan. People enjoyed what they saw through the little windows.
None of the calendars will go back to their country, but will be distributed among the visitors through a lottery.
TSUNAMI RELIEF: These days Islooites, like the people from the rest of the country, are busy contributing relief goods and funds to tsunami victims. From large-scale events and fund raisers to small individual efforts, people are donating as much as they can to rehabilitate many victims and handing over different items to embassies of Sri Lanka and Indonesia and other relief agencies. Different camps have been set up at the Aabpara market, Karachi Company and Super market to collect donations.
Taking advantage of the sunny winter day, the capital administration arranged a mini-marathon at the Fatima Jinnah Park to collect funds for tsunami victims. More than 20,000 people took part in the marathon. The three million rupees that were collected during the process are to be transferred to the president’s fund. The 90-minute long race started around noon from the F-9 area and concluded at the F-10 gate. Instead of running inside the park, people ran close to the boundary of the park. During the marathon all roads leading to the park were closed to traffic. Despite strict security measures, a stampede at the start of the race injured some boys. Too anxious and too charged, the boys in a bid to have an early start tried to cross the starting line in a hurry. The administration, unable to control the crowd, closed the gate and when they reopened it dozens of boys standing in the front row came in the ways of the incoming mob, resulting in injuries to many of them. As an expression of anger, young boys set some trees on fire.
“MY first impression of Islamabad was that it’s a lush green city, spacious and peaceful with the Margalla Hills in the backdrop, enhancing its beauty,” said Nobuaki Tanaka, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, recalling his first visit to the capital in the ‘90s. He was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the Japanese calendar exhibition recently held in Islamabad. “I was impressed by the people of Islamabad, whom I found to be courteous and hospitable, and I am really happy to be back.”
