KARACHI: The Consul General of Japan, Odagiri Toshio, and Odagiri Mari on Tuesday celebrated the birthday of the Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, at a local hotel.

Emperor Naruhito, who turned 63 on February 23, celebrated his birthday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. On this occasion, the Emperor, who was crowned on May 1, 2019, gave his first public address to his nation, which could not have happened earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Out here, there was a very nice picture of the Emperor and Empress to greet you. In person, the Consul General of Japan warmly welcomed all distinguished guests.

While speaking on the occasion, Mr Toshio said that he was proud of the close relationship between Japan and Pakistan. “I strongly feel that now is the time to further deepen our relationship,” he said, adding that Japan has announced 77 million dollars in aid to Pakistan for the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people here while also offering more for financing schools and training projects here.

“The development of the domestic industry in Pakistan is key to the country’s recovery,” he pointed out while adding how foreign investment can help here. “The Pakistan-Japan Business Forum has been a driving force in building relations between the two countries,” he added.

“The Japanese business community continues to explore new avenues of opportunity in various areas, including the automotive and IT sectors in Pakistan,” he said.

Sindh Energy Minister, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, standing in for the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, said that the people of Pakistan have the same regard for the people of Japan as they do for them. “Culturally, there is not that much difference between both countries,” he said.

Speaking about the strong cultural ties between Japan and Pakistan, he also said that the University of Tokyo established the Urdu Chair in 1930. “This was even before Urdu became the national language of Pakistan, which itself was also not created yet,” he said.

Mr Shah also mentioned how Japan has always come to help Pakistan in its hour of need, like after the 2005 earthquake and even now after the floods.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2023