IN his interesting column, 'A Japanese scholar of Urdu', Dr Rauf Parekh has introduced Prof Hiroji Kataoka, who heads the Urdu department at Japan's Daito Bunka University's faculty of international relations (Aug 26).

Prof Kataoka recently visited Karachi and has travelled to Pakistan many times, when he also brings along his students for a familiarisation tour of the country, where they then study Urdu at some of our varsities. The professor revealed that the students have even been holding an annual Urdu mushaira (a poetry recital) at their university in Japan for the last 10 years, along with the traditional 'wah wah' (words of praise).

He further revealed “During the last 40 years, I have never been detached from Urdu even for a single day. The fact is that Urdu has become a part of my personality. Now it is in my blood with all its tastes and flavours. That's the reason I am very happy when I hear good news from Pakistan, and if it is bad, I am saddened.”

This great lover of Urdu and of Pakistan further confided that although he is Japanese, now he feels he hasn't remained completely Japanese “My soul is in Japan and my heart is in Pakistan.” He then queried wistfully “What shall I do now when, in the words of Ibn-i- Insha, 'Ab umr ki naqdi khatm hui (now, life's capital has reached its end)?' There is only one reply that comes from my heart Urdu, Urdu aur bas Urdu' (Urdu, Urdu and only Urdu).”

I was greatly touched by Prof Kataoka's sentiments, as, I am sure, many other readers would have been. Such wonderful and friendly human beings are the jewels of humanity and a treasure for the rest of us. We must also acknowledge gratefully his immense contribution to the popularisation of our national language in the friendly country of Japan, having translated Ghalib, Iqbal and Faiz, besides publishing 60 research papers pertaining to various aspects of Urdu.

I sometimes write poetry and had even written some in Japanese style, being in love with the Zen verses. It may please him to know that by a great coincidence, I had happened to select the pen name of Kataoka for the latter - which, I understand, means an 'incline' in Japanese - over two decades back.

This happened after I read the account of Osamu Kataoka, who was studying in 7th grade when the atomic bomb was dropped on his hometown of Hiroshima. His was one of the many such essays contained in the book, 'Children of Hiroshima', compiled by Dr Arata Osada.

Needless to say, there are people in Pakistan who love Japan and their hearts reside in that beautiful country. As far as his lamentation of reaching the end of life's capital is concerned, perhaps these words of mine, inspired by the 19th century Japanese poet Okuma Kotomichi, will serve to hearten him

When thoughts of the journey's end

Burden the mind and the spirits dampen,

Remember the flowers that you planted,

And the fragrance that fills the garden.

May Prof Hiroji Kataoka have a very happy, healthy and long life.

A FRIEND OF JAPAN

Karachi