Vol. 36, December 2013

H.E. Mr. Masashi Ogawa, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Nepal, arrived in Kathmandu on November 4 and presented the Letter of Credence to Rt. Hon’ble Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, President of Nepal on November 7, 2013.

Mr. Ogawa joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979. He has served in various positions in overseas mainly in China as well as at home as a diplomat. In recent years, he had served as the Director of Japan-China Economic Affairs Division and Special Coordinator of the Personnel Division at MOFA before being appointed as the Ambassador of Japan to Nepal. Mr. Ogawa succeeded Mr. Kunio Takahashi, the former Ambassador of Japan to Nepal.

H.E. Mr. Masashi Ogawa, Ambassador of Japan Presented the Letter of Credence to President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav

It’s my pleasure to have become Japan’s Ambassador to this country, which is one with such a bounty of natural beauty and such rich traditions and culture. I arrived here recently, on 4th November, and I am very happy to see the good and cordial relations that exist between our two countries, particularly as much of the cultural heritage of Nepal is closely linked to Japanese traditional culture.

Although Nepal has gone through political instability in the past few years, and has not been able to draft a new constitution within the revised time-frame, this year, under the leadership of Right Honorable Mr. Khil Raj Regmi, Chairman of the Interim Election Council of Ministers, Nepal succeeded in implementing a second Constituent Assembly Election on 19th November. Japan welcomes this election, which was held in a free and fair manner. And, we sincerely hope Nepal will make steady progress toward establishing a new constitution.

As you might know, the Government of Japan provided election related materials such as ballot boxes, security seals, ballot box stickers, etc worth one hundred and fifty million Japanese yen. Further, in response to the request of the Government of Nepal, the Government of Japan dispatched a five member election observation mission led by myself, and we observed a number of polling stations and vote-counting stations.

Message from the Ambassador　 In the areas where we carried out our observation, we found that the polling was conducted, by and large, in a peaceful, free and fair manner. We unders tand tha t despite the challenges, many Nepalese people showed their enthusiasm to take part in the politics of the country through the election.

At this important juncture, we sincerely hope all political parties will come together to focus on smoothly formulating a new constitution and that Nepal will attain long lasting peace, stability and democracy. Japan is committed to assist Nepal’s effort towards this goal.

My dear friends, I am looking forward, throughout my tenure here, to working with all well wishers and friends of Japan in Nepal to further enhance the cordial relations already existing between our two countries. So then, let us start anew to undertake cooperative work and develop our mutual benefits and friendship.

Masashi OgawaAmbassador of Japan

H.E. Ambassador Mr. Ogawa presenting his credentials toPresident Dr. Yadav

Signing: August 5, 2013Amount: US $260,452 (approx. NRs.25,131,013)Recipient: GLM Institute (coordination with local NGO - Srijansil Welfare Society)

Although Nepal is an agriculture oriented country with more than 66 percent of the population depending on agriculture, farmers in Nepal especially in rural areas, face many problems due to lack of infrastructure and poor technical skills and capacity, including marketing strategies. Moreover, deforestation and haphazard use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide have caused environmental degradation, which deteriorates the productivity of rural farmland.

To help improve such situation, this grant has been extended under the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO

Projects Scheme of the Government of Japan. It will be utilized to expand the project area to all nine wards to improve the livelihoods of people in Kuseswor Dumja VDC of Sindhuli District by introducing environmentally harmonizing agricultural technology to local farmers.

Prior to this project, GLM Institute has implemented various agriculture related activities supported by the Government of Japan including skills development training on high value crop farming, such as Japanese mandarin oranges, Japanese persimmons, tomato house farming and animal husbandry. Participatory workshops regarding water resource management and soil conservation in the community have also been held. The project included the construction of micro-irrigation facilities which enables people to engage in high value crop farming through the whole season.

Election Observation Mission of Japan to Nepal

Japan’s Assistance for Improving Livelihoods of Farmers in the Hill Areas of Sindhuli District

The Election Observation Mission of Japan observed the election of the second Constituent Assembly in Nepal on November 19, 2013. The mission was headed by H.E. Mr. Masashi Ogawa, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, and consisted of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and an expert from Tokushima University. The mission was divided into two teams and conducted the observation at 13 constituencies and 20 polling centers in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok.

In the areas where the Mission conducted its observation, it recognizes that the preparation for the polling, the polling and the counting were conducted, by and large, in a peaceful, free and fair manner. Despite the challenges, many Nepalese people showed their enthusiasm to take part in the politics of country through the election.

The mission congratulates the people of Nepal on implementing the Constituent Assembly election, and also commends the efforts toward the election made by all the stakeholders, such as the Government of Nepal, the Election Commission of Nepal, and the Party representatives. Throughout the election process, the Election Commission was very cooperative to the Japanese and other foreign observation missions. The team expresses sincere gratitude to the Election Commission.

Japanese expert teaching how to plant and take care of Japanese persimmon

Cauliflower and broccoli planting training to local people

Election Observation Mission in a polling center

As a part of an introduction to Japanese culture, the Embassy of Japan, in cooperation with the Japan Foundation and the Theater Village, organized a two day puppet show by Yumemi Trunk on December 4 and 5, 2013 at the Theater Village and the Embassy of Japan, respectively.

‘Yumemi Trunk’ literally means ‘Trunk full of dreams’. As the title goes, their performance indeed enthralled the audience with their simple yet dynamic expressions using dolls and their body language. Another unique feature was that they used a minimum of spoken lines which helped audience of all ages and language backgrounds understand the story.

Yumemi Trunk was founded by Ms. Satoko Yumidate in 2008. Since its establishment they have been successful in creating unique and innovative puppet shows winning the hearts of thousands of people both at home and abroad.

On this occasion they performed two puppet shows: Yagi no Ohanashi (the Story of a Goat) and Urashima. Yagi no Ohanashi has won the award of the Best Puppet Theater Artist of Aichi 2011. Urashima is based on a famous fable of Urashima Taro, which has been handed down from generation to generation. Taro was a fisherman who rescued a turtle, and was rewarded for his effort with a visit to the underwater palace of the Dragon King. But after returning home a few days later, he found three hundred years had passed. Yumemi Trunk presented a new Urashima which is based on the original story, but it is written from the modern perspective. The play expressed love, the power of belief, life and death, and the awe of nature which every human be ing has . The per formances were g rea t ly appreciated and enjoyed by all those present which was shown through the sound of loud applause.

Japan’s Puppet Theater: Yumemi Trunk in Kathmandu

Ambassador’s Commendation 2013

Japanese-LanguageProficiencyTest

On October 8, 2013, Ambassador Mr. Takahashi conferred Certificates of Commendation on different Japanese and Nepali personalities and organizations working in Nepal. The Certificates are awarded to personalities and organizations that have supported the duties and responsibilities of Japan’s diplomatic missions and are deemed to have significantly supported the promotion of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and Nepal, specifically in the areas of international economic and technical cooperation, and the promotion of cultural activities and public relations.

The Embassy conferred the Commendation to the following five personalities and three organizations:1. Ms. Amira Dali, President, Love Green Nepal (NGO) and Advisor,

Nepal AOTS Alumni Society; 2. Mr. Yoshiharu Kamimura, Japanese Lecturer, Tribhuvan University

Campus of International Languages and Committee Member, Japanese Supplementary School, Kathmandu;

On November 9, 2013, the Japanese Language Teachers’ Association, Nepal (JALTAN) and the Japanese Embassy successfully organized a Japanese karaoke competition at Rastriya Nach Ghar with over 50 participants. Conducted annually with the purpose of introducing Japanese culture to Nepali people, the competition drew a wide range of participants from the general public and Japanese languages learners.

With an audience of more than five hundred, the auditorium was filled with an atmosphere of energy, enthusiasm and anticipation, with all the participants managing to impress the audience with songs of their choice. The vast talent of the participants was incredible; some participants dressed according to the theme of the song, while some group performances displayed creativity.

Ambassador Mr. Ogawa and Madame Ogawa, attended the event and commended the impressive performances by the participants, expressing best wishes to their future efforts to master the Japanese language and the art of karaoke.

The competition was jointly supported by JICA Nepal Office, Japanese Association in Nepal, Japanese Universities Alumni Association, Nepal (JUAAN), JICA Alumni Association of Nepal (JAAN), and Nepal AOTS Alumni Society (NAAS).

On December 1, 2013, the JLPT was held in St. Mary’s School in which around 800 students took the language proficiency exam in levels N1 to N5. The Japan Foundation offers the JLPT twice a year in July and December, both inside Japan and in more than 60 countries around the world. In Nepal , the Embassy of Japan , in cooperation with the Japanese Language Teachers’ Association, Nepal (JALTAN), conducts the JLPT at all levels in July and December.

Ambassador’s Commendation 2013

3. Mr. Kensei Tomita, Owner, Kotetsu Restaurant; 4. Ms. Jyunko Naito, Owner, Danran Restaurant and

President, Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Nepal;5. Dr. Rameshwar Prasad Pokharel, Associate Professor,

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and Founder, AMDA Nepal;

6. Marushin Shitaka Construction Co. Ltd.;7. Japanese Language Teachers’ Association Nepal

(JALTAN), and 8. JICA Alumni Association of Nepal (JAAN).

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Mr. Takahashi expressed that their cooperation and contributions will continue to play a significant role in strengthening the friendly and cordial relationship between Japan and Nepal at the people-to-people level.

Karaoke Competition in Kathmandu

Award winners with Ambassador Mr. Takahashi

Every year the Japan Foundation invites outstanding students of the Japanese language from universities, colleges, and educational institutions abroad to visit Japan so that they can deepen their knowledge of Japanese language, society, and culture for the purpose of further encouragement of their study. This year, Mr. Bikram Bajracharya from Standard Japanese Language Institute took part in the program from August 28 to September 11, 2013. Below is an excerpt of a report presented by Mr. Bajracharya.

About the program:The two week Japan visit program was simply amazing. It

offered us the chance to explore and gain insights into various aspects of Japan such as society, culture, history, education etc. As we had a lot of opportunity to use the language, my Japanese improved considerably. Learning dialects from different parts of Japan was really fun. The home-visit was another highlight of the

program. This helped us to understand Japanese family life in a better way. It w a s g r e a t f u n t o l e a r n t o c o o k okonomiyaki with the host family.

T h e p r o g r a m a l s o i n c l u d e d sightseeing to the historical cities like K y o t o a n d N a r a ; v i s i t s t o t h e Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum; Tokyo University; Asakusa; Kokugikan Sumo Arena etc. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is something I will never forget. It touched my heart so deeply that I was lost for words. I learned about the importance of peace th rough i t . In addi t ion , we a l so exper ienced wonder fu l cu l tu ra l activities such as Kitsuke (wearing kimono), Ikebana (the art of flower arrangement), and Rakugo (traditional Japanese comic story-telling).

My experience:Two weeks was a short time span, but I've gained experience

that will stay with me for my whole life. Having friends from around the world has enriched our knowledge of various countries and broadened our thoughts. The program as a whole was very fruitful. The spirit of team-work, diligence, respect for others and politeness are some of the important lessons I have learned through this program and want to share with people in Nepal.

My comments:During the two week stay, each day was full of joy,

excitement and enthusiasm thanks to the perfect arrangements made by the staff members and teachers of the institute. Japanese hospitality has really touched my heart. The feeling of gratitude will stay with me forever. Thank you Nippon!!

Learning from Japan

Ikebana class

Participants in the program

Embassy of JapanTel. 4426680, E-mail: cultural-emb@km.mofa.go.jp, URL : http://www.np.emb-japan.go.jp

Web Japan http://web-japan.org/index.htmlProvides information about Japan including facts, fun and new trends, traditional and pop culture, science and technology, food, travel and life style.

Trends in Japan http://web-japan.org/trends/index.htmlShort, engaging dispatches on the latest and hottest trends in Japanese lifestyle, science and technology, fashion, pop culture, and food and travel.

NIPONICA http://web-japan.org/niponica/index_en.html A quarterly Web Magazine that introduces modern Japan to people all over the world.

Japan Fact Sheet http://web-japan.org/factsheet/index.htmlComprehensive in t roduct ions to Japan by theme - such as governmental structure, economy, society, culture and sports. Available in English, Spanish, and French.

Kids Web Japan http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/index.htmlKids Web Japan provides fun contents that help children learn about Japan. The site is widely used in elementary and middle school classrooms around the world. Parts of the site are available in French, German, Spanish, Korean and Chinese.

Gateway to Study in Japan http://www.g-studyinjapan.jasso.go.jp/en/ Quick guide to study in Japan.

Takeshima http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/takeshima/index.htmlJapan’s Position on Takeshima.

The Senkaku Islands http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/senkaku/index.htmlJapan-China Relations: Current Situation of the Senkaku Islands.

On JapanEnjoy up-to-date information on Japan through the web