New Ambassador H.E. Mr. Masamichi Saigo, Presents Credentials
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Teacher Training in Japan Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) The Embassy of Japan facilitates he first JLPT was held at St. Mary’s School and D.A.V. School, where 2,133 students The The Japan the invitation of Japanese language T Foundation provides took the language proficiency exam in Levels N1 to N5. The Japan Foundation offers JLPT teachers for the Japan Foundation twice a year, in July and December, both in Japan and in more than 60 countries around the Japanese language training trainings. Mr. Medhankar for teachers of the Japanese world. In Nepal the Japanese Language Teachers’ Association, Nepal (JALTAN), together Bajracharya, from the Standard with the Embassy of Japan, conducts this examination. language at institutes Japanese Language School, took Vol. 50, August 2018 around the world. The part in a long-term course in 2018, trainees typically have along with 40 Japanese language On Japan more than two years of teachers from 27 countries. teaching experience and are Summer Festivals in Japan provided an opportunity to improve language “We learned teaching methods, and had classes on intensive Japanese skills, learn teaching methodologies and gain Japan is a land of festivals, or matsuri, as they are called. There language, Japanese culture, education, and history,” said Mr. Bajracharya. are many festivals year round but July and August are special better understanding of Japanese culture and “We also had a home stay program, experienced culture programs, and New Ambassador society. The Foundation organizes both short because this is a time when there are festivities across the participated in study tours.” He focused on teaching methodology as a country. The following are some representative summer festivals term (2 months) and long term (6 months) special course, which helped him to improve his lesson plans. H.E. Mr. Masamichi Saigo, trainings. (natsu-matsuri) to see in Tokyo and other parts of Japan:- Presents Credentials Gion Festival (Kyoto Prefecture) Learning Japanese Language - Support for Pre-Olympic The Gion matsuri is a festival held at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto in H.E. Mr. Masamichi Saigo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary A Personal Experience Training of Nepali July. It began in the 9th century and the rituals are supposed to of Japan to Nepal, arrived in Nepal on 27th May, 2018. He presented ward off natural disasters. At this time the dashi floats, decorated his Letter of Credence to the Rt. Honorable President, Ms. Bidya Devi Athletes with ancient, imported and local artworks, wind through the The Japan Foundation, in cooperation with the Japan Ministry of streets of Kyoto. Bhandari at Shital Niwas on 27th June, 2018. Ambassador Saigo succeeds Foreign Affairs, invites young foreign-service officers and public Mr. Masashi Ogawa, who had left Nepal on 22nd May, 2018. officials to Japan for an 8-month period to conduct training in Japanese language and society. This program is designed to meet the needs of Nebuta Festival (Aomori Prefecture) participants who are expected to conduct activities related to Japan in The Nebuta Festival takes place in Aomori in August. In this foreign government institutions. It seeks to provide participants with festival the heavily decorated floats, designed and constructed language skills that will be useful in their work, and focuses on oral with painted washi paper over a wire frame, are taken around in communication. The program also contains a variety of activities for a grand procession. Message from the Ambassador deepening understanding of Japanese society and culture. Namaste! Awa Odori Festival (Tokushima Prefecture) This festival is held in Tokushima in August. This festival is part As the new Ambassador of Japan, I arrived in Kathmandu Japan started extending technical assistance to Nepal in of Obon rites to welcome the spirits of the ancestors. on 27th May, 2018 and presented my Letter of Credence 1952, the year when Nepal joined the Colombo Plan. to the Rt. Honorable President, Ms. Bidya Devi Bhandari, Today, Japan as one of Nepal’s major development mbassador Saigo attended an official signing on 27th June. I am honored to officially assume the partners, is supporting technical assistance, and loans A Tenjin Festival (Osaka Prefecture) ceremony at Satdobato on 3rd August, 2018 in ambassadorship in Kathmandu and represent Japan in in almost all essential sectors such as hydropower, support of the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC). Tenjin literally means “Festival of the Gods”. Held at the Nepal. education, health, agriculture, drinking water, highways, Tenman Shrine in Osaka in July, this festival is over 1,000 years communication, human resources development, etc. I old. Around 3,000 people dressed in 8th to 12th century imperial Three organizations, the Tamura City Government Since I started my career by joining the Ministry of sincerely hope that Japanese assistance will contribute to court costumes go around the city carrying portable shrines. of Fukushima, Japan, NOC, and the Athlete Society, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) in 1980, I reducing the difficulties that this beautiful country faces a Japanese NGO working on strengthening the bond worked on different aspects of agricultural development. and will play an important part to uplift the quality of life among Asian countries through sports, signed an Yosakoi Festival (Kochi Prefecture) While at MAFF, I was posted to the Embassy of Japan of people. agreement on pre-games training camps in Japan The Yosakoi Festival is held in Kochi in August. This is a highly in India from 1988 to 1991. During my tenure in Delhi, for Nepali athletes attending the 32nd Olympiad energetic festival where dancers carry wooden clappers and I visited Kathmandu twice, and pleasant memories from The federal, provincial and local elections were (Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games). dance and create a highly festive mood in the city. A young officer from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jimsom those trips are still fresh in my mind. After retirement from successfully held in 2017 under the Constitution Rumdali Rai, participated in this program from September 2017 to May A five-member delegation from the Japanese MAFF in 2017, I served as an advisor to MAFF before promulgated in September 2015. Rt. Honorable Mr. 2018. “The most impressive, and perhaps the most important learning, organizations, headed by Mr. Naoyuki Kawagoishi, Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival (Tokyo) taking on this responsibility to represent Japan in Nepal. K.P. Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal, and his party was the kind-heartedness and humility of the Japanese people,” he said. Deputy Mayor of Tamura City, arrived in Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival is considered one of the most emerged with the mandate to lead Nepal’s development He added that he was also impressed by assistance provided by random Kathmandu on 2nd August. The team spent three popular and the oldest fireworks (hanabi) festival in the country. Japan and Nepal have traditionally maintained an efforts. I believe the efforts made by the Government people while he had sought directions or information in the street, train days in Nepal meeting Nepali sport personalities and It is held on the banks of the Sumida River near the Asakusa excellent and friendly relationship based on old historical of Nepal towards the steady implementation of the new stations, and airports. “Preservation of culture in the midst of rapid attending a sports workshop. Ms. Yurika Nakamura, District in Tokyo. and spiritual ties. This cordial relationship has grown constitution and further consolidation of democracy will urbanization is another impression I have brought back from Japan,” a representative from the Athlete Society and a many-fold over years. Exchange of visits at various levels contribute to the socio-economic development of Nepal. he added. former marathon athlete who participated in the between the two countries signify the importance both Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, instructed the Nepali countries place on each other. Our academic and cultural Masamichi Saigo Mr. Rai and his training colleagues were exposed to many traditional athletes at the NOC Building, Satdobato, and at the ties have been also grown considerably to date, which I Ambassador of Japan to Nepal festivals, shows, music, dance, etc. which he said, brilliantly Nepal Army Ground, Lagankhel. believe they will continue and strengthen much more in demonstrated the tenderly preserved magnificence of the age-old Embassy of Japan Japanese culture. Tel. 4426680, E-mail: [email protected], URL : http://www.np.emb-japan.go.jp the near future. Training Center for Female Farmers, Udayapur Since 2002, GAB, a branch organization of the Nepal Japan Extends Scholarships to Grant Assistance for Association of the Blind, has been working for the Government Officers Grassroots Human The former Ambassador empowerment of visually impaired people by providing Japan Provides Ogawa inaugurated a counseling services and trainings to assist them to pursue Security Projects (GGP) training center for women’s independent lives by participating in economic activities. respective governments on 13th July 2018. Mr. Jun Sakuma, Equipment cooperatives in Belaka About 1,500 visually impaired people live in Gorkha Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation The Government of Japan has been implementing the Grant Municipality, Udayapur District. Agency (JICA), and Mr. Shree Krishna Nepal, Joint Secretary for Disaster