Emperors Birthday Reception
2015/12/8
On November 19th, Thursday, Ambassador Sakai and his wife hosted the Emperor’s Birthday Party at their official residence, which was joined by more than 160 guests from National and State governments and legislatures, ambassadors and diplomatic corps, representatives of NGOs and private businesses and residential Japanese. The attendance this year greatly surpassed the previous years. The ceremony in the party was initiated by the Ambassador’s speech, followed by a Japanese national anthem “Kimigayo”, sung by Mrs. Miwa Omae, wife of the residence’s chef, and a FSM National anthem, sung by Mrs. Nobuko Sakai, ambassador’s wife, and Mrs. Eileen Yamada, one of the Embassy’s national staff, and concluded by the speech done by Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lorin Robert.
Ambassador Sakai, in his speech, thanked a warm personality of the FSM people, which enabled him and his wife to enjoy wonderful life and work in the FSM since their arrival a year and a half ago. He stressed that the two nation’s KIZUNA (Strong Bond) has become stronger and stronger this year; the FSM President Mr. Peter Christian has visited Japan twice in six months starting with a visit a week after his appointment and exchanges two nation’s students and children have been progressing. He also referred to the remarkable progress in terms of the fisheries relationship.
He introduced this year’s very successful Japan Festival, where over 700 people, more than twice the last year, participated and enjoyed Japanese cultures such as Bon Festival Dancing.
He said that he knows that Japanese people walk very quickly while people in the FSM walk slowly. He said that since coming to the FSM he has learned that if one walks too quickly it is easy to miss people who are hurtying, but if one walks slowly, or even stops, he can see more and care for others whoe need care.
He talked of his recept trip to Kosrae where where during a visit to an Elementary School the children sang a song in Kosraen. “I didn’t understand it at all until they used on Japanese word, “Ganbare”, he said. Ganbare is an encouragine word essentially meaning “Hang in there. Keep it up.” Even though he didn’t know what the rest of the song meant, he was quite impressed and strongly determined to his best to further strengthen the KIZUNA between two nation’s people.
FSM Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert spoke of the KIZUNA between the FSM and Japan and spoke of achievements in that relationship. He also joked that FSM rather than Japan invented sashimi while Japan only made it more expensive. The remark was overwhelmingly approved by the guests with roars of laughter.
After the toasts, a dinner and dessert prepared by Mr. Omae, chef of the Ambassador’s residence were served and enjoyed very much by the guests together with Japanese sake and wines.
H.M. Emperor Akihito is the 125th Emperor of Japan, and he acceded the throne on January 7th, 1989 upon the demise of H.M. Emperor Hirohito. H.M. Emperor will turn 82 on December 23rd, 2014 and to this day is very active in His Majesty’s official duties.
Ambassador Sakai, in his speech, thanked a warm personality of the FSM people, which enabled him and his wife to enjoy wonderful life and work in the FSM since their arrival a year and a half ago. He stressed that the two nation’s KIZUNA (Strong Bond) has become stronger and stronger this year; the FSM President Mr. Peter Christian has visited Japan twice in six months starting with a visit a week after his appointment and exchanges two nation’s students and children have been progressing. He also referred to the remarkable progress in terms of the fisheries relationship.
He introduced this year’s very successful Japan Festival, where over 700 people, more than twice the last year, participated and enjoyed Japanese cultures such as Bon Festival Dancing.
He said that he knows that Japanese people walk very quickly while people in the FSM walk slowly. He said that since coming to the FSM he has learned that if one walks too quickly it is easy to miss people who are hurtying, but if one walks slowly, or even stops, he can see more and care for others whoe need care.
He talked of his recept trip to Kosrae where where during a visit to an Elementary School the children sang a song in Kosraen. “I didn’t understand it at all until they used on Japanese word, “Ganbare”, he said. Ganbare is an encouragine word essentially meaning “Hang in there. Keep it up.” Even though he didn’t know what the rest of the song meant, he was quite impressed and strongly determined to his best to further strengthen the KIZUNA between two nation’s people.
FSM Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert spoke of the KIZUNA between the FSM and Japan and spoke of achievements in that relationship. He also joked that FSM rather than Japan invented sashimi while Japan only made it more expensive. The remark was overwhelmingly approved by the guests with roars of laughter.
After the toasts, a dinner and dessert prepared by Mr. Omae, chef of the Ambassador’s residence were served and enjoyed very much by the guests together with Japanese sake and wines.
H.M. Emperor Akihito is the 125th Emperor of Japan, and he acceded the throne on January 7th, 1989 upon the demise of H.M. Emperor Hirohito. H.M. Emperor will turn 82 on December 23rd, 2014 and to this day is very active in His Majesty’s official duties.
