By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, July 19:To mark the 100th anniversary of people-to-people relations between Nepal and Japan, Koichi Yotsuya, Minister-Counsellor of Japanese Embassy, gave away Nepal-Japan Friendship Children Award to the winners of Inter-School Nepal-Japan Friendship Quiz Contest-1998 amid a special function organised by Children’s Forum Nepal (CFN) here today.
“Japan and Nepal have 100-year-old history of direct contact since Ekai Kawaguchi, a Japanese Buddhist monk visited Nepal in 1899. This year marks as a special year in the bilateral relations of the two countries,” said Minister-Counsellor Yotsuya.
Through this kind of Quiz Contest programme, children would be educated and awakened about how Nepal-Japan ties grew throughout the century, Yotsuya added.
He further said that they are shortly entering into the new 21stcentury when the children of today would grow to become leaders of society. “They are expected to play even greater role on how to make Japan-Nepal relations better in the new century.”
CFN Chairman and former minister Ram Hari Joshi said that Nepal and Japan share common characteristics in many aspects. Both of them are constitutional monarchy and Buddhist religion, all of which have assisted to further enhance the cordial relations between the two countries.
The industriousness and patriotic feeling among the Japanese people enabled them to rise from the ashes and debris of the Second World War into a powerful industrial nation in the world scenario, said Joshi.
“The objective of the programme is to instill a feeling of peace and international brotherhood in the hearts of younger generation,” he added.
“To understand Japan means to understand the present global economy and culture,” said Bishnu Hari Nepal, former Nepalese ambassador to Japan.
Japan has played a significant role in the maintenance of world peace and economic development, Nepal added.
Nepal further said that patriotism, hard working nature, collective decision making system and strong foundation of their homogeneous culture are some of their striking characteristics that helped Japan to emerge as a major economic power in the world.
Citing the cooperation of Japan in the field of economy, agriculture, social works and the development of infrastructure, former envoy Nepal further said the Lord Buddha had been a bridge in fostering the cordial relationship between the two countries.
CFN President Nab Raj Adhikari shed light on the various dimensions of the friendly relations subsisting between the two countries.
In the First Inter-School Nepal-Japan Quiz Contest 1998, Galaxy Public School of Kathmandu, Pancha Kumari English B. School of Kavre and Navjeevan English School of Kathmandu were declared first, second and third respectively.
While Galaxy, with two more gold medals, was the winner of the Running Shield, Panch Kumari and Navjeevan satisfied themselves with silver and bronze medals respectively.
Consolation prizes went to Gyanniketan M. V. School and Dynamic Manjary English School, both from Kathmandu.