Sri Lanka does proud in Tokyo
A Lankan festival was held for the 11th consecutive year in Japan
The embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan organised the Sri Lanka Festival in Tokyo for the 11th consecutive year on September 27 and 28 with the participation of a large number of Sri Lankans living in Japan together with Japanese nationals.
The key objectives of the festival were to project the image and profile of the country and to promote Sri Lankan products, services and tourism to Japanese visitors among other nationalities to Sri Lanka,
The former Prime Minister of Japan, Yasuo Fukuda, was the chief guest at the ceremony while the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, Yoshitaka Shindo, and Madam Haruko Komura, spouse of the vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and president of Japan-Sri Lanka Parliamentary League, were guests of honour from the Japanese side. The Sri Lankan guests of honour were Salinda Dissanayaka, Minister of Indigenous Medicine; Pandu Bandaranaike, Deputy Minister of Indigenous Medicine; and Earl Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Japan, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, in his opening address, emphasised the need to promote congenial and mutually constructive relations between the two countries. Both the ambassador and the minister of internal affairs and communications of Japan highlighted this bilateral relationship in their addresses.
The 16-member Channa-Upuli dance troupe and the 8-member Navy beat group enthralled the audience through their performances. Japanese artists and cultural troupes also performed at the festival. Apart from the Sri Lankans domiciled in Japan, many Japanese and those of other nationalities were mesmerised by the traditional Sri Lankan dance performances and music. The festival premises was graced by over 100 booths and stalls exhibiting and offering products made in Sri Lanka. There were over 25 food stalls also serving authentic Sri Lankan food and beverages among an assortment of other non-traditional culinary delights. Sri Lankan products and services ranging from garments, gems and jewellery, handicrafts, ornamental items, financial and banking services to astrological and Ayurvedic services, among others were available at the two-day mega event to satisfy well over 250,000 visitors to the festival.
This year, given the significance of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Japan, augmented by the visit of the prime minister of Japan to Sri Lanka just three weeks ago, the number of visitors to the festival was more than previous years. The Lankan festival, which is held in September every year, has now become a momentous event even in the calendar of Tokyo.
PHOTOS - SAGARA LAKMAL DE MEL