The Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC), in collaboration with Embassy of Japan, organised a five-day Japanese Calendars Exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Japan on Tuesday.
Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan HE Hiroshi Oe inaugurated the exhibition, where visitors from the twin cities enjoyed the diversity of Japan through the calendars hung on the walls. The purpose of the exhibition was to make the people aware of the Japanese culture, scenic beauty, the country’s development in several fields and to strengthen diplomatic relations as well.
Around 140 calendars have been displayed in the exhibition. The annual Japanese Calendars Exhibition is very popular among the people of twin city. These calendars portray a variety of subjects such as contemporary and traditional art, photography, scenery, historical places, wildlife, lifestyle, traditional costumes, people, Ikebana and automobiles. The Japan Calendar Association had tried their best to attract viewers through different subjects and mediums reflecting in the calendars, each of which was a piece of art. The exhibition not only depicted the socio-cultural development of Japan spread over centuries, but also exhibited the aesthetic features of the Japanese printing technology.
The calendar exhibition is being organised regularly for the last 17 years in different cities of the country. During the exhibition, free calendars were also being distributed among the visitors through lucky draw.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of Japan HE Hiroshi Oe on the occasion said that Japan had always stood with Pakistan and worked for the better interest of Pakistan. He said that in all the crises that Pakistan faced, especially the earthquake of 2005 and the floods in 2010 and 2011, Japan took the initiative for the help of Pakistanis. He said further that both countries would continue their cooperation with each other. “The Japanese Embassy has organised a variety of Japanese cultural events in the past and today’s Japanese Calendars Exhibition is one of them. This event is held every year thanks to the donations of calendars by Japanese companies and organisations seeking to show co-operation with the people of Pakistan,” Hiroshi said.
He said that Pakistanis may be able to visualise a true-to-life image of Japan through these calendars. The technology behind printing these calendars was also worth mentioning. “The amazing technology maintains the high quality of pictures regardless of the material used. These calendars are one of the examples of Japan’s sincere commitment to promoting the tourism,” he said. After the exhibition all the calendars will be distributed to the lucky visitors through lottery. Japanese Cultural Counselor Toshikazu, former RAC resident director Naheed Manzoor and Resident Director Waqar Ahmed were also present on the occasion.
Japanese culture on display in calendars’ exhibition
