The Government of Japan handed over studio video recording and editing equipment; outdoor/field recording unit; video projection and display unit to LokVirsa, worth 49 million Yen (approx. US$ 0.6 million).
At the handing-over ceremony held Monday in LokVirsa, Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, inaugurated the newly equipped studio and handed over it to Lok Virsa.
This is the third grant in aid assistance for Lok Virsa provided by the Government of Japan. The first grant provided in 1987 was utilized to install the present studio, control room and other related facilities in U-Matic Format at the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage in Lok Virsa. In 1994, the Government of Japan provided the second Grant to upgrade the installations to the Betacam/analogue type ones. At this time, the installations are to be further upgraded to the digital/high definition quality ones.
The end of the project is to promote collection, preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage in Pakistan. The Japan’s Grant in Aid assistance has contributed to the development of the archives in Lok Virsa, which have assisted the research activities of more than 120,000 students, researchers and scholars on yearly basis.
At the ceremony, Hiroshi Inomata said that the Lok Virsa Museum has been playing a significant role in the preservation and promotion of the Pakistani folk and traditional culture over the years. “We, Japanese people, also adhere to our cultural norms and values even in this age of scientific and technological development”, added Ambassador Inomata.
