Japanese embassy bids adieu to deputy chief of mission

Islamabad

To bid farewell to Minister-Deputy Chief of Mission Akira Mizutani and welcome his successor Jota Yamamoto, the Ambassador of Japan and Mrs Chihiro Atsumi hosted a reception at their residence Tuesday evening.

The function was attended by colleagues and friends of the host and guests of honour, both Pakistani and expatriate, all of whom refrained from stepping down into the beautiful garden. They preferred to remain under the canopy on the terrace or indoors in the air-conditioned rooms, since it was a muggy evening, weather-wise. Attendance was fairly good with an equal number of men and women on the guest list.

Japanese diplomats have a two-year tenure in Pakistan and many persons who interact with them feel it is too short a time to make them familiar with as well as get an insight of the country and its people. Anyway, Akira Mizutani said he was leaving with mixed feelings — happy because he was going onto a senior position, but sad to be leaving behind his many friends. He said he had a very busy and somewhat stressful time in Pakistan because he was looking after the security of Japanese nationals; issuing travel advice and generally keeping an eye on the situation vis-a-vis this aspect. Adding that as soon as his successor arrived he had been freed from his duties and could relax, he regretted that he had not been able to travel around Pakistan as much as he would have liked to. Jota Yamamoto said he was happy to come to Pakistan and looked forward to meeting new people and getting to know those who were present at the reception. He is accompanied by his wife who will be an addition to the already very active ladies group of the Jacaranda Club. The ladies make beautiful items like cards, which are sold to raise funds for charitable causes. Arrangements for ‘iftar’ had been made for those who were fasting and as usual, dinner was served and both European and Japanese cuisine was served — the sushi and tempura are a real treat for those who enjoy these specialties — while the manner in which the food was served was as artistic and visually appealing to the senses as all things were Japanese. It was a good get-together and the best thing about it was that the diplomat who is leaving and the new arrival are seen together so you get to know exactly who replaced who, which makes it easy to recognise them later on.