A reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan was hosted by Japanese Ambassador Matsubara Yutaka and Mrs Matsubara at their residence on February 24.
A media release said there were over 200 guests in attendance. Guests included Minister of Foreign & Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne, Chief Justice Ivor Archie, president of the Senate Nigel De Freitas, Ministry of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox, Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal, vice president of the Senate Muhammad Yunus Ibrahim, Port of Spain mayor Joel Martinez and other specially invited guests.
The reception began with the national anthem of TT, performed on the steelpan by students of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) followed by the Japanese national anthem which was played on the
koto (Japanese harp) and steelpan, by Japanese artistes Yuri Kodera and Sayori Imai, followed by speeches from Matsubara and Browne.
In his speech, Matsubara reflected on Japan-TT relations and stated that it is quite encouraging that Japan and TT enjoy excellent cooperative ties based on shared universal values like democracy, the rule of law and market economy. He noted Japan and TT will celebrate its 60th anniversary of established diplomatic relations in 2024 and believes that the relations between Japan and TT would greatly benefit from the expansion of friendly ties in a wide range of areas, including economic relations, education, culture, and by enhancing engagement through the strengthening of people-to-people exchanges. He expressed his hope that Japan would soon have a Honorary Consul-General of TT in Japan, followed by the establishment of an embassy.
Browne, confirmed that TT have continued to benefit from technical cooperation through training and expertise by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), people-to-people exchanges such as the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, the Monbu-kagaku-sho (MEXT) Scholarship Programme, and the Juntos!! Japan – Latin America and the Caribbean Exchange programme. He also extended his appreciation for Japan’s support to the region during the covid19 pandemic and the provision of grant aid and technical cooperation to Caricom member countries for assisting with the effects of climate change and the sargassum seaweed issue.
Following the speeches, Matsubara, Browne and Archie performed a ceremony for special occasions, which involves hammering open a wooden barrel containing sake. A tradition known as
Kagami Biraki, which is usually observed at weddings, sporting events and other occasions worthy of celebration.
During the reception, guests were treated to activities showcasing Japanese culture, including sake tasting and video presentations from JET alumni. Also, there were introductions in the economic field such as Expo 2025 and the Japanese company Fujitsu. Bonsai displays were on show throughout the reception area courtes
