JAPANESE ambassador to PNG and his wife visited Port Moresby National High School (POMNATS) last week.
Before Ambassador Morio Matsumoto and wife Yoko Matsumoto performed the Japanese traditional music, Matsumoto gave a lecture to more than 300 students on human ties (or Kizuna in Japanese), resemblance of PNG and Japan cultural traditions (Omotenashi in Japan), and the importance of regional and international cooperation. Matsumoto said one importance of human ties between PNG and Japan could be seen through the generous donation of K20,000 from students and teachers of Port Moresby National High School to the people in the northern provinces of Japan when they were struck by a strong earthquake in 2011. “This story tells us the importance of mutual help and people-to-people network, which described in Japanese as kizuna, meaning the bond of friendship,” Matsumoto said. Matsumoto said when he first arrived in PNG he had visited eight provinces and he felt comfortable because of the friendliness of the villagers, which he thought was one aspect of the wantok culture. “From my understanding wantok culture is a custom that warmly welcomes others within their own tribe even includes strangers who are passing through,” Matsumoto said. He said the wantok culture reminded him of the Japan’s omotenashi, or the hospitality in Japanese style. Matsumoto concluded his lecture by stressing on the importance of regional and international cooperation between PNG and Japan. “PNG is located at a very important strategic position geo-politically,” he said. “Enhancing cooperation with PNG in the field of security and other areas contributes positively to our bilateral relations, and at the same time it also helps to strengthen regional stability and prosperity, which is also in line with Japan’s new security policy,” he said. POMNATS principal David Diowai thanked Matsumoto and his wife for their visit to the school. Diowai told the ambassador that his choice of venue to showcase the historical cultural values of Japan in the school was based on the long standing relationship the school had with Japan and its people. Diowai said one thing that Japan and PNG had in common was their rich cultures.
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