2025 National Day Reception on the occasion of the Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan
On February 27, Ambassador of Japan to Georgia H.E. Mr. ISHIZUKA Hideki together with his spouse, hosted the national day reception in celebration of the Emperor’s birthday at the Pullman Hotel in Tbilisi.After singing of the national anthems of Japan and Georgia by the traditional Georgian polyphony choir of students of Georgian School Tbilisi*, the Ambassador delivered his opening speech to welcome all the distinguished guests at the celebration. As the guest of honor, Mr. Giorgi Zurabashvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, also delivered his speech.More than 250 attendees, including officials and non-governmental representatives, local cultural figures, businesspersons as well as members of the diplomatic corps, attended the event. In addition to a booth introducing Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, which marks its 60th anniversary this year since the establishment, there were various information booths with video clips, which showcased: activities of Japanese local governments and Japanese companies; attraction of Japanese local communities and culture; and the Grassroots Development Assistance projects. The chef of the official residence of the Ambassador also conducted a sushi demonstration, and many attendees tasted sushi, Japanese tea and sake. Building upon the outcomes of this reception, the Embassy will continue to make efforts to further develop friendly relations between Japan and Georgia continuously in the future.– END –*Georgian School Tbilisi has provided education of the Japanese language and culture since its establishment in 1995. With Japanese language being mandatory for 6th graders and an elective subject for 7th to 12th graders, students also start learning about Japanese culture, such as art, music and traditions, from their 1st grade. For their contributions to promotion of Japanese language and culture, on February 3, 2023, the school was awarded with Commendation of Foreign Minister of Japan.
