Contestants from 12 embassies took part in the 18th annual Japanese Speech Contest for Foreign Embassy Officials in Tokyo on April 25. Essam Bukhary (Saudi Arabia) receives the Foreign Minister’s Award from Mari Takada, director of cultural affairs and overseas public relations at the Foreign Ministry. | YOSHIAKI MIURAEducation Minister’s Prize winner Neil Gibson (U.S.A) | YOSHIAKI MIURACultural Affairs Agency Prize Winner Zhang Tianye (China) | YOSHIAKI MIURAParticipants, judges and organizers pose for a group photo.
The Society of Wives of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of Missions in Japan (SWAAJ) hosted a luncheon in honor of Akie Abe (front row, second from left), wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at the Sudan ambassador’s residence in Tokyo on April 24. Abe was joined by (front row from left), SWAAJ President Jamila Al-Suwaidi (Qatar), Vice President Samira Ali Abdelaziz (Sudan), Maali Siam (Palestine), (back row, from left), Shifa Haddad (Jordan), Abeer Aisha (Oman), Jamilah Al-Otaibi (Kuwait), Mounira Khlif (Tunisia), Utako Arrour (Morocco) and Jamila Al-Gunaid (Yemen). | MIKI OSHITA
Finland Ambassador Manu Virtamo (right) receives Moomin Postage Stamps from Japan Post Co. President and CEO Toru Takahashi (center), during an event celebrating the issue of Moomin Postage Stamps | YOSHIAKI MIURA
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