At Japanese Cultural Festival 2019

Our trusted friends and representatives of Japanese Cultural Groups in Sri Lanka,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Good morning.
First of all, let me warmly welcome you all to our day long cultural event filled with activities for both the young and old to enjoy. This distinct event commemorates the proclamation of the enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor, observed on the October 22 of the 1^st Year of Reiwa - which corresponds to the year 2019- at the State Hall of the Imperial Palace. The dawning of this new era of “Reiwa” is the main theme of today’s cultural event. With a hope to reach out to a larger audience, we have selected Colombo City Center as our venue, which is one of the most popular spots in the city for families and friends to spend enjoyable weekends.   
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Adapted from the 8^th century anthology of classical Japanese poetry on plum blossoms, “Reiwa” implies a “beautiful harmony”, illustrating that the Japanese culture and traditions are the means by which people are connected together in unity in the most beautiful manner. Today, we will aim at creating such “beautiful harmony” in multiple dimensions, the first of which is to showcase the aspect of Zen philosophy in Japanese culture. The marked feature of this philosophy demands the practice of “complete calmness of the mind” which takes the form of “simplicity and purity” founded in the notions of “道”or “a way” in English.
 
For instance, Ikebana is also known as “Kado” which means “a way of flower” or “a way of beauty”. “Kado” is more than just for decorative purposes but a spiritual process that helps develop a harmony with nature, while “Budo”, martial arts, which literally means “a way of samurai”, is more than just fighting techniques but train one to harmonize with the order. The ultimate goal, whichever the form of “the way” may be, is to achieve the “harmony and order with the rhythm of the nature”. The visitors may as well feel such spirit that dwells within the Japanese culture by participating in the various workshops to be organized throughout the day. 
 
The second dimension we aim at is to blend the old and new. While Japanese society enjoys a rich history and deep traditions dating back to great many centuries, it is also in a continual state of rapid change, evolving with new trends in technology and fashion. Through this process, Japanese society has achieved unique fusion of tradition and modernity to coexist in the same space and time with its root deeply seated in the unchanging spirit of beautiful harmony. We will try to orchestrate this aspect of harmony by presenting both the traditional and pop culture in one perfect symphony.
 
The third dimension is of human hearts and society. Japanese society holds in high esteem the spirit of “和（wa）”-the harmony among the opposing forces- which constitutes the fundamental value for the people to live in enduring peace. In Japan, such spirit, for one, is cultivated most naturally through playing games that nourishes the gentleness and harmony since early childhood. I am therefore eager to inform you that we have provided you the opportunity for all to enjoy one of those Japanese games, namely, origami, the art of paper folding. The paper-plane competition is also arranged in our last segment of cultural event. I wish you will be able to pick up one or two origami works and share the joy of playing this simple but gentle game among your friends, brothers and sisters when you go home today.
 
Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Sri Lankan participants who collaborated to spearhead the promotion of Japanese culture in this beautiful island nation, and who, above all else, represent the last and fourth dimension of beautiful harmony that we seek today - that is the harmony between Sri Lanka and Japan. Since the establishment of diplomatic relationship in 1952, the relationship between the two countries have grown from strength to strength, underpinned by the spirit of true friendship manifested by His Excellency Mr. J.R. Jayawardene’s at the San Francisco Peace Conference in 1951, where Mr. Jayawardene upheld Japan’s complete independence by quoting Lord Buddha’s eternal words; “Hatred ceases not by hatred, but by love”. Taking this opportunity, I wish to renew my firm resolve to further strengthening this beautiful harmony that exist between Sri Lanka and Japan in this auspicious dawning moment of the era of Reiwa.  
 
On this note, may I now request Mr. Janaka Balasooriya, Sri Lanka Bonsai Association, to come up on the stage and say a few words on behalf of the participating groups, which will be followed by the opening song by Liyanage san and her friends.  
 
Thank you very much for your attention.