Qatari cultural week to be held in Tokyo in September

A five-day Qatari cultural week, ‘Ferjaan in Tokyo’, will be held in Roppongi Hills, a suburban development near the Japanese capital city, from September 27 to October 1.

Commenting on the event, Ambassador of Japan to Qatar HE Kenjiro Monji said, “Qatar Week: Ferjaan in Tokyo, is an opportunity for the Japanese public to gain valuable insights into the richness and diversity of Qatari culture. We are pleased to lend our full support to such worthy initiatives so that Japan-Qatar relations will be further promoted in this 40th anniversary year of our friendship.” Ambassador of Qatar to Japan HE Yousef M Bilal noted: “Qatar and Japan enjoy 40 years of strong relations. ‘Qatar Week: Ferjaan in Tokyo’ will further promote understanding which will in turn set the foundations for enduring ties in the future.”

The word Ferjaan means ‘neighbourhood’ in the colloquial Qatari Arabic. The event is intended to showcase modern Qatari culture through a historically accurate representation of a souq, the traditional Arabic market place. The souq will host exhibits from Qatari companies and showcase a number of cultural projects. 

Accompanying this will be Qatari entertainment, a number of informative talks and presentations, and a selection of Qatari products.

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The event is one of several events organised as part of Qatar-Japan 2012, a yearlong celebration of 40 years of relations between the countries which aims to promote mutual understanding, and appreciation of the cultures, traditions and people of both countries. Qatar- Japan 2012 is being coorganised by Qatar Museums Authority, the Qatari Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Japan in Qatar, and the Embassy of Qatar in Japan. 

Qatar Museums Authority has also launched a number of competitions, including ‘Qatar through the eyes of its people’, which showcase various aspects of Qatar including the country’s remarkable development. Ten short listed photos will be displayed during Ferjaan. In addition to the photography contest, there will also be a Manga-drawing contest in which entrants must depict Qatari culture and traditions in a way that would interest Japanese audiences.

The top three entries will be printed in a booklet and distributed at ‘Qatar Week: Ferjaan in Tokyo’. Qatar and Japan continue to be major trade and business partners and in recent years this friendship has expanded into the fields of education, culture and technology. Key to the relationship is mutual respect and support, and this event underlines the synergies between the two nations.

source: Qatar Tribune