Press Release 2016
November 23, 2016 Japanese Embassy Donated Cultural Books to Qatar Public Library (Dar Al-Kutub)
The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar, in cooperation with the Japan Foundation, donated a wide range of books to Qatar Public Library (Dar Al-Kutub). The donation took place at the Ministry of Culture and Sports on the 23rd of October.
The Embassy has a long history of cooperation with the Qatar Public Library. The first book donation was conducted in 1987, and over almost 30 years, the total number of books presented to the Public Library reached almost 1,000 books.
Delivering the books to Mr. Ibrahim Al-Sayed, Director of Public Libraries & Heritage department, Ambassador Shingo Tsuda expressed his hope that the books donated over the years have contributed to enrich knowledge on Japan among Qatari readers, stressing the importance of cultural exchange forging the bridge between the two nations.
September 26, 2016 Japanese Embassy Donated Cultural Books to Qatar National Library
The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar, in cooperation with the Japan Foundation, donated a wide range of books to Qatar National Library (QNL). The donation ceremony was conducted on the 9th of October in the Education City.
Ambassador Shingo Tsuda said, “It is our great pleasure, for the first time, to donate 82 Japanese books to Qatar National Library. I sincerely hope that these books will help Qatari people further understand Japan and its culture.”
Dr. Claudia Lux, Project Director of Qatar National Library, said, “Receiving these books is a great opportunity for QNL to strengthen its growing collection of diverse resources about countries with rich culture, such as Japan. There is a big respect and fondness for the Japanese culture among Qatari community. We are very grateful for the donation and those books gifted to us are of special value because many of them are translated into Arabic, which will undoubtedly meet the demands of our large following and makes it easier for them to access.”
October 6, 2016 Ambassador speaks to Qatari young leaders from Qatar Leadership Center prior to their visit to Japan
On 6th of October, Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar, Shingo Tsuda, gave remarks to Qatari young leaders who participate in the Rising Leaders Program of Qatar Leadership Center (QLC) prior to their visit to Japan. Presents were Dr. Mohammad Najdawi, Director of Leadership Knowledge Base, Qatar Leadership Centre, Mr. Takumi Hiraga, General Manager of Doha Liaison Office, Itochu Corporation and most of the 37 participants who will pay a visit to Japan between 16th and 20th of this month under the above-mentioned program.
In his remarks, Ambassador Shingo Tsuda emphasized the importance of human development for a nation and praised for the Qatari leadership’s vision as follows: “Thanks to the initiative of His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Qatar Leadership Centre was established, and today, energetic and promised young leaders in Qatar gathered here from many different fields of both governmental and private sectors.” “I believe that each of you has accomplished many in the previous career and is now taking a responsible position in your own place. You all are holding in your hands, the future of your country, the State of Qatar.” “Human development is critically important for sustainable development of a country, and it can be accomplished through good education, which expands your knowledge and provides professional skills. For Qatar as well, fostering a healthy and capable national manpower has been a priority among resources. This is embodied in the Qatar National Vision 2030, which places large emphasis on the empowerment of young generations.”
The Ambassador also encouraged the participants by saying, “The Rising Leaders Program provides you with plenty of chances for first-hand learning to make all of you leading players of your nation. For this purpose, Itochu Corporation has been playing a significant role to make this opportunity more valuable to everyone. You will be listening to lectures on stories of success, attending workshops and visiting such prominent companies as Toyota, Sony and NEC Corporation.”
Ambassador Tsuda touched also upon the excellent relationship between the two countries. “In the year of 1972, the diplomatic relations between the two countries was established, and Japanese companies started engaging in the oil and steel sector in Qatar. Japan also initiated the first LNG project in the 1980s and became one of the pioneers in the development of the LNG industries in Qatar. Since then, Japan has been the biggest trading partner of Qatar amounting to 35 billion US dollars in 2014.” “In addition, the frequent exchange of visits between the two countries is another landmark in our good relationship. It was only last month that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, in New York as the seventh summit for two leaders.”
“Besides, three days ago, the Foreign Minister His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, visited Japan in his first official visit as the Foreign Minister. On the same day, our Embassy in Doha started to grant a multiple-entry visa valid for three years to Qatari nationals to promote further people-to-people exchanges between two countries.”
Following the Ambassador’s speech, from the Doha Liaison Office of Itochu Corporation which has been coordinating the trip, Mr. Takumi Hiraga made a brief remark, saying “I strongly hope all of you learn a lot from this trip, and wish you to be a fan of Japan”. It was followed by a group photo of the Ambasador and the participants, together with Itochu Corporation staff and the Embassy’s officials.
QLC is an initiative of His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar and was established to be a national platform for leadership excellence, in support of the development goals of the State of Qatar.
September 26, 2016 Japanese Book Donation to Qatar University
Ambassador Shingo Tsuda donated 103 books to Qatar University on September 26, 2016, in cooperation with the Japan Foundation. The books include a collection of Japanese famous literature translated in Arabic, Japanese language text books, manga and folk tales. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Hasssan Al Derham, President of Qatar University, Dr. Rashid Al Kuwari, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Dr. Imad Bachir, Director of the Library with other faculties and students.
Dr. Imad Bachir, in his speech, expressed the University’s gratitude to Japan and wished for further strengthening cooperation between the two friendly countries.
Ambassador Shingo Tsuda said that the book donation by Japan to Qatar University started in 1989 and the total number of Japanese books at the library reached more than 1,000.
“Thanks to the College of Arts and Sciences of Qatar University, this month marks the 3rd year since Japan special courses including the language, history and society started. This year’s Japanese language speech competition which was held at Qatar University, received 13 students from the University. I sincerely hope that these books will become the incentives and give students a valuable opportunity to broaden their knowledge about Japan and its culture.” Ambassador Shingo Tsuda said.
Ambassador Tsuda took a tour of the Library at the end of the ceremony.
June 12, 2016 To ensure the success of big events in 2020 and 2022”at Qatar Olympic Committee
Japan’s Ambassador to Qatar, Shingo Tsuda, met with the Secretary General of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), H.E. Dr Thani Al Kuwari, at QOC on June 12, 2016.
During the meeting, Ambassador Tsuda and Dr. Al-Kuwari discussed cooperation in the sports field between the two countries and means to further enhance it. Talks touched upon the various opportunities for cooperation ahead of the two big sport events, “Tokyo Olympics 2020” and “FIFA World Cup 2022”.
Seizing this opportunity, Ambassador Tsuda, in collaboration with Japan Foundation, donated 12 books such as Judo, Kendo and Aikido to the Olympic Committee. This year marks the 7th time since the first donation in 2009.
May 29, 2016 The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar Book Donation to Katara
The Embassy of Japan in the state of Qatar, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, has donated 46 books to Katara Cultural Village on 29th of May, 2016 for the first time. Well-known Japanese literature such as the novels written by Yasunari Kawabata, who won the Nobel Prize for literature were mainly selected among the book collection.
Shingo Tsuda, Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar, also handed over an Encyclopaedia of Japan translated into Arabic by Qatar University in cooperation with Marubeni Corporation, to Dr. Khalid Al-Sulaiti, the General Director of Katara. They discussed the ways to strengthen the further understanding of Japan and its culture.
Dr. Khalid Al-Sulaiti expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador Shingo Tsuda for the books and expressed his wishes for further strengthening cooperation between the Embassy of Japan and Katara Cultural Village, in order to enhance friendly relations between Qatar and Japan through various cultural activities.
May 26, 2016 Japan Taiko Drum Concert at Katara Drama Theatre
As part of the "Cultural Diversity Festival" activities, the Cultural Village Foundation-Katara, in cooperation with the UNESCO office in Doha, has organized Taiko (Japanese Drum) performance by the prominent group “Hibikiya”. H.E. Mr. Shingo Tsuda, Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar and other distinguished Ambassadors and the guests were present at the performance of Taiko.
The event was a great success as the team “Hibikiya” captivated the audience overwhelmingly.
May 4, 2016 The Embassy of Japan Book Donation to Tariq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for Boys
The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, has presented a variety of 75 Japan-related books to Tariq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for Boys on 4th of May, in order to promote further understanding of Japan and its culture. Tariq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for Boys has been conducting Japanese language classes since 2012, and currently 57 students are studying the language and culture. Books include Japanese language textbooks, popular magazines covering young boys’ life styles in Japan, children’s books, manga and pop-culture.
The ceremony was attended by Mr Hamad Al-Mannai, Principal of the Tariq Bin Ziyad Independent Secondary School for Boys, Mr. Shingo Tsuda, Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, Mr. Hassan Tahon, Vice Principal (academic), Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Malki, Vice Principal(administrative) and Mr. Mahmoud Eid, Japanese language teacher.
Following the ceremony, the Japanese language and culture promotion programs were held at the auditorium of the school, which were designed to attract young students to be familiar with Japanese language and culture before selecting their second-optional language in next grade.
April 28, 2016 The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar Book Donation to Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU)
The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, has presented a variety of 62 Japan-related books to Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQ) on 28th of April at VCUQ in order to promote further understanding of Japan and its culture.
These donated books include Japanese architecture, traditional garden design, fashion, pop-culture, and language textbooks.
The ceremony was attended by Dr. Akel Kahera, Dean of VCUQ, Mr. Shingo Tsuda, Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, Ms. Amy Andres, Interim Director of the Library of VCUQ, Ms. Dina Bangdel, Director of Art History, Ms. Meike Kaan, Executive Director for Communications and External Affairs.
May 14, 2016 The 8th Annual Japanese Speech Contest held at Qatar University
The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar and the Japanese Teachers’ Association in Qatar (JALTAQ), in cooperation with Qatar University, hosted “The 8th Annual Japanese Speech Contest” at Qatar University on 14th May, 2016. Twenty five Japanese language learners in Qatar participated in the contest under three categories and made speeches in front of 145 audience.
Mr. Salman Al-Khaldi who spoke about “My Japanese Language Memories” was awarded the winner of ‘Free Topic five minutes Speech’ in Category C. He was awarded two round-trip tickets to Japan sponsored by Qatar Airways.
Rest of the winners received prizes offered by “Fifty One East”, “Junko Sushi & Japanese Dining”, “Chubu Electric Power”, “Japan Foundation”, “Marubeni Corporation”, “Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group”, “Sumitomo Corporation” and “JALTAQ”. Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar Mr. Shingo Tsuda expressed his sincere appreciation to all the generous sponsors for their support to this annual event. Ambassador presented a letter of appreciation to the Japanese Club in Qatar University who performed an excellent traditional Japanese sit-down comedy, ‘Rakugo’ (literally "fallen words", a form of Japanese verbal entertainment) while participants were waiting for the result of judging panel.
In an opening address, Ambassador Shingo Tsuda described that more than 130 million people speak Japanese currently as native language in the world, which means that Japanese is the 9th popular language in terms of population, while there are more than 3,000 languages worldwide. There are more than 3.6 million people who study Japanese language in more than 130 countries. He also expressed gratitude to Qatar University where the speech contest was held. Qatar University and Tariq Bin Ziyad Independent Boys High School are teaching Japanese language.
The contest ended with a reception where all the participants and audience mingled together and enjoyed eating, “Washoku” Japanese cuisine.
May 5, 2016 Application for Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship 2017
The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar is now accepting application for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Scholarship 2017. The application is open for Qatari nationals who wish to study at universities in Japan until June 19, 2016.
MEXT offers two types of scholarships; one for undergraduate and the other for research studies, addressed to Qatari students wishing to pursue their studies at a Japanese university. Eligible candidates for the undergraduate scholarship must be a Qatari national, born between April 2, 1995 and April 1, 2000, and must have completed a 12-year regular course of school education. The Study period in Japan will be for 5 years from April 2017 to March 2022. For medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the term of the scholarship is 7 years or a 6 year course in pharmacy, including one year preparatory course of Japanese language for all majors.
For research studies, eligible candidates must be a Qatari national, born on or after April 2, 1982, they must be a holder of bachelor’s degree or higher and they must choose the same field that they studied at the university, or a related field. The study period will be for two years commencing in April 2017 or one and a half years to start in October 2017 including six-month preparatory course of Japanese language.
March 15, 2016 Ambassador of Japan visits opening ceremony of “the fifth Universities and Employment fair EUF(5)2015-2016” at Al-Wakra Independent Secondary School for Boys
The Embassy of the Japan in the State of Qatar participated in “the fifth Universities and Employment fair” organized by Al-Wakra Independent Secondary School for Boys and the Department of Academic Guidance, Ministry of Education and Higher Education on March 15, 2016.
H.E. Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al-Hammadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education opened the fair and toured the booth. Mr. Khalid Al-Horr, Director of Higher Education Institute and Ambassador Shingo Tsuda were among those present at the fair.
Ambassador Shingo Tsuda toured the booth along with H.E. Dr. Al-Hammadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education, as they were briefed on the different educational institutions and entities participating in the fair.
Many students visited the Embassy’s booth and were eager to know about studying in Japan especially in such faculties as Engineering, Medicine, and Computer Science. Also, students showed their interest in various scholarship programs offered by the Japanese universities.
March 11, 2016 Japanese society in Qatar expresses Japan’s appreciation to the State of Qatar for its strong support
On the 11th of March, 2016, on the occasion of 5th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake which occurred on the same day in 2011, the Japanese society in Qatar held a community gathering in Doha. Many of the Japanese nationals living in Qatar mourned the earthquake victims and renewed the society’s unity toward the recovery of the disaster-stricken Tohoku area.
At the beginning, followed by the sign of a moderator, all the society members offered a one-minute silent prayer together for the victims of the Great Earthquake and Tsunami.
Subsequently, Ambassador of Japan in the State of Qatar Mr. Shingo Tsuda made an opening speech and offered his prayers to the victims. In his speech, Ambassador Shingo Tsuda also expressed Japan’s appreciation to the State of Qatar for its urgent, crucial and sustainable support not only to the disaster area, but also to the whole country, mentioning Qatar’s additional supply of LNG for the increased domestic demand upon the incident in Japan as well as Qatar Friendship Fund established under the leadership of H. H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al- Thani, Father Emir of the State of Qatar and its support projects in such areas as fisheries and child education.
The similar memorial address was given by Mr. Naoki Miyoshi, President of Japanese Society in Qatar, who also expressed the appreciation to the State of Qatar through his speech. The speech was followed by the Japanese traditional drumming performance by the students from Japan School of Doha.
February 24, 2016 Japanese Culture “Animation Workshop” showcased at Qatar University
On 24th February, Animation workshop on “How to draw Japanese Anime” was held at Qatar University, hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences of Qatar University in cooperation with Marubeni Corporation.
The workshop was conducted by London based layout artist and animator Ms. Aya Suzuki who demonstrated some excerpts from the world-famous animated movies she has been engaged in, such as “Wolf Children Ame and Yuki” which won numerous film awards including Japan Academy Prize, as well as “the Wind Rises” which was directed by acclaimed film director, Hayao Miyazaki. Ms. Suzuki explained to the participants how to draw the “anime” behind the story scenes .
The event was presided over by Dr. Darwish Al Emadi, Vice President for Research, Dr. Eiman Mustafawi, Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University and Mr. Masataka Kuramoto, Regional CEO for the Middle East, Marubeni Corporation as well as Ambassador of Japan Mr. Shingo Tsuda. It was also attended by a large number of University students and anime lovers attracted by the wonders and secrets of the animation making industry in Japan as well as in Hollywood and Europe.
In his opening speech, Ambassador Shingo Tsuda extended his appreciation to Qatar University and Marubeni Corporation for their efforts in promoting Japanese Culture in Qatar by holding series of cultural events which lead to enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The workshop was the third in the series of events held under the joint collaboration between Qatar University and Marubeni Corporation, aiming in a bid to the promotion of educational and cultural exchange. The first was publication of Arabic-translated encyclopaedia on Japan and the second was showcase of Japanese traditional tea-making and sweets.