Japanese Royals visit Lanka Cultural Expo

TOKYO: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan paid a visit to the Sri Lanka Cultural Heritage Exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum on Thursday.

They were received at the Tokyo National Museum by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Japan Ranjith Uyangoda together with the President of the Yomiuri Shimbun, Director of the Tokyo National Museum and Director of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Japan. Senior officials representing the governments of Sri Lanka and Japan were in attendance.

The Emperor and the Empress said they were highly impressed with some of the artifacts being exhibited at the exhibition including ‘Avalokatheshwara Bodhisatwa’ statue and that the visit to the Sri Lanka Cultural Heritage Exhibition renewed fond memories of their visit as the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess to Sri Lanka in 1981.

They also said that an exhibition of this magnitude would go a long way in promoting Japan-Sri Lanka relations.

They requested Prime Minister Wickramanayaka to convey their appreciation to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his kind invitation. President Rajapaksa had extended a formal invitation in August this year to Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress to visit the exhibition at their convenience.

The Sri Lanka Cultural Heritage Exhibition is the first-ever mega exhibition being presented to the people of Japan in the history of Japan-Sri Lanka relations. It is a unique opportunity to showcase to the Japanese public, the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Sri Lanka under one roof in the Hyokeikan building of Tokyo National Museum.

The 146 artifacts, including 37 master pieces , 15 photographs of mural paintings and 18 photographs of archaeological sites being exhibited, depict the flourishing culture of Sri Lanka, enriched by Buddhism through its history spanning over 2550 years.