Zubair Qureshi
The spouse of the Ambassador of Japan, Mrs Wada Mitsuhiro in order to keep alive the spirit of welcoming the changing seasons, something the Japanese people relish and admire greatly, hosted a reception at her residence to welcome the autumn season in Islamabad. Majority of the guests included wives of ambassadors and ladies from the diplomatic community of Islamabad. The event titled “How Beautiful the Moon is!” was held to welcome the autumn season.
While explaining the event, Mrs Wada was of the view that the spirit of valuing each season as well as seasonal transitions was deeply rooted in Japanese culture.
During the transition from the summer to the winter, and from the winter to the summer, people in Japan respect the significance of nature and take pleasure in change of weather, she said adding, fruitful autumn is just as festive and beautiful as blooming spring is in Japan.
The main theme was Tsukimi (Japan’s Moon-Viewing tradition). This autumn tradition has been uniquely expanded into various scenes such as festivals, art and Japanese cuisine, said the ambassador’s wife.
Mrs Wada highlighted the spirit of celebrating change of seasons while she is in Pakistan where it is currently transiting from a very hot summer to cooler autumn. She said that the celebration of the full moon is a very old tradition and is widely practiced in Japan even to this day.
After the talk, the participants experienced autumn through traditional Japanese cuisine curated by the Japanese chef. Participants also enjoyed the beautiful photos of the Moon taken in Pakistan on the screen.
