Tokyo: Tibetans and Japanese celebrated His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday with great reverence and festive fervor at Okura Hotel in Tokyo today. Members of Chinese, Uighur, and Hong Kong communities also joined the celebration.

Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen Gonta of Potala College led the opening prayers with the Tibetans and Representative Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya of the Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Japan and East Asia offered prostration, khata, and mandala to the altar with portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Representative Dr. Arya welcomed and thanked the guests for joining the birthday celebration. He informed the gathering about the good health of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His statement on his reincarnation. He said that His Holiness has affirmed “That the institution of Dalai Lama will continue and the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.”

Representative Arya warned the gathering not to be carried away by the CCP’s propaganda and their disinformation. He briefed them on the successful conclusion of the 9th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet (WPCT) last month and thanked the Japan’s parliamentary Support Group, Tibet Support Groups, and the volunteers for their help and support during the event. He further talked on His Holiness’ four commitments and how they are connected to world peace and stability. He informed the gathering about the year-long events Tibet House is planning to celebrate the year as the Year of Compassion and requested their support and participations in the event.

Lawmaker Yamatani Eriko, Chairperson of the Japan Parliamentarians Support Group for Tibet, congratulated His Holiness on his 90th birthday and prayed for his long and healthy life to continue guiding the humanity to peace and prosperity. She talked about the recent 9th WPCT in which more than 130 representatives from 29 countries gathered to discuss the Tibet issue and the way forward. She expressed the danger behind the Chinese colonial boarding schools in Tibet where Tibetan children are deprived of their identity, language, and culture. She shared her experience of visiting Dharamsala in 2011 and her audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She greatly appreciated the Tibetan culture of peace and compassion.

Members of the Association of Japanese Local Assembly Members Supporting Tibet based in Osaka (AJLAMST) have come all the way to Tokyo to attend the event. Lawmaker Taguchi Yoshinori, Chairperson of the Association, addressed the gathering and expressed his and the Association’s support for the Tibetan struggle for peace and justice and His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s effort in promoting human value, peace, and compassion.

Rev. Ueda Shoudou, Chief Abbot of …. Temple and the Chairperson of the Super Samgha, a non-sectarian Association of Monks Supporting peace and freedom in Tibet, talked about the importance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his teachings on love and compassion. He said he first met His Holiness in 2005 and shared several anecdotes highlighting simple and compassionate nature of His Holiness. He talked about the Sakura planting project with Tibet House to commemorate the 90th birthday of His Holiness and requested the cooperation of all in the gathering.

Special Guest Shimomura Hakubun, former Education Minister and incumbent advisor of the Japan Parliamentarian Support Group, said he holds His Holiness in great respect not only as the leader of Tibetan community at this difficult time, but also for His tireless effort to guide the humanity to peaceful coexistence and adoption of universal responsibility. He said Tibet stands for peace and it is not an internal affair of China; Tibet is an international issue. He wished His Holiness a long life and prayed for his continued blessing.

Hasegawa Naoko of the Tibet House Japan read the Japanese version of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s message on his birthday. A short video expressing “Thank you His Holiness” with video clips on his visits to Japan was shown to the delight of the audience.

Prof. Hirano of Tokyo University spoke on his visits to Tibet and his association with the Tibetans. Wishing His Holiness a good health and continued effort for world peace, he raised toast followed by Tibetan dance performance by the members of the Tibetan Community Japan.

As a part of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Birthday Event, members of the Tibetan Community in Japan distributed drinking water bottles at the busy Shibuya station in the morning. People received the water bottle as gift and blessing from His Holiness and the Tibetans.

Around two hundred people consisting of Diet members, local parliamentarians, Abbots, monks and nuns, scholars and intellectuals, artists and supporters, and Tibetans attended the event. People from various parts of the four major Japanese islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu participated and wished His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans on this auspicious day.

Makino Seishu, a former lawmaker and long time Tibet support and the Chairperson of the Save Tibet Network, in his Nakajime, a closing ritual, shared his experience meeting His Holiness and working with the Tibetans and thanked all the participants for their time and continued support to the just cause of Tibet.

Facilitation of some supporters who helped during the WPCT event and the Birthday event was made with the presentation of Tibetan traditional khata (white scarf), and souvenirs. Three statements made during the 9th WPCT: Tokyo Declaration, Action Plans, and Resolution on His Holiness 90th Birthday, and His Holiness‘ statements on his reincarnation were distributed to the participants at the end of the birthday event.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Japan