Okayama: Tibet House Japan, in collaboration with the Manjushri Mahayana Buddhist Association (MMBA) and the Okayama Japan-Tibet Friendship Association, organised Tibet-themed events at their respective locations to mark the Universal Prayer Day, Zamling Chisang, through photo exhibitions and talks on the life and mission of H.H. the Dalai Lama.

Photo exhibitions on the life and missions of H.H. the Dalai Lama were held at Daishoin Temple on Miyajima Island of Hiroshima. H.H. the Dalai Lama had earlier visited the Temple and conferred Dorying empowerment to a large number of people in November 2006. Rev. Daiyu Yoshida, the Abbot of the Temple, welcomed the visitors and expressed pleasure to have the photo exhibitions and talk event on the life and missions of H.H. the Dalai Lama at the Temple and prayed that the event would help promote H.H. the Dalai Lama’s message of peace and non-violence around the world. MMBA’s Rev. Geshe Gopal Ngawang Nyandrak recited Tibetan prayers for the occasion, and Nomura Shojiro moderated the talk event.

The second event was held at Sojashi City in Okayama prefecture, around 160 k.m. away from Hiroshima. Okayama Japan-Tibet Friendship Association collaborated in organising the event at the Sojashi City Hall. On reaching Sojashi City, Representative Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya paid respect to Rev. Kobayashi Ryuzan, the Chief Abbot of the Maruoji Temple, who was a long-time supporter of Tibet and a great admirer of H.H. the Dalai Lama’s leadership.

Kanrui Chizuru of the Okayama Japan-Tibet Friendship Association welcomed the audience during the talk event and shared her experience of her journey with the Tibetan world and H.H. the Dalai Lama, and her visit to Dharamsala to attend the International Tibet Support Group meeting in March this year. Rev. Kobayashi Ryozan expressed great pleasure to have Tibet House Japan’s event in the city and promised strong support in promoting such events in the future too.

Soichi Kataoka, Mayor of the Sojashi city, expressed great pleasure to have the photo exhibitions and talks on H.H. the Dalai Lama’s life and missions in the City Hall. He said that at this difficult time of violence and hatred around the world, he found it very appropriate to have this event in the city to remind the world of H.H. the Dalai Lama’s message of love, compassion, and global community. Parliamentarians from the city, Ono Yasuhiro, Takaya Yukio, Emoto Kimikazu, Kayano Tetsuya, and others joined the photo exhibitions and the talk and expressed admiration and support for the effort of H.H. the Dalai Lama to promote world peace and stability.

Some national and local lawmakers: Aisawa Ichiro, Kato Katsunobu, Hashimoto Gaku, Yamashita Takashi, Hiranuma Shojiro, and Ono Yasuhiro have sent written messages to express support for H.H. the Dalai Lama’s photo exhibitions and the talks at the City Hall. Ms. Hiroko Takatsuki moderated the talk event. Around 200 people visited the photo exhibitions.

Representative Dr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya of the Liaison office of H.H. the Dalai Lama, in his talks at Hiroshima and Okayama, thanked the Temple and the Sojashi City Mayor and staff for their support and interest in the Tibet issue. He spoke on the life and missions of H.H. the Dalai Lama: promotion of human value; promotion of religious harmony; preservation of Tibetan culture; and revival of the ancient Indian Nalanda teachings and how these four missions are connected to enhancing the sense of oneness of humanity and the concept of global community. Representative Arya further briefed the audience on the recent Chinese Ethnic Unity Law and how the law is aimed at justifying China’s assimilation policy through colonial boarding schools and religious interference.

Here is the link to the talk event:https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1M948rGpS8/

Tashi Yangzom of the Tibet House accompanied Representative T.G. Arya and helped explain the photos to the visitors and distributed books and information booklets on the teachings of H.H. the Dalai Lama and information on the Tibet issue along with Ms. Maeda of Okayama. Awa Rikuto of Hokkaido Friends of Tibet and Junko Nakazawa of Tokyo came all the way to help with the photo exhibitions and the talk events.

-Report filed by the Office of Tibet, Japan