Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Takashi Kurai has said that Pakistani students learning Japanese language are brilliant in language skills.

“I have been listening all speeches carefully and speakers wield strong command on language. I am impressed by participants not only due to language skills but also their gesture and movements looked quite confident” the Envoy said while addressing an event of Japanese Language Speech Contest. Anam Rehman was declared as winner in the contest, Muhammad Ali Butt and Shaista Javed stood second and third respectively.

Ambassador Takashi Kurai congratulated the winners of the language speech contest saying that the speakers seemed to be well prepared and their delivery of speeches was also excellent.

He said having knowledge about the country to which one is one posted is most important to him as without proper knowledge you either feel scared or you underestimate the country. If, you have proper and relevant knowledge of the assigned country you would not only feel comfortable but also love that country and its people.

“I am posted in Pakistan as Ambassador of Japan since April, 2016 and am impressed by hospitability and friendly attitude of the people here”. Ambassador Kurai maintained. He said with the passage of time people of Pakistan have taken more interest in learning Japanese language. He said in 2013 only 37 Pakistanis appeared in Japanese proficiency test and this year the number increased to 58.

He also appreciated the efforts of teachers and other staff of National University of Modern Languages (NUML) for promoting Japanese language in Pakistan. Koji Kawamoto, Deputy Section Chief, Kake Educational Institute for International Affairs told Daily Times said that this is second time that Pakistani students participated in the Kake Japanese Language Speech Contest.

“I am quite impressed by the language skills of contestants. I feel proud to be here. I also hope that Pakistani students of Japanese language continue to study and will learn not only language but also culture and technology of the Japan” he said.

Director Chaudhary Hamid Latif of Kake Liaison Office in Pakistan said the winner of the Japanese Language Speech Contest would be sent to Japan on a visit program for one year scholarship.

Prior to it she would be also sent for Japan for five days in last week of November 2016, where she will participate in Japanese Language Speech Contest in which contestants from 17 countries will take part. Winner of that contest would be provided 4 years scholars, he said. He said that second position holder of Pakistani contest would be sent to Japan for six months and 3rd position holder given Japanese traditional dress (Kimono).

He said that his institute Kake provides free education in Japanese language and currently 13 students are studying at Kake in Rawalpindi. Anam Rehman, winner of the contest told Daily Times that she recently passed her intermediate examination from Gujranwala. She said that she learning Japanese language from three months from a private teacher in Gujranwala.