Celebrated with joy around the world, spring is a season of new beginnings, renewal and hope, especially for Norwegians after a long, dark, cold winter. As the “sakura” heralds spring in Japan, Norwegians take delight in the budding of leaves and the flowering of trees that unfold the majesty of nature.
“Norway – Nature’s Beauty and Bounty” was the theme of the Garden of Norway, one of ten gardens from around the world featured in this year’s Annual World Gardening Fair in Hotel Okura in Tokyo the first week of May. The Fair was inaugurated by H.I.H. Princess Takamoda and visited by 20 000 gardens lovers. The Norwegian garden featured a variety of flowers, berries and trees against the façade of a typical Norwegian wooden house painted red.
But nature’s beauty and bounty is not all that we celebrate each year come spring.
National Day Festivities
Every year on the 17th of May, Norwegians are in a particularly festive mood, at home and abroad and regardless of the weather. A day to dress your best, many men, women and children proudly wearing their national costume – the “bunad”. With children, flags and optimism for the future – all centre stage. This is the day we celebrate our National Day, in commemoration of our Constitution of 1814.
In Tokyo this year, Norwegians were so eager that we celebrated the 17th of May on Sunday the 16th of May. Some 150 Norwegians of all ages and two dogs gathered in the Embassy in Minato-ku for the occasion. Again this year, an independent National Day Committee of volunteers under the leadership of May Martinsen was responsible for all arrangements and planning. From traditional Norwegian food, including waffles and home-made desserts, parade, prizes and entertainment to games and ice cream for the children. A tremendous voluntary team effort that ensured a good time and memorable celebration for all. Generously supported by sponsors.
Our National Day celebration in Japan is not confined to Tokyo. Again, as every year, festivities took place in Kobe as well, this time led by Norway’s Honorary Consul General in Kobe, Mr. Johan Tutturen.
There were two added touches to our National Day celebration in Tokyo this year. The first was the master Hardanger fiddle players Rio Yamase and Kristina Shizuka Yamase casting their magic folk music spell adorned in their “bunads”. The second was Fuji-TV with cameras filming the celebration as part of a presentation of Norwegian society, food and culture that will be shown on 30 May in their programme “Table of Embassy” and repeated several times in the following days.
As we celebrate and cherish our independent nationhood on this special day, we remember our forefathers and mothers, who made sacrifices to gift us our freedom and rights, the foundation of the welfare that we enjoy today. And we are mindful of our responsibilities to coming generations and as members of the wider family of nations with whom we share a common future in a globalizing world. Norwegians in Japan give special thought to the strong ties and friendships that we have with Japanese people.
Though geographically far apart, Norwegians and Japanese are kindred souls in so many ways. We are both proud of our national identity and cultural heritage, but still globally minded. We nurture our culture and are at the same time in the global forefront of innovation, design and technology. We enjoy and respect nature and share environmental concern. We enjoy a broad spectrum of co-operation, cultural ties, business relations and warm people-to-people bonds. These are all being strengthened and we are eager to seize new opportunities to deepen our relationship in all fields.
Arne Walther