Dear Japanese Friends of Norway and Norwegians in Japan,
Both in Japan and Norway, we will remember the year that we have left behind us as a year of national sorrow. In Japan, the forces of nature unleashed on 11 March caused unprecedented loss of lives, much suffering and material destruction. In Norway, the evil acts of a human-being killed innocent youth and assaulted our government offices. We will carry our sorrow with us into the New Year and beyond.
But we will also carry with us “kizuna” into the New Year, the word of the year in Japan signifying the importance of relations and bonds between people, and how solidarity makes us stronger in times of trouble. “Kizuna” sums up in a word also what Norwegian’s feel after the tragedy in our country. “Kizuna” in Japan and “kizuna” in Norway also means “kizuna” between Japanese and Norwegians.
The empathy and solidarity shown by Norwegians was deep and heartfelt, when disaster struck in Japan. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has offered Norwegian support to recovery in Tohoku in the fields of fisheries, seafood safety, coastal development, renewable energy and environment technology. We are implementing supportive activities in dialogue with Japanese authorities and institutions. Norwegian companies, universities and relief organizations are also taking part in this Team Norway effort, which will continue in 2012, when we are also looking forward to Prime Minister Stoltenberg’s official visit to Japan.
As you will have seen from our monthly newsletters, the range of activity of the Embassy has been great again last year in our many fields of co-operation from political level visits, promotion of commercial ties between Norwegian and Japanese companies and not least to culture and people-to-people contacts.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year, I can promise that 2012 will be yet another year of interesting Embassy activities to further deepen the good and precious relations between Norway and Japan.
Arne Walther