Thursday, 26 September 2013 00:00
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The 10th Sri Lanka Festival was organised by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan at the Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan on 21 and 22 September 2013.
The annual Sri Lanka Festival in Tokyo which provides the Japanese public an opportunity to experience a taste of Sri Lankan culture in the heart of Tokyo was held under the theme “Sri Lanka-Wonder of Asia”. The festival which entertained around 200,000 visitors, showcased tourism, trade, culture, food and investment and promoted Sri Lankan products at more than 100 trading stalls.
At the opening ceremony on 21 September, Sri Lankan Ambassador Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda stressed the importance of the strong bilateral relations between Japan and Sri Lanka and encouraged visitors to the festival to visit Sri Lanka which is today, one of the safest destinations on the world.
Among the other Japanese and Sri Lankan dignitaries who graced the occasion were Chief Guest, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan Yoshitaka Shindo, Guests of Honour, Representative of the Government of Japan for Peace- Building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi and Deputy Minister of Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka Pandu Bandaranaike.
This year’s festival included cultural performances by the “Channa -Upuli” dance troupe and performances by Bathiya and Santhush, singer and entertainer, Dushyanth Weeraman and other Japanese and Sri Lankan stage performers at the Festival.
The Festival is organised annually by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo with the support of sponsorships including the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Japanese and Sri Lankan business organisations and well-wishers.
