Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday resisted pressure for changes to the Tokyo Olympics schedule even as sporting events worldwide fall victim to the Coronavirus pandemic. Abe pledged Japan would host the Games as planned in July and said he had no immediate intention to declare a state of emergency over the virus outbreak,…
By Girija Madhavan A few months into a new diplomatic post, normally of three years, I would settle into a comfort zone, at ease with the local language and customs. As time wore on, a familiar angst would appear, “Where next?” Our stay in Japan, where my husband, A. Madhavan, had been posted as Ambassador…
A Pourakarmika’s son too makes it to the team Mysuru: Four young sportspersons from city, including the son of a Pourakarmika, have been selected to take part in the Societe Generale Kids Rugby Spirit Festival to be held in Tokyo, Japan, from tomorrow (Oct.24) till Oct.26 as part of the ongoing Rugby World Cup-2019. The…
By Girija Madhavan My abiding memories of Japan, apart from the friendships formed there, are of the art and aesthetics of the country. My husband, A. Madhavan, was posted as Indian Ambassador to Japan in 1985. Before we left Japan in 1988, a “Festival of India” was celebrated there featuring Indian classical and folk art,…
By Girija Madhavan Cherry blossom, “Sakura”, is the national flower of Japan. In spring, the trees begin to bloom. Japan waits for the pink and white tide, starting in the warm tip of Okinawa, to spread over the country and finally reach the heights of cold Hokkaido. Newspapers print the cherry blossom forecasts of various…
By Girija Madhavan Indian diplomats enjoy a variety of cultural events when posted abroad; musical recitals, dances or ethnic programmes of the countries they are accredited to. In Japan, a different experience was to be invited to witness an old fishing tradition in Gifu, Cormorant Fishing. My husband, A. Madhavan and I were among a…
By Girija Madhavan Images of Mount Fuji, cherry blossoms, bullet trains or electronic devices come to mind when thinking of Japan. Less familiar is another Japanese icon: the Geisha in a kimono, with traditional hairdo, white makeup, scarlet lipstick and an aura of mystery and allure. In Japanese, the word “Gei” stands for art and…
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page”. —St. Augustine For once, I have discovered that good news too could spread as fast as bad news! I had decided to keep my travel to Japan and Korea under wraps, but it seems the whole town knew of my…
By Girija Madhavan Chanoyu,” or “The Way of Tea” is a Japanese tradition of serving tea, a ritual evolved over centuries. It is the ceremonial presentation of “Matcha” or powdered green tea by a Tea Master [man or woman] to a small group of guests, generally in specified tea houses. With Zen Buddhist origins, it…
By Girija Madhavan High in the mountains above the Sea of Japan [the East Sea], amidst lofty cedars is the “Eihei-ji Monastery” or “Temple of Eternal Peace” in Japanese. It is in Fukui Prefecture. Under curving tiled roofs and in timbered halls, the “Soto” school of Zen Buddhism is practised by the monks who live…
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