120th anniversary of student exchanges between Nepal and Japan marked

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, May 24: The embassy of Japan in Nepal hosted a commemorative gathering to mark the 120^th Anniversary of International Student Exchanges between Japan and Nepal on Tuesday.

Eight Nepali students had reached Japan in June 1902.

In the ceremony, the Order of Japan was conferred to Himalaya SJB Rana, founding Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank while the event also marked the accession of Mt. Everest by Junko Tabei, the first female mountaineer to scale the world's highest peak.

"This year 2022 is the 120^th anniversary since the Government of Nepal sent eight young Nepalis to Japan for study. They landed on the port of Yokohama on June 17, 1902. Today, I would like to celebrate the long history of people-to-people exchange between Japan and Nepal," said Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Yutaka Kikuta, addressing the gathering.

Presenting Himalaya SJB Rana as a great representative of Nepal-Japan friendship, the ambassador said, "In 1960, he successfully persuaded the Board of NRB to open a bank account in the Bank of Japan. Thus, the NRB became the first foreign central bank in the world to open an account in the Bank of Japan. The account is still maintained and, as a result, it is now the symbol of our close economic relations."

He said, "recognizing his numerous contributions to promoting economic relations and mutual understanding between Japan and Nepal, the Government of Japan decided to award the Imperial Decoration to Mr. Rana last year."

Following the eight pioneers, the number of Nepali students studying in Japan has risen to the third largest, after China and Vietnam. It is astonishing considering the population of Nepal compared to that of the two countries, said the ambassador.

He appreciated JUAAN as being the living proof of successful educational cooperation between Nepal and Japan. "The students returned from Japan have contributed to the development of Nepal in various fields to date".

Junko Tabei, a Japanese climber had conquered Mt. Everest/Sagarmatha on May 16, 1975, and in this regard, she was awarded Gurkha Dakshina Bahu Award from then Kingdom of Nepal, and Tenzing Hillary Award from Ministry of Culture of Nepal.

"Today, May 24, is fortunately between the anniversary of her successful climbing to Sagarmatha in May and the anniversary of the first Nepali students arriving Japan in June", said the Ambassador.

The Japanese ambassador expressed his hope that the gathering will be a good reminder about the time-tested people-to-people interaction between Nepal and Japan.

Addressing the event after being conferred with the Order of Japan, Himalaya S Rana shared his activities to strengthen economic relations between Nepal and Japan.

Referring to his visits to Japan in different times beginning from 1954, Rana put forth his view that development of Japan was possible due to the government's long term vision to expand trade and hardworking people.