Ambassador KITAOKA delivered a speech at the Opening Ceremony of JAFF (Japanese Animation & Lifestyle Film Festival)
2021/10/22
Speech by the Ambassador
On 22nd October, Ambassador Hajime KITAOKA attended the Opening Ceremony of JAFF (Japanese Animation and Lifestyle Film Festival), held at Artis Cinema, located in Tallinn, the Capital City, and delivered a speech.
He was escorted by Mr. Toshifumi ITO, a Second Secretary in charge of culture and public relations in the Japanese Embassy.
Mr. Lennart SUNDJA, Director of Culture Department of Tallinn City also attended.
This event has been held annually in Tallinn and Tartu, hosted by NPO Otaku, headed by Mr. Artur VEEBER, who received the Japanese State Decoration “Order of the Rising Sun”.
It has been also supported by the Japan Foundation.
This year, the 15th JAFF was scheduled, but due to COVID19, it was forced to be postponed as many as 3 times, and it has been materialized eventually in this evening.
The Ambassador arrived at Artis Cinema at 7pm, and after some conversations with Mr. VEEBER, delivered a speech to the audience.
He started with reference to NPO Otaku, which has hosted variety of cultural events including Kosupure (Cosplay) or Karaoke, and said “Japan is a country of varieties, so an approach with varieties is indispensable to understand Japan” and highly acclaimed the activities of NPO Otaku.
Following this, the Ambassador referred to the film to be shown for that evening entitled “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish”.
He introduced himself as a father of a handicapped son and said “this film teaches us how to keep a proper distance between the handicapped and the non-handicapped. If you continue to give your utmost support to the handicapped, it could not be sustainable. But if you do not support them, they cannot survive. The process of discovering the proper distance through trials and errors are depicted in this film in such a vivid manner. Another point is that the handicapped could expand their desires and dreams so freely, in such a contrast against the restrictions over their movement. This is also depicted in this film, again in such a vivid manner. This is my way of interpreting this film as a father of a handicapped son. But this film could be interpreted and enjoyed in many different manners. I sincerely wish each of the audience tonight could enjoy this film in his or her own manner, spending the precious Friday night”.
The Ambassador would like to express his sincerest gratitude for giving him a chance to deliver a speech to Mr. VEEBER, before the showing of “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish”, one of the best Japanese animated films, which Japan is proud of vis-à-vis the world!
He was escorted by Mr. Toshifumi ITO, a Second Secretary in charge of culture and public relations in the Japanese Embassy.
Mr. Lennart SUNDJA, Director of Culture Department of Tallinn City also attended.
This event has been held annually in Tallinn and Tartu, hosted by NPO Otaku, headed by Mr. Artur VEEBER, who received the Japanese State Decoration “Order of the Rising Sun”.
It has been also supported by the Japan Foundation.
This year, the 15th JAFF was scheduled, but due to COVID19, it was forced to be postponed as many as 3 times, and it has been materialized eventually in this evening.
The Ambassador arrived at Artis Cinema at 7pm, and after some conversations with Mr. VEEBER, delivered a speech to the audience.
He started with reference to NPO Otaku, which has hosted variety of cultural events including Kosupure (Cosplay) or Karaoke, and said “Japan is a country of varieties, so an approach with varieties is indispensable to understand Japan” and highly acclaimed the activities of NPO Otaku.
Following this, the Ambassador referred to the film to be shown for that evening entitled “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish”.
He introduced himself as a father of a handicapped son and said “this film teaches us how to keep a proper distance between the handicapped and the non-handicapped. If you continue to give your utmost support to the handicapped, it could not be sustainable. But if you do not support them, they cannot survive. The process of discovering the proper distance through trials and errors are depicted in this film in such a vivid manner. Another point is that the handicapped could expand their desires and dreams so freely, in such a contrast against the restrictions over their movement. This is also depicted in this film, again in such a vivid manner. This is my way of interpreting this film as a father of a handicapped son. But this film could be interpreted and enjoyed in many different manners. I sincerely wish each of the audience tonight could enjoy this film in his or her own manner, spending the precious Friday night”.
The Ambassador would like to express his sincerest gratitude for giving him a chance to deliver a speech to Mr. VEEBER, before the showing of “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish”, one of the best Japanese animated films, which Japan is proud of vis-à-vis the world!