Tokyo Ambassadors Night in Museum

On Tuesday, January 15, Governor Koike hosted Tokyo Ambassadors Night at the museum. The event was held to introduce ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps and representative offices to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s policies, and to facilitate interaction with the governor and her senior officials.

To help spread the appeal of using “unique venues” within Tokyo, the event was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, which was also holding a Munch special exhibition, with the attendance of about 120 guests from 71 countries and regions.

In her greetings given in English the governor said, “The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is currently advancing initiatives to promote use of museums, gardens, and other facilities, ‘unique venues’ such as this one, for use as reception venues. We hope that this contributes to attracting MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, exhibition/event) events such as international conferences.”

She mentioned that the Tokyo 2020 Games were a great opportunity for children to learn about the history and culture of the countries and regions represented that night, expressed her gratitude for their help so far with the Global Friendship Project which is held under the Olympic and Paralympic education program at public schools in Tokyo, and asked for their continued support. Then explaining that various projects to promote the Tokyo 2020 Games from a cultural perspective are being held under the name Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL, Governor Koike introduced the furoshiki-themed art event that was held in front of Paris City Hall last November.

She emphasized that in order for Tokyo to become a sustainable city, it is important to encourage a mottainai mindset and behavior, and called upon the guests to participate in eco-friendly activities such as reducing food waste and the use of plastic bags, and saving energy.

After the speech, H.E. Mr. Grant Pogosyan of the Republic of Armenia and ambassadors representing the four other Olympic continents, joined the governor in a traditional kagamibiraki ceremony, in which the lid of a wooden barrel of sake is broken open with wooden mallets. The barreled sake, called “Tokyo Meijo Club,” jointly produced by nine breweries in Tokyo, was then served to guests in masu sake cups made with wood sourced from forests in Tama, Tokyo.