Athena Ho, Director, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Toronto; Mr. Wayne Fan, V.P. Chinese Canadian Times; Consul-General of Japan, Mr. Eiji Yamamoto; Mrs. Yamamoto; Ms. Cindy Fan, Commissioner, Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission, Taiwan (ROC); Mr. Masamitsu Sofuku, Executive Director, JNTO Toronto
A wide array of sushi & sashimi.
A demonstration of soba noodle making – with Sakura in the background and ... yes, that's Margaret Atwood applauding in the foreground.
The arrival of a new spring with its cherry blossoms, is always a time of celebration for the Japanese. But this year, more than ever, the tradition is a symbol of Japan’s resilience and a new start.
The official occasion was marked by Toronto’s Consul-General of Japan, Mr. Eiji Yamamoto and Mrs. Yamamoto with a Sakura Reception for friends and business connections at their beautiful Forest Hill home. Even after the severest of winters, there is nothing as reassuring of new hope as the blossoming of the Japanese cherry trees (Sakura). But, Toronto’s weird spring snow storm threatened to play havoc with the emerging blossoms causing Mr. and Mrs. Yamamoto some angst about whether their symbolism would be lost this year – and change the tone of their party.
So, it was with some relief that their own cherry tree was in full bloom – framed perfectly outside their living room’s bay window.
Japan’s Tohoku region earthquake and tsunami last spring has been one of the most difficult natural disasters the Japanese has ever had to cope with. But, as Mr. Masamitsu Sofuku, Executive Director, Japan National Tourism Organization in Toronto told the assembled guests, “Through the disaster, we found our own strength, our resilience, our rich culture, and our relationship with nature. It also taught us that Japan is a part of the global community without whose support Japan could not have survived.”
Definitely an occasion for celebration. So the Sake flowed (17 different varieties) and the sushi was abundant and we all raised a glass to the Sakura and new hope.
