Asia
First Ladies' Programs during the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit Meeting
Visit to Mt. Fuji and Lake Yamanakako
Mrs. Abe's Talks with the Wives of Indonesian President and Vietnamese Prime Minister
December 14, 2013
On December 14, Mrs. Akie Abe, Spouse of the Prime Minister of Japan, visited the piedmont of Mt. Fuji, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in June, together with Mrs. Ani Bambang Yudhoyono, the wife of Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, and Mrs. Tran Thanh Kiem, the wife of Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Mrs. Abe held talks with Mrs. Ani and Mrs. Kiem during the trip.
Mrs. Abe shared the bus with Mrs. Yudhoyono and Mrs. Kiem on their way to Mt. Fuji. Sitting side by side, they enjoyed views of the mountain and discussed a number of topics in a very friendly atmosphere.
At Hotel Mt. Fuji by Lake Yamanakako, the first ladies were greeted by a jazz performance by Fuji Gakuen junior high and senior high school students. They attended a performance of Noh, one of Japan's traditional performing arts, that was followed by a talk on the subject. They also took part in presentations on pearl and "nuremaki seikei," a style of fabric work unique to Yamanashi Prefecture.
The Noh play "Hagoromo," which is closely associated with Mt. Fuji and has similar stories in Japanese folklore and in other Asian countries, was performed by Umewaka Chozaemon. Later, Mrs. Abe, Mrs. Yudhoyono and Mrs. Kiem listened intently to the history of Noh and were given the opportunity to hold a 500-year-old Noh mask.
Nuremaki seikei is a fabric work that has been practiced by Miyashita Orimono Co. for several hundred years using clear, fresh water from the foot of Mt. Fuji. With the tradition now threatened because of a lack of successor craftsmen, Mrs. Abe provided Mrs. Yudhoyono and Mrs. Kiem with the opportunity to take a firsthand look at the craftwork in her own efforts to attract overseas attention to the tradition. Mrs. Yudhoyono and Mrs. Kiem were impressed by the very fine texture and high quality of silk fabric made using the technique. A kimono made of nuremaki seikei silk cloth was worn during the Hagoromo performance by the Noh actor. Mrs. Yudhoyono and Mrs. Kiem were given shawls made of the same silk cloth as gifts.
Mrs. Yudhoyono and Mrs. Kiem said they spent a very memorable time at the base of Mt. Fuji, a symbol of Japan. The three first ladies promised to continue such exchanges frequently.