Asia

Mrs. Akie Abe, First Lady of Japan, made a visit to India from January 25 to 27 with her husband, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to meet people there from a range of fields.

On January 25, Mrs. Abe visited the official residence of the Japanese ambassador to India, where she met students learning Japanese at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, together with their teachers, to present them with the Akie Library, a collection of books about Japan and educational materials for learners of the Japanese language, in the hope that it will serve as an opportunity for as many students in India as possible to gain an interest in, and learn more about, Japan and its language.

Mrs. Abe then met and talked with Japanese women working in India and playing important roles in the country in a broad range of fields, including civil engineering, international institutions, and education in the Japanese language. She exchanged opinions with them about women’s participation in society and other issues.

In the evening, the Japanese First Lady met Mrs. Gursharan Kaur, her Indian counterpart, at Hyderabad House. The two ladies exchanged opinions between them about various topics, ranging from the Japanese Emperor and Empress’s visit to India last year to the importance of empowering women.

On January 26, Mrs. Abe went to inspect the School of Hope, an institution located in Delhi and run by the Tamana, which provides education for local children with mental disabilities or autism and supports their independence and self-reliance. She saw students there making accessories and packing spice into bags. She then worked with them, making prints from a wood block for wrapping paper. She also visited a class to see students with disabilities learning alongside those without from a nearby poor district. After the inspection, she talked with Dr. Shayama Chona, President of Tamana, and others, and exchanged opinions with them about education for people with disabilities.

Itinerary

January 25

(1) Donation ceremony for the Akie Library

(2) Meeting with Japanese women working in India

(3) Meeting with Mrs. Gursharan Kaur

January 26

Inspection of Tamana School of Hope