Getting Closer to Each Other

“Customs vary" – Dr. Csaba Hende started his speech with this saying which is well-known everywhere, including Japan, and thereby pointed to the special importance of getting to know each other these days. “The common road we have walked down with the faraway Japan shows that it is worth meeting each other and it is worth working together in the spirit of recognition and mutual respect", the Minister pointed out. Speaking about the distant past, he went on recalling the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Turning to the present, he stated that “science and technology have defeated the distance between us, and I hope we are getting closer and closer to each other. A remarkable sign of this is the fact that our relations have significantly strengthened and deepened since the 1989 change of regime."

The Defence Minister noted the outstanding performance of the large Japanese companies operating in Hungary, and its beneficial effect on Hungary’s economic life. Dr. Csaba Hende pointed out that the day was a good occasion for getting closer to each other, as Japan is a country which respects Kodály’s and Bartók’s heritage the same way as we do.
Here in Hungary, more and more young people master the various Japanese martial arts, which helps them shape their bodies, sharpen their minds and learn a way of thinking that is useful for all of us. “This day is for meeting history, our common past, the Japanese culture and art which offer a lot of beauty to all of us", Dr. Csaba Hende said.

In his speech, Ito Tecuo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan pointed out that since his taking office in Hungary two and a half years ago, he has constantly been experiencing the Hungarians’ growing interest in the history, culture, art and language of Japan and the life of Japanese people. The ambassador expressed hope that the day would help the Hungarians find out more about Japan, and that learning more about each other would bring us closer to each other.