Ambassador Paroz paid a visit on October 14th to Fukushima city, a Host Town for Switzerland on the road to the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Tokyo 2020.
Following a meeting with Mr. Kohata, Mayor of Fukushima city, Ambassador Paroz enjoyed the Swiss panels exhibition at Fukushima Concert Hall and delivered a speech in introduction of a special chamber music concert by the Hagen Quartet. The ensemble features members of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, which has performed several times in Japan and supported the revitalization of the Tohoku region through the Ark Nova initiative. Jonas Pulver, Head of Culture and Public Affairs of the Embassy, attended the meeting and the concert as well.
After the concert, Ambassador Paroz headed for Koriyama city to watch an ice-skating show performed by the famous Japanese figure skater Mao Asada. He was invited by the representatives of Support Our Kids, a non-profit project which allows children from the affected area of the Great East Japan Earthquake to travel abroad. Mao Asada has been a continuous supporter for the project since 2012 with which the embassy has cooperated.
On the same weekend, the Swiss Festa organized by Fukushima citizens showcased folk music and food culture from Switzerland. Hot chocolate and cheese Raclette sparked a lot of attention.
A day earlier, two staffs from the Embassy visited the Watari Elementary School in Fukushima city to give a lecture about Switzerland. After the lecture, they were welcomed to join the lunch of the Swiss meal with the students in the classroom.
