Визит Путина не прошел бесследно. Пустился его визави в воспоминания и надежды... Намёки то бишь
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Koizumi Cabinet E-mail Magazine No. 214 (December 8, 2005)
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[Lion Heart — Message from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi]
(Provisional Translation)
Junichiro Koizumi here.
Last weekend, I visited a textile manufacturing company in Kyoto
which has been in business for generations. Textiles produced with
the techniques of Nishijin weaves adorn such distinguished sites as
the Imperial Palace, the National Diet Building, the newly
completed Kyoto State Guest House, and the Prime Minister's
Official Residence.
I spotted on the wall of the museum a replica of "The Colors of
Nishiki," which was used in the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate
up to the Meiji Restoration. I had heard of the story of such a
flag, but it was my first time to actually see what it must have
looked like.
Also exhibited at this museum was the original drawing for a wall
tapestry entitled "Inuoumono (Dog Chasing Game Played by Mounted
Archers)" depicting the training of the art of the warrior, which
Emperor Meiji offered as a gift to Crown Prince Nikolai of Russia,
who later became Emperor Nicholas II.
Many of you readers are probably familiar with the "Otsu Incident"
in the Meiji Era, in which a policeman attacked Crown Prince
Nikolai with his saber and injured the Crown Prince in Otsu City
during his visit to Japan. However, it is not so well known that at
that time Emperor Meiji offered Crown Prince Nikolai a Nishijin
wall tapestry. It has been said that Crown Prince Nikolai was
deeply moved by this gift.
The tapestry that was produced based on the original drawing I saw
in the museum is actually displayed to this day at the State
Hermitage Museum in Russia. I was deep in thought wondering what
the people of Japan and Russia at the time felt and thought looking
at this tapestry, as well as the role the techniques and
traditional arts of Japan played in our diplomatic relations with
Russia.
Next week, I will be attending the East Asia Summit to be held in
Malaysia. I will also be visiting the Middle East early next year.
Furthermore, next year's G8 Summit will be in St. Petersburg, which
happens to be where the State Hermitage Museum is located. As a
responsible member of the international community, Japan will
endeavor to contribute as much as possible to the peace and
prosperity of the international community.
