The 6th Global Opinion Leaders Summit (3)

  The second panel was led by David Cameron, former prime minister of the United Kingdom. He expressed his condolences on the shocking passing away of Abe and reminded attendees through a quote from the same that, even with the serious challenges the world is facing, "hope is the most important factor for growth."

  The discussion ranged across the many issues facing Indo-Pacific region, such as globalization and populism and Putin's increased aggression. It benefited from the insights of the luxurious cast, including Ukraine's former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, former Ambassadors to Japan Hisham Badr of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Ireland's Brendan Scannell. 

Cameron expresses his condolences on the assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

                                                                       @TTJ TACHIBANA PUBLISHING

  

The 6th Global Opinion Leaders Summit (2)

   The first panel discussion of the first day focused on the role of North America on the global stage. The panelists included Stephen Harper, former prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015 as well as current chairman of the IDU, Peter Rae, former senator of the Australian state of Tasmania, Minoru Kiuchi, House of Representatives member and prof.Masasru Ito of Meiji University who represented Japan in the discussion.

  Harper remarked on three "acute geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges" the world is now facing: the end of "native globalism," the "pandemic party hangover" caused by governmental money expansion, and the management of large-scale debts and deficits. 

   

   Worldwide Support for Development Chairman and Japan Forum on International Relations Director Haruhisa Handa (left) welcomes panelists on stage at the sixth Global Opinion Leaders Summit on July 28 in Tokyo. 

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The 6th Global Opinion Leaders Summit (1)

  On July 28 and 29, the sixth Global Opinion Leaders Summit was held in Tokyo. The two-day event was attended by more than 1200 people. As before, the meeting was held under the auspieces of Worldwide Support for Development(WSD), the International Democrat Union(IDU)  and the Japan Forum on International relations(JFIR). The two-day summit featured a lineup of leaders from around the world, who came together to share knowledge and deepen cross-cultural relationship.

  The WSD is a bipartisan organization, but this time the summit focused on the past experiences and opinions of conservative world leaders, including six of former prime ministers.

  First, in the event on Jul 28 which was held with a collaboration between the WSD and the IDU, featured three panel discussions. The speakers and attendees were invited and introduced by WSD Chairman and JFIR Directore Dr.Haruhisa Handa, relpacing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was originally scheduled to make an opening speech. Dr.Handa noted that "this is an opportunity to gather wisdom from the world...and understand the essence of leadership from so many former prime ministers." He expressed his wish that the summit be an open and easily understandable forum for attendees to truly understand the complex issues at hand.

  Dr.Handa handed over  the introductions to Katsuei Hirasawa, a member of the House of Representatives who belongs to the Liberal Democratic Party. 

                   Haruhisa Handa opens the sixth Global Opinion Leaders Summit on July 28 in Tokyo. 

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High school artfest celebrates young artists (2)

  Dr.Handa presented the awards and praised the young artists, saying, "the festival views high school students as serious artists" with hope that competition will empower them "to hone their craft and build courage and confidence in their abilities." The first young artists invited on stage  received The Prince of Wales' Foundation  Award, followed by the winners of the Prime Minister's Award, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and  Technolog Award, the Tokyo Metropolitan Gavernor Award and other accolades. Also, the festial also awarded one oversea student from each participating country who visited to Japan to see their work exhibited at the National Art Center, Tokyo.

  The National Art Center will showcase 398 works selected by the Organizing Committee of the International High School Art Festival. The exhibition is scheduled to run until August 21, helping to "foster a globally mindful and socially conscious generation of youth," in line with Dr.Handa's hopes and wishes for the festival.

High school artfest celebrates young artists (1)

 

  On August 3, the 23^rd International High school Festival awards ceremony was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz Carlton Tokyo. The festival is open to high school students around the world aged 15 to 18. According to Dr.Haruhisa Handa, festival organizer and chairman of International Foundation for Arts and Culture, it has made considerable stride toward “becoming one of Japan’s most prestigious art exhibitions.”

  Festival judges, who themselves are professional artists from various genres, reviewed 11,358 submitted works divided into two categories of art and calligraphy, from not only Japan but 13 other countries including Ireland, Egypt, Brunei, Spain, the Philippines and Serbia. At the beginning of the ceremony, Shizuka Kamei, a former member of the House of Representatives, and Koji Kikutani, professor emeritus of Tokyo University of the Arts, gave opening speeches.

International Foundation for Arts and Culture Chairman Haruhisa Handa poses 

with two of the award winners at the ceremony on Aug. 3.  @ IFAC

 

Philanthropist celebrates life with art, music (3)

 

Prior to the exhibition, Dr.Handa, who is also a baritone singer held a birthday performance titled “Sakura Fubuki Concert”(“Cherry Blossom Shower Concert”) on March 16 at Nippon Budokan Hall in central Tokyo. Soprano singer Hiroko Onuki, a 30-piece orchestra and an eight-member band performed songs such as “The Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera,” ”Heavy Rotation” by AKB 48, and Dr.Handa’s original pieces. It was his fifth concert there at the prestigious Nippon Budokan Hall, for the first time in seven years.

 

Also, earlier in March, he held a classical music concert celebrating the Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) with eight soloists, including himself, in front of orchestra at the Westin Tokyo.

 Soprano Singer Hiroko Onuki sings at Handa’s ‘Sakura Fubuki Concert’ (‘Cherry Blossom Shower Concert’) at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo on March 16. | @TACHIBANA PUBLISHING

Philanthropist celebrates life with art, music (2)

 

At the age of 52, Dr.Handa entered a doctorate course at Tsinghua University’s Academy of Arts & Design in China, In his commentary for this year’s exhibition, he wrote that all of his Chinese professors were both calligraphers and painters at the same time, which may have given inspiration to his free and magnanimous style. On the other hand, his way of decomposing conventional styles or mixing them using the bold simplification unique to Japanese art or the bright colors of Western art often impressed his professors.

At the end of the ceremony, he provided some message, encouraging his guests to never stop doing new things: “Do not retire. Do not prepare for your own death, because you will die if you are ready to.”

  Dr.Haruhisa Handa and guests prepare to cut the ribbon before his solo art exhibition in Tokyo at TOC Gotanda Messe on March 18. @TACHIBANA PUBLISHING