Japan's first lady Akie Abe had a busy schedule today as she visited institutes here and interacted with visually impaired members of an NGO as well as college and school students.
While her husband, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, inaugurated the country's first bullet train project along with his counterpart Narendra Modi and attended the 12th India-Japan Annual Summit, she had a packed schedule that included meeting people and attending events. Abe and his wife arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit.
Akie Abe started the day with a visit to the Andhjan Mandal (the Blind People's Association), where she interacted with the visually impaired members of the NGO who are being trained in a Japanese massage therapy.Experts from Japan's Tsukuba University are providing them training in the Japanese Massage Manual Therapy (JMMT).
She received a warm musical welcome as the members sang for her upon her arrival at the NGO premises at Vastrapur. Akie Abe then went to the Gujarat University where she interacted with students from Japan who are studying at the varsity under an exchange programme.
The first lady also interacted with students learning the Japaneses language at the university in Navrangpura. She addressed the students on the topic of climate change. "I am delighted to visit Gujarat University. Best wishes," she wrote in the visitor's book before leaving the varsity premises.
A university employee presented a portrait of the first lady drawn by him to her on which she signed with a message, "Good luck".
The Gujarat University is going to start an interpretation centre with the support of the Japanese government. It has been named the Technology Heritage Preservation Interpretation Centre. "As part of an arrangement, a student working on his dissertation at the centre can visit any company in Japan and use its available resources for his research," said GU vice- chancellor Himanshu Pandya.
Akie Abe inaugurated an 'Origami Mahotsav' organised at the Ahmedabad Management Association by the Indo-Japan Friendship Association. School students are taking part in the mahotsav (festival).
Origami is a Japanese paper folding art. A 10-year-old student, Darsh Soni, welcomed Akie Abe and displayed his Origami artwork to her.
