By Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
Joyce Shaw of the Jamaica/Japan Society talks with Ambassador Otsuka at the farewell reception they held for him in Jack's Hill, St. Andrew, last week. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
BY THE end of the week, the very amicable Japanese Ambassador Isao Otsuka will be back home in the land of the rising sun.
The 61-year-old Ambassador and his wife, Takako, have been saying their farewells to their colleagues and friends. They were feted and presented with gifts by the Jamaica/Japan Society last week at a reception held at the home of long-time society president, Adrian Foreman.
Two days later, The Gleaner caught up with the Ambassador before he made a courtesy call on the Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke.
He outlined some of the projects he worked on during his stay. Concessional loans to various projects, extending grants to community projects in areas such as agriculture. He is also pleased to have assisted such organisations as the Stella Maris Foundation. By his own admission, he is reluctant to go because of his fondness of the island, especially the eastern side.
TRANQUIL ATMOSPHERES
"Every place is very attractive on its own, but I like more tranquil atmospheres in the eastern part of Jamaica. The west is more congested, a lot of tourists and big hotels. Those are very convenient, comfortable but too many people."
Through the Jamaica/Japan Cultural Festival, he organised traditional tea ceremony demonstrations, classical and traditional Japanese music. He found local food a little too spicy (jerk chicken especially), but he thoroughly enjoyed it, often with a nice drink of Ting.
PLEASANTLY SURPRISED
He reveals that he always wanted to be a diplomat, even though his career background is in finance. Jamaica was his fifth posting. From his last stop in New Orleans, he knew a little about Jamaica but he was pleasantly surprised at the similarities between Jamaica and Japan. "I didn't find any significant difference between Japan and Jamaica. We are both island nations surrounded by seas, we are very mountainous like Jamaica... and our country is like out of many one people."
Despite all the projects he undertook in his nearly two-and-a-half years in Jamaica, he was a real party-goer, always spotted at the social events with his wife at his side. A reggae music lover, he first became a fan of Beres Hammond when he saw him perform at last year's Prime Minister's Gala. In their leisure time, his wife does ikebana, while he enjoys a game of golf. He also likes history and has visited among other places, the Arawak Museum in White Marl, St. Catherine.
He is not sure what his next assignment will be but he feels he may be returning to Japan to work with institutions aligned with the Finance Ministry. He will be succeeded by Hiroshi Sakurai, the immediate past Consul-General in Hamburg, Germany.
