Japan and Taiwan yesterday marked the 11th anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake with messages of appreciation for mutual assistance during challenging times.
“Every year on March 11, I think of Taiwan,” Japanese Representative to Taiwan Hiroyasu Izumi wrote on Facebook, lauding Taiwan for giving “so much assistance and love for Japan” after the March 11, 2011, earthquake.
Taiwan led the world in donating about US$260 million in relief and reconstruction aid to Japan in the wake of the magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami.
Photo courtesy of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association
Over the past 11 years, many Japanese have found ways to repay Taiwan and believe it is rare to find such a good neighbor, who is sincere, selfless, loving and dedicated to helping each other, Izumi said.
“We must cherish this genuine friendship between Japan and Taiwan,” he wrote, adding that there are innocent people in other parts of the world, such as Ukraine, whose lives have been trampled on by their neighbors.
Thanking Taiwan for always being there for Japan, Izumi invited Taiwanese to visit Japan and embark on a “spiritual journey with Japanese friends,” to see how people living in the earthquake-
affected areas have recovered and rebuilt their lives over the past 11 years.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that in cases like the 2011 earthquake in Japan or the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan and Japan have helped each other through numerous challenges, making them true friends.
“Taiwan and Japan had rallied to support each other and deal with many difficulties. It is true that a friend in need is a friend indeed,” she said in a video post on Facebook.
During a vaccine shortage as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, Japan donated vaccines to Taiwan six times, totaling 4.2 million doses, she said.
“Taiwanese were really touched,” Tsai said, adding that “true friendship must be cherished.”
Taiwan and Japan will continue to defend regional peace and stability in the face of changes in the global situation and the expansion of authoritarianism, she added.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) said he believed bilateral relations between Taiwan and Japan would grow even closer.
On the basis of solid friendship, the two countries will deepen exchanges in economics, trade, agriculture, culture and disaster prevention to become important partners helping each other whenever needed, he said on Facebook.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan and CNA
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
RSS