A musical concert aimed at showcasing Ghana’s rich cultural heritage has been staged at the Akasaka Civic Centre in Tokyo, Japan.
The concert, the first of its kind to be performed in Japan, featured three Ghanaian artists, Mr. Dela Botri, Master Flutist; Mr. Aaron Bebe Sukura, Master Xylophonist; and Mr. Winchester Nii Tete, Master Percussionist.
The concert, organised jointly by the Ghana Mission in Japan, the Minato Ku City of Tokyo in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, is in line with efforts to promote tourism and cultural relations between Ghana and Japan.
The artists gave a rich rendition of local Ghanaian music and dance that foster unity and cohesiveness.
Speaking at the concert, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, said culture is an effective tool to promote relationships between countries and peoples.
He said his ministry regards Japan as a tourism and cultural partner of Ghana, and has therefore, planned series of activities to deepen the cultural and tourism relations between the two countries.
Dr. Awal commended the artists for promoting Ghanaian music and culture globally.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Japan, Mrs. Genevieve Apaloo, said the purpose of the concert was to promote Ghanaian and African culture in Japan.
She said the COVID -19 pandemic had impacted negatively on tourism and cultural activities globally, and expressed the hope that the musical concert would help deepen the bilateral relationship between Japan and Ghana.
In a related development, Dr. Awal has held a meeting with the Japanese Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Mr. Tetsuo Saito, to discuss bilateral relations in the field of tourism and culture.
The two ministers acknowledged the fact that the level of engagement between their countries in the areas of tourism and culture was low, and stressed the need to improve cooperation in those sectors.
Dr. Awal briefed Mr. Saito about developments in the tourism, arts and cultural sectors of Ghana, and pointed that the Government of Ghana was positioning the country as the tourism and cultural hub of West Africa.
In line with this, government has embarked on a programme to renovate and modernise cultural and tourism sites to make them more attractive and appealing to domestic and international tourists.
He called on the government of Japan to assist Ghana in its tourism and cultural drive by educating the Japanese business community about tourism and investment opportunities in the country.
Dr. Awal noted that Japan could be the gateway for Ghana’s engagement with South East Asia in the field of tourism, arts and culture.
He thanked Japan for its assistance to Ghana in the areas of roads, health care, education, among others.
On his part, Mr. Saito commended Dr. Awal for his visit to Japan to promote cultural ties between the two countries.
He urged Dr. Awal to develop comprehensive and attractive tourism packages that would encourage Japanese tourists to visit Ghana, and pledged his commitment to support Ghana’s tourism drive.
He noted that Ghana had rich food varieties that could be promoted globally in order to increase international arrivals.
Dr. Awal also met a number of travel and tour agencies to brief them on tourist attractions in Ghana, and to get their support to enhance the success of the country’s tourism drive.
