The Arabic Language Reading Competition was held in Japan
The Ambassador of Yemen to Japan, Adel bin Ali Alsunaini, chaired today the arbitration committee in the Arabic Language Reading Competition in Japan. This took place in celebration and commemoration of the World Arabic Language Day, which falls on the eighteenth of December each year. The event was organized by Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, in cooperation with the Yemeni Embassy in Tokyo. The competition witnessed wide participation from universities, educational institutions, academics, elites from the Japanese community, and Arab ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions.
In his opening speech, Ambassador Al-Sunaini affirmed the importance of celebrating Arabic Language Day, the language of the Holy Quran and the ancient civilization, which is distinguished by its lexical and rhetorical richness and its ability to express the finest meanings. He pointed out that it is a fundamental pillar in Arab identity and a bridge for communication between cultures, a voice that carries an extended history and a rich heritage pulsating with life, a beacon for knowledge and beauty. It contains more than 12 million words, ranks fourth in terms of the number of speakers, and is used by more than a billion people as a language for rapprochement, dialogue, human communication, and worship. He emphasized that organizing this competition comes to strengthen the bonds of relations, human rapprochement, and build bridges of cultural cooperation between the Arab world and Japan.
It is noteworthy that the number of participants reached 36 contestants from various universities, institutes, and schools in Japan. During the event, the participating students and female students presented literary texts and poetic verses by prominent Arab poets, headed by the two great Yemeni poets and writers, Abdullah Al-Baradouni and Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh. The students recited with great skill the poems “Crying Before the Hands of Sana’a,” “Yemen,” and “From the Land of Bilqis,” which added a profound literary, cultural, and human character to the competition, earning the appreciation of those present.
During the competition, a distinctive promotional cultural exhibition was presented about Yemeni coffee and Yemeni foods and sweets. Ambassador Al-Sunaini also honored the winners and participants, presenting them with certificates of appreciation and prizes that express Yemen’s land and people. He praised the high level of recitation, eloquence, and expression demonstrated by the contestants. He also expressed his appreciation for the excellent organization and preparation by Tokyo University.
