Tamaki said,” Qom Seminary is the most advanced Islamic center and seeks connection with the modern world; Today I realized that the seminary is working to provide accurate information about Iranian society and the realities of Iranian society. This is the main point that should be considered.”
Hawzah News Agency– “Tsukada Tamaki”, the Japanese Ambassador to Iran, on the sidelines of his visit to Hawzah News Agency, spoke with this official media outlet of the seminaries on a variety of topics such as the media, cultural and civilizational interaction between the two nations of Iran and Japan, especially the relationship between Islamic scholars and religions, especially the Qom Seminary. You can read Hawzah News Agency’s interview with the Japanese ambassador below:
Please provide some brief information about Japanese culture and history so that we can present it to the Hawzah News Agency audience.
One of the most outstanding features of Japanese culture is that it pays special attention to traditions, but at the same time, it also accepts new factors and phenomena and is constantly on the path of progress. Japan’s history has been the same. After a period of closing its borders to other countries, Japan decided at some point to open its doors, welcome foreign advancements and follow the path of progress. Then, it looked inward again and, while maintaining its cultural identity, continued its contacts with outside societies.
Japanese culture is such that, while adhering to traditions, it adapts itself to new conditions and environments – at the international level or in other areas – and in this way continues to grow and develop. Of course, this path is not a predetermined state policy, but has been followed naturally and gradually and has become one of the distinctive features of Japanese culture.
How familiar are you with Qom Seminary and its social functions?
Regarding Qom Seminary, I already knew that in Iran, Qom Seminary is one of the most important scientific and religious centers in the Islamic world, and especially in the field of scientific and religious activities, it is considered one of the most advanced Islamic centers. But today I realized that Qom Seminary, along with these scientific activities, seeks to connect with society and the modern world. This was something I did not know exactly before. In particular, I can mention the seminary’s information activities, including providing information through the media and cyberspace, or informing the Iranian people about the reality of society, which is an important issue for the seminary’s presence in the world.
What was your purpose of travelling to Qom, and how would you assess the meetings and discussions?
One of the privileges of my duties as an ambassador is to connect with different people, from the high-ranking officials to the general public. I have used this opportunity to meet with a variety of people from different Iranians, follow different programs, and visit different places. My goal is to gain a deeper understanding of Iran. From this perspective, holding meetings with Islamic scholars, who play a key role in shaping Iran, is very important to me. Today, I also had a detailed conversation with Hujjat al-Islam Rostami, and this meeting has enriched my experience as the Japanese Ambassador to Iran. In my opinion, effective communication between society and the Islamic religion is essential for the future progress of Iran, and from this perspective, these meetings are truly important and vital for me.
In my opinion, for the future progress of Iran, the connection between society and the religion of Islam is essential. Therefore, the meetings and discussions I had today were of great importance to me.
