Orkney Japan Association Exchange (November 25th 2023)

2023/12/14

OJA Chair Malcolm Macrae (left) with DCG Ishii (right). The Skaill House Japan journals can be seen in the background.

With participants of the OJA-sponsored social event. Front centre is OJA Chair Macrae. In the back, far right, is OJA Vice President Ruta Noreika.

Meeting with Orkney Islands Councilor Mr. Leslie Manson (middle), Cultural/Information Assistant Ward also pictured (right).

On Saturday, 25^th November, Deputy Consul General Minori Ishii visited Orkney Island to meet with officials from the Orkney Japan Association (OJA). The outline of the meetings is as follows:

1. Meeting with the new OJA chair Major Malcolm Macrae
Deputy Consul General Ishii visited Skaill House and met with Major Malcolm Macrae, the 12th Laird of Breckness (a large landowner in Scotland) who was appointed the new chair of the Orkney Japan Association in November this year. Deputy Consul General Ishii congratulated him on his appointment as chair and discussed OJA's future activities and collaboration.

Skaill House, where the above discussion took place, is adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Neolithic settlement ruins known as "Skara brae", which are even older than the 4,500-year-old Pyramids of Giza. Skaill House has also been the residence of successive Lairds of Breckness and their families until 1991, including William Watt the seventh Laird who first excavated Skara Brae. It has been open to the public since 1997 after six years of restoration work by Major Malcolm Macrae.

After the meeting, the participants viewed a collection of illustrated diaries (three journals, including "Kisogawa", which is separated into two volumes, "Arakawa", and "Nasunishibara") which are kept in Skaill House and were brought back from Japan in the early Meiji era. Major Malcolm Macrae kindly gave an explanation on the origins of the diaries which were brought back by his relative, German-Scottish hydrographic surveyor Henry Scharbau, who was one of the foreigners employed by the Meiji government.

2. Courtesy call on Mr. Liam McArthur MSP, Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
Deputy Consul General Ishii paid a courtesy call on, former chairman and current patron of OJA, Mr. Liam McArthur MSP, Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. They exchanged views on a wide range of topics including the recent political climate, and continuing cooperation between Japan and Orkney (which is the Deputy Presiding Officer’s constituency).

3. Meeting with Orkney Islands Council member Mr. Leslie Manson
That evening, Deputy Consul General Ishii met with Mr. Leslie Manson, a member of Orkney Islands Council who serves on the OJA Board of Directors and expressed gratitude for his contributions to OJA before discussing future collaboration.

4. Attendance at OJA-sponsored networking events
Deputy Consul General Ishii attended an exchange event hosted by OJA which was attended by Orkney residents who have a deep knowledge of Japan and Japanese culture. To begin the event, OJA chair Malcolm Macrae welcomed everyone and gave a toast whilst expressing his aspirations as he assumed the new position as chair.

Then, after watching a wonderful violin performance by Mr. Jeff Moore, the participants enjoyed a meal centred on colourful and flavourful Japanese dishes made by Sakura Kitchen in Kirkwall, where Orkney resident Ms. Kanako Mano is the owner and chef. The event had a relaxed and friendly atmosphere throughout, and the participants chatted openly whilst also enjoying matcha tea prepared by Ruta Noreika, Vice President of OJA.