Differdange Bonsai Association Awarded Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation

The Embassy of Japan in Luxembourg has reported that a Luxembourgish association was among the recipients of the (Japan) Foreign Minister's Commendations for 2024.

On 1 August 2024, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the recipients of the Foreign Minister's Commendations.

As the Japanese Embassy explained, the Foreign Minister's Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas.

The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public for the activities of the recipients. This year, the Commendations were awarded to 187 individuals and 59 groups across the world.

The Luxembourg-based Bonsai Frënn Minett Déifferdeng association was rewarded for its contribution to promoting bonsai and improving mutual understanding between Japan and Luxembourg through bonsai.

Since 1994, the association has organised an annual bonsai exhibition, Bonsai Weekend, and, since 2018, it has co-organised the 3 Nations Bonsai Show with German and French bonsai clubs. It has also made a significant contribution to spreading bonsai culture by organising numerous workshops and demonstrations at events, added the Japanese Embassy.

This year, the 3 Nations Bonsai Show will be held in Differdange on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September. The association will receive the Commendation from the Japanese Ambassador to Luxembourg, Tadahiro Matsubara, during the opening ceremony on the evening of Friday 6 September 2024.