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Be Our Guest! Japan to Greet Putin With Hot Springs, Kebabs, ‘Russian Bread’

© SputnikMembers of TeamNGT initiative group attending a master class on Russian cuisine held as part of preparations for Putin’s visit
Members of TeamNGT initiative group attending a master class on Russian cuisine held as part of preparations for Putin’s visit - Sputnik International
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With President Putin’s visit to Japan now a week away, some people don’t expect any breakthroughs, while others consider the upcoming visit as historic and one that could change the course of relations between the two countries.

During the recent APEC summit in Peru, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that he was personally managing preparations for the Russian leader’s visit to his country.

“People just can’t wait to see you in my hometown of Nagato. I’m ready to meet you in a traditional Japanese hotel with a hot spring, and on the next day we’ll be heading to Tokyo to discuss economic issues,” Abe told Putin.

In an interview with Sputnik Japan, Nagato mayor Oonishi Kurao spoke at length about how the city was preparing for Vladimir Putin’s visit.

“We are already holding a series of lectures about Russia in Nagato and Yamaguchi Prefecture, local cafes are making delicious Russian pastries and people here are very excited about the Russian president’s visit,” Mr. Kurao said.

He added that the Yamaguchi Prefecture is famous for its beautiful nature and, above all, its friendly and guest-loving people.

“They are still taking great care of the local cemetery of Russian soldiers who fell during the 1905 Russo-Japanese war, and pray for their souls, just like they do for the souls of the Japanese soldiers,” the mayor said.

There are two equally well-cared-for seaside gravestones in Kayoi – one dedicated to the Japanese victims of that war and the other honoring the fallen Russian soldiers and every June 15 the townsfolk pray for both in a local temple.

​“We wanted people to know about the Russians buried here and the local people still pray for them. I hope that we will have a map of the memorial placed at the entrance to the cemetery. I still think that with his tight schedule, Putin will hardly be able to visit the memorial though,” Kayoi mayor Yamada Kohei told Sputnik.

Meanwhile, local caterers have actively joined in the preparations for the Russian President’s visit. In an interview with Sputnik, a member of the TeamNGT initiative group, Nashihara Hidetaka, spoke about their campaign to introduce popular Russian dishes to the local public.

“The Japanese-Russian summit in Nagato is a truly historic event for a provincial town, that’s why we decided to make our own contribution by introducing the local people to Russian culture with a series of master-classes on how to make Russian patties,” she said.

© RIA NovostiRussian pastries baked in Nagato ahead of Putin’s visit
Russian pastries baked in Nagato ahead of Putin’s visit - Sputnik International
Russian pastries baked in Nagato ahead of Putin’s visit

In addition, local restaurants have already added Russian shish-kebab to their menus and students of a local agriculture high school have even learned to bake what they call “Russian bread” (фото 5, 6, 7), which is hugely popular and is available in the school’s store.

© SputnikA store at the agriculture high school in Nagato. A rollup with Russian bread baked by students. Limited offer of 50 loaves
A store at the agriculture high school in Nagato. A rollup with Russian bread baked by students. Limited offer of 50 loaves - Sputnik International
A store at the agriculture high school in Nagato. A rollup with Russian bread baked by students. Limited offer of 50 loaves

The head of the local association of Yakitoria restaurant chain Aomura Masako said that in the walkup to Putin’s visit they had added a number of Russian dishes to their traditional menu.

“For many of our customers Russia is a faraway and unknown country, but they now have a chance to taste Russian dishes and learn more about Russia. Our people are happy to see Putin coming here and I think that this visit will help improve our across-the-board cooperation with Russia and Russians,” she said. 

© SputnikSpecial “Russian menu” prepared by Nagato restaurants
Special “Russian menu” prepared by Nagato restaurants  - Sputnik International
Special “Russian menu” prepared by Nagato restaurants

 Ahead of Vladimir Putin’s visit the city has added a Russian-language page to its official website, and published a variety of colorful guidebooks in Russian. A special Russian-language seminar will be held in Nagato on December 10.

In an exclusive interview with Sputnik the Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture Muroaka Tsugumasa spoke about the prefecture’s contacts with Russia.

“There is more to our contacts than just the historical memorial in Nagato. The well-known brand Uniqlo, which is now working also in Russia, has its headquarters in Nagato. We are importing coal from Russia and our high-tech crabmeat processing facility will now be working in Russia. We hope that [Putin’s visit] will have many tourists coming here too,” Mr. Tsugumasa said.

During his visit to Nagato Vladimir Putin will have a chance to see Motonosumi Inari – a Shinto temple with 123 red gates gracefully descending to the seashore offering one of the most beautiful sights one can possibly find in Japan.

​Even though President Putin’s busy schedule, which includes economic cooperation, global problems and the territorial issue,  may prevent him from admiring local sights, residents of Nagato want to see him not just as a politician and the leader of a neighboring country, but as a human being eager to see new lands and meet new people.

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