Nepalese in Japan promote Visit Lumbini 2012 through marathon

January 31, 2012

Nepalese Forum in Ehime (NeFE) appeals for Visit Lumbini Year 2012 through Marathon in Japan

Nepalese Forum in Ehime (NeFE) is going to appeal to the Japanese people through marathon run that this year has been designated in Nepal as Visit Lumbini Year with an aim to attract a large number of international tourists to Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. This marathon event is going to take place on 5 February 2012 in Matsuyama city of Ehime Prefecture in Japan, which has a history of nearly 50 years, and is going to be participated this year by more than 7,000 Japanese and foreign nationals. Especially because of scenic beauty and nearly flat marathon course, the popularity of Ehime Marathon has been ever increasing, which is exhibited by its current popularity rank of 4 and 10,000 expected participants next year.

 

NeFE has picked up its senior-most member Dr. Netra Prakash Bhandary (42), an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Ehime University to run the full course of marathon. It is the first time that Dr. Bhandary has taken attempting to run the full course of marathon. Dr. Bhandary will be also accompanied by two of his Japanese colleagues in Matsuyama so as to appeal Visit Lumbini Year 2012 with printed T-shirt and Nepalese cap along with a Nepalese flag. NeFE members hope that this little activity will definitely contribute to publicizing Buddha and Lumbini in Ehime and Japan.

 

Motivated by the fact that most Japanese people do not even know about Lumbini and still have a strong feeling that Lord Buddha was born somewhere in India, the NeFE members have planned to use this marathon event to appeal to the Japanese community that Lord Buddha, as a prince was born in Lumbini of Nepal, which should be developed as a world center of Buddhism. The NeFE members also hope that the Nepalese community residing all over Japan will participate in different events and appeal to the Japanese people that the birth place of Lord Buddha is Lumbini and it is situated in Nepal.

- [Nepalese Forum in Ehime (NeFE), Japan]