Commemorating Dr. Jose Rizal’s 151st Birth Anniversary in Philippine Embassy,Tokyo

Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez and Madame Maria Teresa L. Lopez led Philippine Embassy in Tokyo Officials in commemorating the 151st birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal at Hibiya Park in Central Tokyo on 19th of June, 2012.

Ambassador Lopez noted that the ceremony was a fitting way to cap the all year-long commemoration of Dr. Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary.Professor Ambeth Ocampo, a visiting professor at Sophia University, joined Embassy Officials in offering flowers by the historical marker and bust of the Philippine National Hero. Prof. Ocampo expressed her hope that Filipinos would continue to be guided by the life and teachings of Dr. Jose Rizal.Professor Takefumi Terada, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Studies of Sophia University and a noted Philippines studies expert in Japan, also attended the ceremony.

The original stone marker was erected in 1961 for the 100th birth anniversary by three organizations in Tokyo devoted to Rizal, namely, the Knights of Rizal, Rizal Society of Japan, and Friends of Rizal. The stone marker reads in English and Japanese “In 1888, the National Hero of the Philippines, Dr. Jose Rizal, stayed at Hotel Tokyo which was located in this place.” The National Flower of the Philippines and Japan, the sampaguita and the sakura (cherry- blossom) are also engraved.

The unveiling of the bust of Dr. Rizal and the restoring of the original stone marker were done in 1998 during the Centennial celebrations under former Philippine Ambassador to Japan Alfonso Yuchengco. That ceremony was also attended by former Japanese ambassadors who served in the Philippines.