Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida (right) presents a Foreign Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida (right) presents a Foreign Minister's Commendation to Tsukasa Umekita, president of the nonprofit Foreign Embassies Friendship Association (sponsor of the Japanese Speech Contest for foreign Embassy Officials in Tokyo). Commendations were awarded to 116 individuals and 39 groups for FY 2015 and the ceremony was followed by a reception at the Iikura Guesthouse in Tokyo on Aug. 27. | YOSHIAKI MIURA


Indonesian Ambassador Yusron Ihza Mahendra (second from left) and his wife, Lusiana (second from right) pose with Yasuo Fukuda (left), former prime minister and president of the Japan-Indonesia Association, and Toshihiro Nikai (right), chairman of the General Council of the LDP and chairman of the Japan-Indonesia Parliamentary League, during a reception to celebrate Indonesia
Indonesian Ambassador Yusron Ihza Mahendra (second from left) and his wife, Lusiana (second from right) pose with Yasuo Fukuda (left), former prime minister and president of the Japan-Indonesia Association, and Toshihiro Nikai (right), chairman of the General Council of the LDP and chairman of the Japan-Indonesia Parliamentary League, during a reception to celebrate Indonesia's 70th anniversary of independence at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, on Aug. 28. | YOSHIAKI MIURA


Prominent figures from the world of rugby attended a gala reception at the British Embassy in Tokyo on Aug. 28, to celebrate England
Prominent figures from the world of rugby attended a gala reception at the British Embassy in Tokyo on Aug. 28, to celebrate England's hosting of the Rugby World Cup 2015 from Sept. 19 to Nov. 1. From left, Japan National Team Head Coach Eddie Jones; Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister Toshiaki Endo; Defense Minister Gen Nakatani; British Ambassador Tim Hitchens; Japan Rugby Football Union President Tadashi Okamura; Japan Rugby Football Union Honorary President Yoshiro Mori; Japan World Rugby Cup 2019 Organizing Committee CEO Akira Shimazu; Japan National Team Forwards Coach Steve Borthwick; Rugby World Cup 2019 Ambassador Tsutomu Matsuda; and Japan National Team Defensive Coach Leigh Jones. | BRITISH EMBASSY


From left, Director of the Yunus Emre Institute, Tokyo Telat Aydin; Bunkyo Ward Mayor Hironobu Narisawa; State Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kanae Yamamoto; Toyota Foundation President Atsuko Toyama; MG School of Latin Calligraphy President Muriel Gaggini; Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey A. Bulent Meric; House of Councillors member Kazuyuki Hamada; and President of The Japan Times Takeharu Tsutsumi, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Yunus Emre Calligraphy Exhibition at the Turkish Ambassador
From left, Director of the Yunus Emre Institute, Tokyo Telat Aydin; Bunkyo Ward Mayor Hironobu Narisawa; State Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kanae Yamamoto; Toyota Foundation President Atsuko Toyama; MG School of Latin Calligraphy President Muriel Gaggini; Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey A. Bulent Meric; House of Councillors member Kazuyuki Hamada; and President of The Japan Times Takeharu Tsutsumi, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Yunus Emre Calligraphy Exhibition at the Turkish Ambassador's residence in Tokyo on Aug. 31. The exhibition runs through Sept. 6. | YOSHIAKI MIURA


Winners of the Best Fashion Hack Award, Team M&Ms (front row, from left, ) Miyuki Sugimoto, Mai Watanabe, Maiko Ando and Yuri Kimura, pose with event judges (back row, from left) Kotaro Watanabe, director, design engineer, takram design engineering; House of Representatives member Yuriko Koike; SHIMA hair and makeup artist Yuya Nara; model Emi Suzuki; and President & CEO, Hearst Fujingaho Co. Yves Bougon at The Fashion Hack Tokyo 2015 event at Google Japan Inc.
Winners of the Best Fashion Hack Award, Team M&Ms (front row, from left, ) Miyuki Sugimoto, Mai Watanabe, Maiko Ando and Yuri Kimura, pose with event judges (back row, from left) Kotaro Watanabe, director, design engineer, takram design engineering; House of Representatives member Yuriko Koike; SHIMA hair and makeup artist Yuya Nara; model Emi Suzuki; and President & CEO, Hearst Fujingaho Co. Yves Bougon at The Fashion Hack Tokyo 2015 event at Google Japan Inc.'s offices in Roppongi on Aug. 30. | YOSHIAKI MIURA