Kenya's Ambassador Solomon Karanja Maina (center) prepares for a toast with, from left, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General for African Affairs Department Norio Maruyama; Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda; Mizuho Bank Ltd. President and CEO Nobuhide Hayashi; and Chairman of the Japan-AU Parliamentary Friendship Association Ichiro Aisawa during a reception to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of Kenya's independence at the Tokyo Marriott Hotel on Dec. 12. | YOSHIAKI MIURA
Kazakhstan's Ambassador Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev (third from right) and his wife Manshuk (right) welcome, from left, House of Councilors member Kanae Yamamoto; Vice Chairman of Marubeni Corp. and Co-Chairman of the Japan-Kazakhstan Committee on Economic Cooperation Michihiko Ota; Komeito President Natsuo Yamaguchi; and House of Representatives member Takeo Kawamura during a reception to celebrate the country's 25th anniversary of independence at the Hotel Okura Tokyo on Dec. 12. | YOSHIAKI MIURA
The Beyond Borders Choir, composed of diplomats and their relatives from Cameroon, Denmark, El Salvador, Micronesia, Morocco, Palestine, Panama, Turkey, Venezuela and Vietnam, pose with musicians and event organizers following a concert aimed at promoting peace, harmony and prosperity at a charity Christmas party hosted by the Tokyo Women's Club at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel on Dec. 13. | VIETNAM EMBASSY
Qatar's Ambassador Yousef Mohamed Bilal (left) greets the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau Tsukasa Uemura at a reception to celebrate the National Day of the State of Qatar at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, on Dec. 13. | YOSHIAKI MIURA
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