My first encounter with Japan was through friends during German language training in Berlin back in 2005. The humility, composure and etiquette of the Japanese people always evoked my respect for the Japanese culture. Since my arrival here, I’m happy to note that Japan far exceeded my expectations as a great country. My feelings are equally shared by my wife and kids, who consider Japan a home away from home.

I am firmly of the opinion that people around the world share similar hopes and aspirations. We are part of a large global community. It is therefore imperative for us to help each other to create a better tomorrow for our coming generations. Let’s leave this world a better place for our children.

Frankly, it is hard to pinpoint a single major achievement. However, I worked as part of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change for some time and was really happy with the progress there. I think the Earth is our shared heritage and we must make joint efforts to preserve and improve its environment.

I do hope to contribute in my humble capacity to the efforts to bring Japanese and Pakistanis closer to each other. This is a shared goal of our team here and we are really thankful to our Japanese friends for their cooperation and understanding in realizing it.

To the expatriates working in Japan, I would say that it is a very vibrant and dynamic country with so much to offer expatriates. Japanese friendliness to foreigners makes living here a great experience. Do take time out of your busy schedules and explore Japan, I am sure that it will grow on you. In short, make the best use of your time here.