Philippine Ambassador Jose C. Laurel V (second from left) gives a toast with (from far left) former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Norikazu Suzuki during a reception to celebrate the 121st anniversary of Philippine independence at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo on June 19. | YOSHIAKI MIURA
Musubi, which means "unite," is also the Japanese word for "rice ball" since the sticky rice is united in the hands of the chef. Through a project called United Rice Ball, Spanish rice and Japanese rice were mixed together in musubi for the first time. During the event, participants sampled rice balls made with the two types of rice. United Rice Ball founder Hidetoshi Kuranari (second front left) and Spanish Ambassador Jorge Toledo (third from left) posed holding rice balls with (from far left) food researcher Yutaka Matsuura, Instituto Cervantes Tokyo Director Victor Ugarte, Yoshinoya Holdings President Yasutaka Kawamura, food researcher Kenichi Kaneko and Discover Japan Editor-in-Chief Toshihiro Takahashi at the Instituto Cervantes Tokyo on June 21. | YOSHIAKI MIURA
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