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【Photo Diary】(2) Visit to Taiwan to Attend Inauguration Ceremony of President Lai Ching-te

Published on June 26, 2024

I would like to share with you some of the photographs taken during my visit to Taiwan from May 18 to 21, 2024, as chairman of The Nippon Foundation to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Lai Ching-te.

[May 20, Taipei and Tainan]

Yohei Sasakawa is on his way to the inauguration ceremony of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te outside the Presidential Office building. — On my way to the inauguration ceremony of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te outside the Presidential Office building.

A horse installation known as ‘Yu Ma’ (Rain Horse) and other performers take part in a parade on Chongqing South Road outside the Presidential Office building where Mr. Lai Ching-te was sworn in as president.

Meeting with Mr. Lai Ching-te a few hours after he was sworn in as Taiwan’s fifth directly elected president. — Meeting with Mr. Lai Ching-te a few hours after he was sworn in as Taiwan’s fifth directly elected president. At the meeting at the Presidential Office building, I expressed my gratitude to him for inviting me to attend the inauguration ceremony, telling him I was greatly impressed by his inaugural address.
I pledged to donate US$2 million from The Nippon Foundation to support those impacted by a strong earthquake that struck off the eastern Taiwan city of Hualien on April 3.
I noted with deep appreciation that in the wake of the 2011 Great Northeastern Japan Earthquake, Mr. Lai as mayor of Tainan, southern Taiwan, personally led a 300-member delegation to Sendai and presented the city with a donation of about 100 million yen (about $634,000) raised by his fellow citizens.

Presenting the new president with a bouquet of preserved red roses for Mrs. Lai.

The state banquet for the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te in Tainan, southern Taiwan, where he served as mayor from 2010-2017.

[May 21, Taipei]

With Ms. Chen Chu, president of the Control Yuan, Taiwan’s highest ombudsman exercising the powers of impeachment, censure and audit, and chairwoman of the National Human Rights Commission. — With Ms. Chen Chu, president of the Control Yuan, Taiwan’s highest ombudsman exercising the powers of impeachment, censure and audit, and chairwoman of the National Human Rights Commission. Also joining us was Mr. Lee Hung-chun, vice president of the Control Yuan.
Briefing them on my activities as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, I said I plan to attend a ceremony to mark the opening of the new Sasakawa Memorial Hall near the new Losheng Sanatorium in Taoyuan City, 40 kilometers west of Taipei, in September.
Mr. Lee expressed his appreciation for my late father Ryoichi Sasakawa’s generous financial support for the original Losheng Sanatorium, which was built in 1930 during the Japanese colonial period as a long-term care facility for people affected by leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease.
The new eight-story Losheng sanatorium was completed in 2007. This came after most of the land on which the original sanatorium stood had been sold to make the way for building a depot of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT). Many of the residents of the old institution moved to the new facility, while over 10 people still reside in the renovated buildings in the old compound.

With Dr. Lin Ching-yi, new deputy minister of Health and Welfare. — With Dr. Lin Ching-yi, new deputy minister of Health and Welfare.
When I told her about my plan to visit Taiwan again in September to attend the opening ceremony of the Sasakawa Memorial Hall, Dr. Lin said she was pleased that it had been built, noting that local residents and other stakeholders wanted to preserve the history of Taiwan’s first and only public leprosy hospital.

With former president Ma Ying-jeou (2008-2016), with whom I exchanged views on The Nippon Foundation’s collaborations with China and Taiwan.

(End)

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