In Japan, it's sushi for iftar

TOKYO: Japan s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will Tuesday treat ambassadors from Islamic nations to sushi and teriyaki chicken in a fast-breaking dinner for the holy month of Ramadan. Forty-four envoys from Islamic nations including Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan have been invited to the iftar, a dinner which Muslims eat during Ramadan to break their daylight fast, the foreign ministry said. They will be served California roll sushi and teriyaki chicken, said a foreign ministry official. Of course we won t have any pork or alcohol. Guests from the embassies will also bring their favorite food and drinks, she said. The dishes that Abe will sample include harira soup, which Moroccan Muslims traditionally eat to break the fast, and Lebanese tabouli salad, she said. Japan has a miniscule Muslim community but close ties with many Islamic nations, particularly oil producers. The annual diplomatic event was initiated in 2003 by Yuriko Koike, who was appointed to the new position of national security adviser in Abe s government which took office last month. Koike, a graduate of Cairo University, speaks Arabic and is known for her initiatives to improve relations with the Islamic world. Koike was also a close aide to former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who last year became the first Japanese leader to personally host the iftar.