A senior Japanese lady's love for a Nepali singer and his songs pulled her all the way to Nepal, and provided warmth to scores of less privileged children.

Sixty-two-years-old Toshie Nakane of Japan and her favorite singer Ram Krishna Dhakal on Sunday distributed tracksuits, sweaters and shoes for the winter season to the sixty homeless and orphan children of Astha Children Care Home situated in Maitidevi. The clothing materials were purchased with the royalty sum Toshie had obtained by selling Dhakal's latest album Aagaman in Japan and also with her personal contributions added to the kitty.

Gyanu Guragain, who runs the Home, said that they have been providing the 60 children with education at Marvelous English Boarding School along with tutors and 10 staff members since its establishment in June, 2006. The children were at the Rehabilitation Center for Children and Orphans (RCCO) before that. She informed that they have also been providing education along with school dresses, monthly fees and essential study materials to 180 children in six different schools of Itahara in Sunsari district.

Singer Dhakal, meanwhile, said that Toshie has been a big fan of his since she heard his song on NHK around eight years ago after which she collected paper cuttings of his interviews and all the information regarding him from the Internet and other sources. He added that she is even learning Nepali language at present to understand the meanings of his songs.

According to him, he had first met her around three years ago in Kathmandu through a Nepali friend of hers, and since then they have met four times altogether in Nepal and Japan. Toshie had also coordinated his show and arranged for his interviews in two local FMs when he was invited to participate at the Asian Music Festival held in Fukuoka of Japan from September 14 to 18, revealed Dhakal.

The singer, who also won the most popular male singer award during Kantipur FM's eighth anniversary celebrations on Saturday evening, was delighted by Toshie's admiration and described it as an interesting and amazing experience to have such a fan from a different country and speaking a different language.

“It's a wonderful moment of my life,” gushed out Dhakal, “and such personal efforts like hers will help further strengthen the relations between Nepal and Japan.”

These are added reasons why Toshie-san should not stop visiting Nepal again and again. (PR)

Posted on: 2006-10-29 21:53:52 (Server Time)