As Nepal and Japan celebrate 60 years of establishment of their bilateral relations, an increasing number of Nepali youngsters are showing interest in the Japanese language and culture.

Organized by Japanese Language Teachers’ Association and Embassy of Japan, the Japanese Karaoke Competition at the auditorium of Tribhuwan Army Officers' Club pulled the Nepalese youths by the hordes.

Over 40 Nepali singers took part in the Karaoke competition. They sang modern Japanese songs in rhythms that made it difficult for the rapt crowd to tell between Nepali and Japanese. 

Attended by students learning the Japanese language in various institutes of Kathmandu, the 3-hour competition helped them understand the Japanese society and culture better. The event attested that the appeal of Japanese culture and language is growing.

Japanese ambassador to Nepal Masashi Ogawa, the chief guest of the competition, distributed prizes to the winners and thanked the organizers for conducting the program.

When Nepal and Japan established diplomatic relations sixty years ago, few Nepali people knew Japanese. The Karaoke competition showed how now the relations have reached the popular level.