Crown prince arrives in Spain to attend water expo

Thursday 17th July, 02:45 AM JST

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14 Comments

isthistheend at 04:26 PM JST - 16th July

Oh what a monumental event. Still, I can't see it being a success without the gracious presence of the Crown prince.
wilbur at 05:50 PM JST - 16th July

hope Masako escapes while he's gone
presto345 at 10:23 PM JST - 16th July

Oh what a monumental event. Still, I can't see it being a success without the gracious presence of the Crown prince.

You were saying?
Xentrix at 03:20 AM JST - 17th July

I hope I could go to Spain To hear his magnificent speech and cheer him up as being his number one fan.
GlowingStar at 05:35 AM JST - 17th July

Me too
imagawa at 06:17 AM JST - 17th July

I am here already & despite it being July we have just had a monumental downpour. Rain in Spain, you better believe it. The last three days have been miserable & wet & I would hate to be in Zaragoza, inland will be seriously humid & the Spanish are not good at handling things like water, they’re just not used to the stuff. I have friends (from Agbar) who will be attending this event & it is a lot more serious than JT seems to think it is, water & sanitation are becoming major issues in most parts of the world. You might all be a little more than surprised at just how many people a year die because of a lack clean water around the world. A few more heads of state at such events wouldn’t be a bad idea.
aedfed at 06:55 AM JST - 17th July

Why can't Masako go along with him and fit in a side trip to the UK where she could connect with some of her old friends before she was trapped in the gilded cage? It would give her a chance to live like a normal human being for a few days.
Alphaape at 09:24 AM JST - 17th July

he hopes to speak in the speech about the history of Japanese people’s efforts and their innovations in utilizing water resources

I find that comment interesting. My wife (JN) will take a shower, then take a bath. I am of the school of shower equals clean. No need to go back in and soak. Will he also discuss the Japanese use of Onsens and the water used there or will that subject not come up.
antizombie at 12:04 PM JST - 17th July

Imagawa, please what do you mean with your sentence that Spanish are not used to handle water issues? Spain has been suffering from draught for months. Thanks God that it is raining in summer. Regarding World events I think that they are very good in being hosts. I have been to the Olympic Games in Barcelona, the Expo in Sevilla, several world meetings in Barcelona and the American Cup in Valencia... I am sorry to say that few countries receive so well foreigners than Spanish people. Maybe they are not the first economic power in the world but I would hope to be there. It is one one the best countries I have been to and the best hosts for foreigners. It is the country I dream about living the rest in my life. The most open minded people and kind and a country that is not so racist with those that are not Spanish. I cannot say the same of many other countries.
GlowingStar at 05:38 PM JST - 17th July

International water Exposition is a one of important Expo's in the world. We drink water everyday. Water is important in us to nourish our thirst. Not only us but to nourish life on earth. We need a clean water and water for the future. His majesty Crown Prince Naruhito the President of this International Water Exposition and his members did a lot of honorable actions for the safety, security and sanitation of our Earth's water inorder to provide people around the world and each future a clean and safety water as well as abundance of a clean water. Bravo! to his excellency Majesty Crown Prince Naruhito. I salute you and vow to you.
imagawa at 09:02 AM JST - 18th July

antizombie Sorry if you got the impression I was having a dig at the Spanish, I wasn’t. I think of them much as you do, but I have no intension of spending the rest of my life here. My comment about them not being able to handle water is based on the fact that Spain is only Spain if you are not Spanish, now it gets complicated, if you are Spanish you will be from one of the autonomous regions & as such, not Spanish. I am in Valencia & they need water (rain here at the coast is of little worth to anybody). Some other regions have water but don’t Valencia to get it unless Madrid first give them investment start up funds & Madrid will not do this, so no water. It would be really nice if the crown prince could say something that would make the Spanish see how stupid they look from the outside, but I really doubt that that is going to happen. That said, I am still really pleased that he is here. A few more heads of state taking this issue seriously would help a lot.
imagawa at 09:04 AM JST - 18th July

Some other regions have water but don’t want Valencia to get it

Sorry missed a word out
antizombie at 10:47 AM JST - 18th July

Imagawa san as far as I know the region that had lots of problems with water was Catalonia and few regions wanted to give them water by nationalistic problems as many Catalans do not feel Spanish and would like to be Independent. There are political and regional rivalries now. Valencia is one of those regions that do not like PSOE government but are governed by PP government of the former president Aznar. FYI Spanish for me are not stupid. I have seen more countries with more stupid issues and that are not working at all well internationally. Water problems are natural and we have not found a scientific solution. But as I lived in Spain for years. I know well that in Valencia and Murcia regions they want water sometimes for having golf green evergreen and not for surviving so I am against it. I have lots of Spanish friends and many foreigners that are living and dream about living in Spain. I want to return and for me they are not idiots at all. It is a country that is working and is developing very quickly. Maybe you feel as a Japanese that Spanish are lazy and dance flamenco. I have worked with many Spanish scientists and they are really efficient and intelligent and widely recognized worldwide. I cannot tell you the same thing of the host country I am now where people are afraid of doing things independently and critize other cultures without knopwledge thinking they are the best are not. The biggest problem in many countries are politicians and maybe I feel that in Spain regions should be more independent and separate from Madrid that is another thing. The capital is the worse part in Spain. Have you been to Barcelona, Bilbao or Pamplona? They are very efficient and more than other Europeans. I can tell you being also member of the EU and from a country that I thought that was the number 1.
imagawa at 09:57 AM JST - 19th July

I’m sorry not to have got back to you, I am working & at the end of the day just collapse, it is hot here, very hot. My comment on the Spanish being stupid was based on the fact that it is always the Spanish that will do the most harm to the Spanish. They are experts at shooting themselves in the foot. For example, there is a group of Valencian farmers working to try & get water from the River Ebro because they really do need that water. And what happens? One of their leaders, a town mayor, is found to be in partnership with a famous Spanish tennis player (I think) & they are planning on building an urbanisation with golf course.So much for his credibility, but in the process he destoys the credibility of the group. I am by the way a Europen, not a Japanese, I am here at the moment working on “refubishing” my house here. Not the best time to be learning some new manual skills, I know, but these things have to be done. You misunderstand me if you believe that I dislike the Spanish, they are a seriously under-rated country, but they are in the process of correcting that & are leaving the rest of Europe behind as they do. Sadly there is a bitter fragmentation taking place that does them more harm than good. Some of the old ways of doing things are still here, as are some of the memories, civil wars take a long, long time to get over. My comments about the Crown Prince were based on some of this plus more. Spain needs to see it self in the eyes of others, it needs to see it self as a country, & that goes for Catalonia as well, some autonomy yes, but not to the point that it destoys the country as a whole. I was here a few weeks back when Spain won some international football match, that night this country was one country. I wish you had been here, I just know that you would love it. It was special. Some years ago I worked for Agbar which is the parent company of many of the water companies here & in Latin America, hence my interest in the water problems. I am pleased that someone of the level of the Crown Prince is involved because despite all that is said about oil & war, the future problems we all face are going to be related to water, not oil. We are inventive little creatures & will always find a way to create energy, even if we kill off half the world population in the process, but the “creation” of water is not going to be so easy. Which is why something needs doing today.