Italian Vice Consul Giuseppe Semenza (right) and Marco Massetani of Okinawa Italian Culture Club address the exchange party at Restaurant Grand Blue.

Italians requiring passports or visas, or other citizen services, normally must go to Osaka to the Italian Consulate, but this week, Italy came to Okinawa.

Italian vice consul Giuseppe Semenza came to Okinawa for his work and sightseeing. The nearest Italian consulate is located in Osaka, providing services for Italians living in most of eastern Japan.  Normally, any Italian who lives in Okinawa must go the Italian consulate for updating passports or visas. This time, Semenza came to Okinawa and provided services here.

After the official work was done, Semenza turned to promoting Italy to Okinawans.  He followed the lead of Marco Massetani, owner of Italian culture Club in Naha.  Massetani also represents Italy as Correspondent of the Italian Consulate. Marco has been living in Okinawa almost 13 years now, teaching Italian and helping Okinawans learn about Italy.

Massetani says there are some Italian language classes from the 22^nd of May at the Nago Civic Hall, from the 23^rd of May at the Italian Culture Club in Naha, and from 27^th at  Ayakari no Mori in Kitanakagusuku.  He notes there is also an Italian art exhibition at Ayakari no Mori on May 3^rd, and an Italian culture exhibition at Garamand Hall in Ginoza on June 21^st too. Semenza said Okinawa is a very very beautiful island and people, food everything are so good. He wants to invite more Italians to Okinawa and also wants Okinawans to visit Italy.

He proposes making more exchanges to improve understanding each other. Marco also says a lot of Karate practitioners and fans are in Italy, and they come to Okinawa because it is the mecca of Karate.

Semenza and Massetani had a exchange meeting party with Okinawans at Italian restaurant Grand Blue last Friday and had a great exchange with each other. The owner of Grand Blue, Keiichiro Makabe, said “we are really glad that the Italian vice consul came to our restaurant and they enjoyed our dishes. We’ll also promote Italian culture and goodness to Okinawans and make good exchanges.”

For answers to questions about Italy, Marco welcomes inquires.  He can be reached at www.i-c-c.net, or by calling (098) 987-1388.

• 
• NO DATA