Ibrahim, Japan Correspondent
The National Ijtema‘at of Majlis Ansarullah and Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Japan were held on 5-6 October 2019, in the town of Gotenba, an hour’s drive from Tokyo.
The town is situated at the base of Mount Fuji and Suicide Forest.
The Ijtema weekend marked the 14th Ansarullah and 37th Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Ijtema. They were attended by 23 Ansar and 27 Khuddam and Atfal members.
Nestled amidst mountains and streams, the Ijtema began on Saturday at 10am with tilawat and nazm and then the opening address by Japan’s National President and Missionary-in-charge, Anees Nadeem Sahib.
Both the Khuddam and Atfal Ijtema commenced with academic competitions ranging from tilawat and nazm, to memorisation of the Quran and Azaan. The contests were both competitive and intellectually stimulating in that both the Khuddam and Atfal were able to enhance their religious and secular knowledge through the competitions.
Following the academic competitions, the anticipated sports events were held. The spirited competitiveness between the two Jamaats in Japan introduced an essence of friendly rivalry throughout.
All three top positions were taken by Nagoya in the 100m race! However, Tokyo then came back strong during the football match. Tokyo won the match with a solid 2-0 score.
Traditional Japanese buffets were served throughout the Ijtema, ranging from delectable dumplings and miso soup, to salmon rice and traditionally fried chicken.
The spirits were high and so was the energy.
On the other side, the Ansar Ijtema competitions also commenced with academic competitions. Subsequently, the Ansar held their sports events in the sports grounds looking up at Mount Fuji.
Following the competitions, the Ansar held their Shura.
The Ijtema concluded with a closing speech delivered by the National President. Although the Ijtema was comparatively small compared to European Ijtemas, there were five nationalities present, including: Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, Pakistani and Nigerian members.
The Ijtema weekend concluded with bonds of brotherhood renewed, and a moment of tranquillity and self-reflection during the congregational dua at the base of one of the highest mountains of the world.