TOKYO, September 8 – The Dalai Lama is to visit Japan in November for two days of public peaking engagements, his supporters said Monday.
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader will appear at Kokugikan hall in Tokyo on November 1 and 2, according to the Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for East-Asia.
The event is being co-sponsored by a Japanese lawmakers association for Tibetan issues.
“We have yet to apply for (the Dalai Lama’s) visa. But we don’t expect any problem,” said an official with the liaison office, adding that Tokyo had allowed his entry on more than 10 previous occasions.
The official said the visa application would be made in late September or early October.
Officials at the Japanese foreign ministry said they would handle the visa issue once an application is filed.
The Dalai Lama is currently visiting the United States to meet with his American supporters and political leaders and to attend ceremonies marking the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
China, which has ruled Tibet since 1951, views it as a part of Chinese territory and opposes any official contact between the Dalai Lama and any foreign government.
The Dalai Lama, 68, fled the Potala Palace for India in 1959 as Chinese troops crushed an abortive uprising in Lhasa. He is presently seeking to negotiate his return to Tibet with China’s central leadership.
