<第17次ブータン訪問隊報告>ブータンの国民総幸福量(GNH)をめぐる旅 : 京都大学ブータン友好プログラム2018(第17次隊)の報告

Abstract

2017年10月下旬に来日されたソナム・デチェン・ワンチュク王女の招きで、1年後の2018年11月下旬にブータンを訪れた。山極壽一総長はじめ一行8名である。パロのJSW法科大学の建設現場を視察し、ティンプーで法科大学と京都大学の合同シンポジウムを開催した。また総選挙を経て就任したばかりのロテ・ツェリン首相を表敬訪問した。さらに王女と、王女の尊母である第4代王妃、王女の尊父である第4代国王ジグミ・シンゲ・ワンチュク殿下にお会いすることができた。第4代国王は国民総幸福量(GNH)の提唱者として知られており、その懇談の中で、国づくりにかける思いをお聞かせいただいた。2010年10月に京大ブータン友好プログラムが発足して以来の懸案だった京大とブータンの60年の歴史を回顧する英語の写真集を作成し、ブータン王室はじめ関係各所に配布した。また、王女から前年に託された英語の絵本『カラスが語る、ブータンのお話』について、これを和訳するとともに、京都造形芸術大学の協力を得て原典を電子書籍化し、冒頭部分について1分間のアニメーションを作成した。それらを王女に直接お渡しした。なお滞在期間中に、古都プナカへの日帰り訪問をした。途中のドチェラ峠から、ブータン・ヒマラヤの7000メートルを超える雪の峰々をはっきりと見ることができた。

Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuk of Kingdom of Bhutan visited Japan from October 21 to 27, 2017. A year later, thanks to the invitation from HRH, we visited Bhutan from November 20 to 23rd. This article aims to describe the journey to Bhutan, the country as known as Gross National Happiness (GNH). This is the 17th mission of Kyoto University Bhutan friendship program (KU-Bhutan). The mission consisted of 8 members including Juichi Yamagiwa, the president of Kyoto University. We first visited the JSW School of Law in Paro where the construction of the new campus was going on. In Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan, Kyoto University and JSW School of Law held the joint symposium titled "Promoting a Culture of Academic Research: Lessons from Kyoto for Bhutan's first law school". This gave us the opportunity to look back the historical role of Kyoto University bridging the two countries, Bhutan and Japan, and also to look for the future collaboration. We also visited Bhutan's newly elected Prime Minister Lotay Tshering to congratulate him on his election win. We also had the audience with His Majesty the 4th King and Her Majesty the 4th Queen, who are the father and the mother of HRH Princess. His majesty the 4th King of Bhutan, Jigme Synge Wangchuk, is the person who coined the words of GNH in 1970's. The 17th mission of KU-Bhutan made the photo book in English titled "Memories of the Sacred Kingdom" that illustrated the 60 years history of Kyoto University and Bhutan since 1957. The book was presented to His Majesty the 4th King and other persons and organizations in Bhutan. HRH Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuk has published a children's book titled "The Raven tells a story" that describes the importance of Constitution. The book was given to us last year and it was translated into Japanese. We also made the e-book, and one-minute sample animation of the children's book. Those materials were presented to HRH Princess. This animation was achieved by the help from Kyoto University of Arts and Design led by the President Kazuo Oike, the former president of Kyoto University. During the stay in Bhutan, we enjoyed the one-day trip to Punakha. On the way to the ancient Capital, we drove over Doche La Pass over 3000 m high. We enjoyed watching the beautiful snow mountains above 7000m high in Bhutan Himalaya.