Ceremony to bury part of Akiko Mori remains held in Irkutsk reg.

IRKUTSK, August 19 (Itar-Tass) - A ceremony to bury part of remains of
Akiko Mori, the second wife of renowned Japanese politician Shigeki Mori,
was held on Thursday in the city of Shelekhov, Irkutsk region.
Akiko Mori was the second wife of Shigeki Mori, and one of his sons -
Yoshiro Mori - was Japanese prime minister. Irkutsk Region Governor Dmitry
Mezentsev and Ioshiro Mori attended the ceremony. The Russian Orthodox
funeral service for the reposed was held at first, and then it was
followed by the Japanese service.
Akiko Mori died at the beginning of 2010, and her family decided to
bury part of her remains in Shelekhov, where part of her husband's remains
were buried 19 years ago.
About 40 years ago, the city of Shelekhov and Japanese Neagari (now
Nomi) became twin cities. N0eagari's Mayor Shigeki Mori initiated the
development of relations between the two cities.
He participated in WWII, was wounded and had awards. After returning
home after captivity he became an active champion of peace and close
relations with Russia, and headed the branch of the Japan-USSR Friendship
Society in his home Ishikawa Prefecture. He was many times reelected as
Mayor of Neagari.
Shigeki Mori often visited Shelekhov, bringing groups of children,
athletes and artists to that city. He became honored citizen of Shelekhov
and honored worker of the leading enterprise - aluminum plant. Once he
made a speech, saying at the end "We are all perishable in this world, and
I am not an exception. That is why I ask you to bury part of my remains in
your city after I die. If it is possible, please allot a site at the
cemetery where my remains will be buried".
Shigeki Mori's second wife Akiko and sons, including Yoshiro, came to
Shelekhov in 1991 for the ceremony to bury part of his remains. A monument
from Baikal granite with the name of Shigeki Mori carved in two languages
can be seen in the central alley of the city cemetery.
-o-zhe/ast