E.K. Kanoo and Japanese Embassy to partner at Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show

The sole distributor for Lexus in Bahrain, E.K. Kanoo will be participating in the Japanese Embassy's exhibition booth at the garden show, which will feature a traditional Zen garden in all its glory.

E.K. Kanoo is sponsoring a team of Zen garden specialists who will fly in from Japan to install the Zen garden display at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre. It is the first time that E.K. Kanoo, Lexus or the embassy has participated in this annual garden event.

Zen gardens are synonymous with Japan, a country where the tradition of garden making goes back to the 6th century. Japanese monks developed the gardens into a high art form over hundreds of years, and while some were used for silent contemplation, others simply offered beautiful and relaxing settings where aristocrats could gather to enjoy poetry and games.

Zen gardens have evolved over time, but always retained their intrinsic values of silence and beauty; in the same way, the Lexus has evolved to meet modern trends since its debut. Recognized for its reliability and safety, it has won a reputation for luxury and a sense of hospitality. In the same way that Zen gardens belong in a class apart from other gardens, the Lexus has always outclassed its competitors.

To many people, the Zen garden embodies perfection. Pursuit of perfection has been the Lexus mantra from the beginning. This aim has been taken to an even higher standard with the all new Lexus LX 570, which will be launched on Saturday 23 February at E.K. Kanoo's Lexus showroom in Sitra.

Mr Khaled AbdulKhader, Marketing Manager, E K Kanoo "E.K. Kanoo has always been proud to support the Japanese embassy in Bahrain. Lexus has become synonymous with Japanese engineering ingenuity, performance and luxury and it is one of Japan's leading automobile brands. The Garden Show is the perfect venue to demonstrate our long time collaboration."

H.E. Mr Takeshi Kondo, Ambassador of Japan said, "We are delighted to be able to bring the traditional Zen garden to Bahrain and thank E.K. Kanoo for their support of this exciting display of traditional Japanese culture. Our warm relationship with E.K. Kanoo is almost as long as our relationship with Bahrain, extending back to 1989, the year after we opened our embassy in the Kingdom."

Japan has had diplomatic relations with Bahrain for 35 years and the two countries have a long history of economic and technical cooperation. Over the years, Japanese companies have been involved in more than 20 petrochemical, gas, aluminum and telecommunication projects in the Kingdom, including the Toyota Training Centre.

The annual Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show takes place at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre from the 22nd to 24th February 2008 under the Patronage of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain and Patron of the Bahrain Garden Club (BGC). An opening ceremony for VIPs will be held on 21st February 2008. Scores of gardening retailers and manufacturers participate in the show which will feature 14,000 square metres of professionally landscaped gardens. This year's show theme is Scented Gardens.