Takashi Katae, the Japanese ambassador to Romania, had one of his shoes swallowed by mud during a visit to the Mud Volcanoes organized by the Buzău County Council (CJ Buzǎu), in southern Romania. All was related in an amusing video posted by the embassy.

The official visited the Mud Volcanoes reserve in “Ținutul Buzăului” and tasted local dishes, and shared a video on Facebook of the experience.

“In the material, the ambassador presents some of the emblematic places and products of Buzău: the Mud Volcanoes at Pâclele Mari, the Pietroasele Thermal Baths, as well as the local gastronomy, including Pleșcoi sausages and Buzău pretzels,” CJ Buzău said.

Trouble began at Pâclele Mari in Buzău, an area known for the Mud Volcanoes. “Because the surface mud was so sticky, my shoe was taken by the mud,” ambassador Takashi Katae said in the video posted on the official page of the Japanese Embassy in Romania.

He also tried local products. “These are the Pleșcoi sausages. Now I will try the Buzău pretzels. Greetings from the ruins of the Pietroasele thermal baths!"

The ambassador traveled to Buzău for a discussion dedicated to developing the Romanian-Japanese relationship at the regional level. The official was received by CJ Buzău president and former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. There was also a visit to the Plant Genetic Resources Bank, where the institution’s director, researcher Costel Vânătoru, recalled that the project had taken shape with Japanese support following the visit of the director of the Japanese Horticultural Institute in 1992, according to Agerpres.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: screenshot from Embassy of Japan video on Facebook)