Press Office -
PR#43–2013, March 12, 2013 |
Kizuna Project
The Youth Exchange Project with Asia-Oceania and North America
172 Filipinos to Leave for Japan Under the
Short-Term Invitation Program of the Kizuna Project
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172 Filipinos, composed of 160 students and 12 supervisors, are Japan-bound this March for the “ Short-Term Invitation Program for University Students and Others from the ASEAN Countries and Four Other Countries ” under the Youth Exchange Project with Asia-Oceania and North America, or the ‘Kizuna Project' . The Filipino delegates is divided into two batches: The first batch, including 76 students and 6 supervisors, left on March 11, 2013 and will be staying in Japan until March 20, 2013. The second batch is made up of 84 students and 6 supervisors, and is scheduled from March 18-27, 2013.
This program is part of the Japanese reconstruction plans and aims at promoting global understanding of Japan's revival efforts in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011. The project will allow the participants to understand and experience first-hand the ongoing reconstruction efforts and recovery initiatives at disaster sites. Participants are scheduled to join workshops and lectures on the outline of the disaster and reconstruction after the earthquake, disaster prevention, food safety, and energy.
Batch 2 will be visiting Kuji City in Iwate Prefecture for an up-close observation of the damages and post-disaster rehabilitation of the Marusa-saga Shop (Kuji Refrigirating Company), Machinaka Aquarium, and the Michinoeki (Roadside Station). During their stay in Kuji City, the students will experience local culture through cooking lessons and volunteer activities. Batch 3, on the other hand, is scheduled to stay in Minamiaizu Town in Fukushima Prefecture. They will be paying a courtesy call to the Mayor of Minamiaizu Town, and attend a school exchange program at the Minamiaizu Municipal Hisawa Junior High School. A visit to the Aizu Railway, Strawberry Farm, Tsuruga-jo Castle will help the delegates understand the effects of harmful rumors caused by the nuclear disaster on the tourism industry of Fukushima Prefecture. An exchange with local residents through farm stay, and visits to the temporary houses of the disaster-affected people of the area will serve as the students' first-hand interaction with the local community. All activities in disaster site reconstruction and related programs will be implemented by Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Japan has launched the Youth-Exchange Project with Asia-Oceania and North America, or the KIZUNA Project, for the youth for them to relay the current status of Japan's reconstruction efforts to the people of their respective countries through report presentations and other means of communicating their experience in the disaster-affected areas after returning to their home countries. Under the Kizuna Project, approximately 10,000 youths from the Asian/Oceanian regions, including 285 Filipinos , will have an opportunity to participate in specially designed programs.
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