Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme
Courtesy Call by Youth Amateur Traditional Arts Groups from the Five Countries of the Mekong Region to H.E. Mr. Nobsuhide Minorikawa, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
January 2009
On January 15, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobuhide Minorikawa received a courtesy call by 100 members of youth amateur traditional arts groups from the five countries of the Mekong Region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam) who were visiting Japan as part of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme. A summary of the visit is as follows.
First, Mr. Minorikawa welcomed the delegations to Japan, encouraging them to experience the differences and similarities between their own countries and Japan, including in the traditional performing arts. He expressed his hopes for the success of their scheduled traditional arts performances at the Opening Reception of the Mekong-Japan Exchange year, and asked them after returning home to tell family and friends about Japan and what they had experienced.
Next, representatives from each of the countries of the visiting delegations provided explanations of the makeup of their groups and the traditional arts they would be performing at the Opening Reception of the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year on January 20.
Finally, the leader of the group from Laos, Mr. Khamphou Phiasackha, spoke on behalf of the visiting delegations. He offered thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the other institutions that had given the delegations the opportunity to visit Japan, and expressed their delight at being able to participate in the Opening Reception of the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year, in which all the members from the five countries would act together for a single purpose under one roof. Mr. Phiasackha also said that through mutual communication and by increasing the understanding between Japan and the countries of the Mekong region they would be able to build more integrated and solid relationships of cooperation.
Going forward, the visiting delegations are scheduled to break into four groups to visit regional governments (Yamagata Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, and Okinawa Prefecture) to participate in exchange projects with traditional Japanese arts groups from each region. They are scheduled to attend the Opening Reception of the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year planned for January 20, where they will perform traditional arts from each country. The delegations are scheduled to be in Japan until January 22.
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