Children meeting the elephants (in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture)　In the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan received much heartwarming assistance from all over the world, including Laos. In this column we introduce one example of this help where elephants visited the affected areas all the way from Laos.
　As Laos used to be known as the kingdom of Lan Xang, which means one million elephants, elephants have been special animals which are close to Lao life. Even today an elephant festival is held annually in Xaignabouli Province, the largest habitat of elephants in Laos. The festival attracts many tourists from both within and outside of Laos.
　The safari parks in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture; Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture; and Nasu City, Tochigi Prefecture had long contemplated loaning elephants from Laos. Then, on March 11, 2011 the Great East Japan Earthquake struck. They said that immediately after the earthquake they were uncertain whether bringing elephants from Laos was really a good idea. However, most of the staff of the safari parks pruned to be supportive for putting through this idea when they discussed it. They felt that the earthquake was all the more reason for bringing the elephants to Japan, so that children from the affected areas could meet elephants and experience the wonder of nature and be filled with hope and joy. Although many of the staff themselves had been affected by the earthquake, they resumed efforts to bring elephants from Laos because they wanted to bring smiles to the faces of the affected children.
　Safari Park staff made visits to Laos on a number of occasions, explaining their plan to everyone they met one by one, and completed the required procedures in an unfamiliar country. The Lao Government understood their passion and determination to look after the elephants well, and granted permission for the animals to be loaned to the safari parks as part of their support for the affected areas.
　The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given support in this process by providing consultation services at the embassy in Laos. In the hope that this initiative by the people of the affected region will be widely recognized, that the elephants from Laos will bring dreams and joy to the children of the affected area, and that they will provide an opportunity to further deepen the relationship between Japan and Laos, the Ministry decided to give the elephants the title of “Japan-Lao Goodwill Elephants”. It is extremely rare for the Government to grant animals a title such as this as if they were human “goodwill ambassadors” but this is the result of the passion of the staff in change of the Japan-Laos relations.
　All the procedures, such as obtaining the necessary permits, were completed, but those involved in the project were still anxious. This was because elephants had never before been transported between Laos and Japan by air, and nobody knew how to move forward. Despite this, thanks to efforts by persons related to transport and the Lao Government, the elephants arrived safely at Narita Airport on September 27, 2012.
　On October 19, 2012, the introduction ceremony of the elephants and the conferral ceremony of the title of Japan-Lao Goodwill Elephants were held at the safari park in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. Six elephants came from Laos and all of them attended the ceremony. Two elephants will be introduced to each of the three safari parks, which are located in Iwate Prefecture; Nasu City, Tochigi Prefecture; and Fukushima Prefecture, where they will be living with elephant trainers from Laos.