Youth Culture and Arts Delegation Visits Japan under Arrangement by the BPAFFC

时间:2019-06-19  14:24:25

From May 20 to 25, a youth culture and arts delegation of 15 students and teachers, who came from the dance club of Beijing Shunyi Niulanshan No.1 High School, visited Japan. The visit was arranged by the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (the BPAFFC) at the invitation of the Tokyo Japan-China Friendship Association. While promoting exchanges, mutual understandings and friendship between Chinese and Japanese youth for the continuous development of China-Japan friendship, the visit also sought to deepen non-governmental exchanges between Beijing and Japan. Such artistic exchanges between Chinese and Japanese youth will also help tell China's story well, spread China's voice well, and enhance cultural confidence.

During their stay in Japan, the delegation made an official visit to Meguro City Office of Tokyo Prefecture and Hokkaido Government and talked face-to-face with local officials. The delegation then went to Yakumo Gakuen High School and Hokkaido Sapporo Tsukisamu High School for exchanges. After a lunch with the teachers and students at the schools’ canteens, they visited the teaching facilities there and performed a joint talent show with the Japanese students. The brilliant Chinese traditional folk dance performed by 12 Chinese students received great acclaim from the Japanese teachers and students.

As was arranged by Tokyo Japan-China Friendship Association, the delegation also had a get-together with the friendly Japanese youth and the teachers and students at Yakumo Gakuen High School. They shared opinions on China-Japan friendly relations, staged and appreciated traditional cultural performances by each other, and hoped to consolidate and enhance the traditional friendship between Beijing and Tokyo Prefecture.

To promote cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Japan, the delegation also paid a special visit to the Kazankai Foundation The Toa Language Institute and exchanged ideas with the Japanese students who studied Chinese there. The young people studying Chinese at the institute came from all over Tokyo with a common goal—to understand Chinese culture while learning the language. When they got to know that the delegation was from the dance club of a Beijing high school, they showed more interest in traditional Chinese culture and arts. The two sides had an extensive discussion about Chinese and Japanese traditional cultures. Many Japanese young people asked the delegation questions about Chinese traditional folk dance. In a friendly and pleasant atmosphere, with arts bringing them closer, they increased mutual understandings along with closer friendship.

The head of the delegation said that 2019 marked the China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year and the 40th anniversary of the establishment of sister city relationships between Beijing and Tokyo. The visit was also included in the promotional activities and was expected to inspire more similar exchanges between Chinese and Japanese young people. Art has no boundary. Only by promoting mutual learning and understandings between Chinese and Japanese youth could we consolidate people-to-people friendship and stride toward a better future.