On January 17-18, a group of 49 persons (37 primary school students, 10 chaperones, 2 tour operators) comprising a Study Group from Tianjin in China visited Japan, where they had exchanges with the Faculty of Media Studies and Faculty of Social Work Studies at Josai International University.

The project was the original plan of Mr. Li Yunbo, the President of the Japanese Language Institute at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, a sister institution of Josai International University. The idea is to encourage exchanges between Chinese children and Japan at an early age to thus promote friendship between the two nations.

After breakfast, the teachers of the Faculty of Social Work Studies led the children in the very popular finger game using natto (fermented soybeans) teaching materials. This provided an opportunity for fun exchanges with the children. There was a scene where a cheerful boy imitated eating a mouthful of natto to the delight of the onlookers in a lively exchange between the university and the children.

Following this, the primary school students smiled and waved as they went off to their next stop in Japan. We saw them off with hopes that they would act in the future as bridges between China and Japan.