50 young people will be send to Japan from North East: Ando

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 20, 2019

JOWAI: Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan, India Toshihide Ando today informed, “We will send 50 young people from North East to Japan as part of the people to people exchange programme entitled IRIS for firsthand experience of culture and traditions or whatever they want.”

He told a gathering at the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Plantation Ceremony organised by the Government of Meghalaya in collaboration with Asian Confluence, India East Centre IKOUKAI Society, Japan, Jaintia Fishing and Environment Protection Association and Dorbar Shnong Panaliar at Syntu Ksiar, Jowai.

To further strengthen the bilateral friendship between Japan and India and Japan and North East in particular, he said an IRIS programme has been launched two years back inviting youths from North Eastern region to Japan giving them the firsthand experience of the culture and traditions of the Japanese.

Ando said that Japan has been planting the Cherry Blossom trees in several countries and in India Sakura has become a part that binds India and Japanese together.

He said, the closeness cooperation now has extended from economic cooperation to defense and security, culture and people to people friendship exchange and one of the priorities is cooperation in the North East.

Further, he said that for India and Japan North East is not only beautiful but it is very strategic and is a gate way to South East Asia.

The function was attended by the teams from Japan led by Mr. accompanied by Former Ambassador of India to Japan Deepa G. Wadhwa, IFS Retd, Dignitaries, Government Officials and   local residents of Panaliar Dorbar Shnong.

About 40 saplings were planted today in Syntu Ksiar of which 15 were cherry blossom or Sakura trees.