Highlights of JENESYS2023 Activities Reported in November 2023

30 November 2023 -

JENESYS2023 aims to promote mutual trust and understanding among the peoples of Japan, ASEAN Member States, and Timor-Leste, to build a basis for future friendship and cooperation, as well as to encourage an understanding of various aspects of Japan. The project is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). These are the highlights of JENESYS2023 reported by Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) in October-November 2023:

JENESYS Viet Nam-Japan Young Administrative Officials and Diplomats Exchange – On 7-14 November, seven young Vietnamese administrators and diplomats visited Tokyo and Toyama Prefecture under the JENESYS programme. In Tokyo, they visited the Embassy and JICA Tokyo and felt the history of Japan-Vietnam relations, while in Toyama they paid a courtesy call to the Toyama Prefectural Government to deepen exchanges with officials. Also, they experienced Japanese culture such as casting and clay doll painting, in addition to homestay.

Lao PDR-Japan Tourism & OMOTENASHI Exchange and Thailand-Japan Tourism Exchange for University Students – On 7-14 November, 20 students from Laos and Thailand visited Japan to learn about OMOTENASHI and tourism. In Tokyo, they learned how to show OMOTENASHI mind by greeting or table manners first, and took the lecture about strategy related to the attractive tourism of Tokyo. In Okinawa, they developed friendships through presentations and exchanges about tourism with their new friends in the school exchange. At the homestay, they learned traditional Okinawan dance and dialect, and even cooked some of their dishes for their host families.

Hello! From JENESYS Alumni – Mr. Joey Reyes Loristo from the Philippines (Participation: JENESYS 2016 2nd Batch (Economy/Transportation)) shared his experience with JENESYS. He said, learned at JENESYS inspired him to pursue further studies in transportation policy at GRIPS, a graduate school in Japan. He was convinced that the transportation system in Japan can serve as a great example for the Philippines to learn from. At the school, he was the president of the International Students’ Council where can interact with students with different backgrounds and experiences in governmental affairs from various countries, and expand his network.

JENESYS Myanmar-Japan Cultural Exchange (Invitation Program for Japanese Language Learners) – 25 Myanmar high school and university students and adults involved in Japanese language study and education visited Japan on 17 – 24 October 2024. In Tokyo, they experienced traditional cultures such as Koh-do (incense ceremony) and Origami with Japanese students participating in the Myanmar Online Dispatch Program, and deepened exchanges in Japanese. In Kanagawa Prefecture, they visited the Great Buddha of Kamakura and Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine to pray for their return to Japan. They also gained new knowledge about the Japanese language, such as the origin of hiragana and katakana, in a lecture by Kanagawa University Professor Masahiro Yamada, entitled “The Japanese Language: Then and Now.” In Hokkaido, the participants visited Higashikawa Town, where they received a “Higashikawa Special Town Citizen Certificate” from the Mayor.

JENESYS2023 Mekong Five Countries Online Alumni Meeting – On 24 October, JENESYS Alumni from Cambodia, Lao-PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam were gathered online for an event. They enjoyed exchanging memories of JENESYS programme they had joined before, and what they liked about Japan. They also learned Japanese E-Learning Resources from the Japan Foundation, as well as how to study in Japan with practical information from Okayama University (OJEIC). It is hoped everyone learned something new which supports the participants’ dreams, and strengthens JENESYS Alumni relations in Mekong’s five countries.