Reception for the Town of Tarui & St. Michael School Delegation Exchange
On January 20th a reception was held at the official residence of the Consul General for the exchange between the junior high school delegation from the Town of Tarui, Gifu Prefecture, and St. Michael junior high school, Calgary. The exchange between the Tarui School Board and Calgary Catholic School Board welcomes its 27th anniversary this year, having been initiated back in 1990. During that time junior high students from both Canada and Japan have fostered a sense of internationalism and widened their circle of friendship.
In his opening remarks Consul General Tanabe conveyed appreciation for the longstanding efforts made by those involved in the relationship between the Tarui and Calgary Catholic School Boards, while expressing his hope that the students' exchange experiences serve as provisions for the future. Guest speaker Ms. Anam Kazim, MLA for Calgary Glenmore, remarked her hope that the mutual exchange continues far into the future while instilling in the students a sense of international awareness. Furthermore, head of the delegation, Mr. Kenichi Kamiya, principal of the town of Tarui's Fuwa Junior High School, spoke of their appreciation for the relationship in which mutual growth and learning from each other has been possible over the many years, and expressed his hopes of continuing the reciprocal exchange. At the venue, guests were treated to a "Koi Dance" performance and presentation of a town introductory video made by the Tarui Students, while the St. Michael students performed the Soranbushi dance.
