Japan's former first lady Abe Akie is partnering with Taiwanese-founded non-profit One Day School to create cultural exchange courses for children of all ages and nationalities.
00:00Former Japanese First Lady Abe Akiye is here in Taipei promoting a cross-cultural educational event based in Japan's Nagato City, her late husband Abe Shinsou's hometown.
00:11The host today is a non-profit one-day school in Nagato.
00:15They work to allow children from around the world to experience a day at a Japanese school, allowing for cross-cultural exchanges.
00:21Abe says she hopes kids from Taiwan can experience the beauty of the city close to her heart.
00:26This is the place where my husband's grave is located, and it is also the origin of the Abe family.
00:34That's why I sincerely hope that many people from Taiwan will come visit.
00:38I would also like the children of Taiwan to learn about the beauty of Nagato and the good qualities of Japan.
00:45The courses include attending classes, eating a school lunch, experiencing local music and dance, all in hopes of encouraging kids to build up the courage to be themselves.
00:54As a Taiwanese person based in Japan, the school's founder, Cecilia Wanatabe Azuka, says she and the former First Lady are both passionate about sharing Taiwanese and Japanese culture.
01:05Since Abe Aki lost her late husband, she has been working as an independent advocate for cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Japan.
01:33And Taiwan President Lai Tingdeo personally greeted her at his inauguration ceremony last year and at his security forum in February.
01:41And now, Abe Aki is back in Taipei to support cross-cultural education experiences.
01:47The one-day school program is set to start on August 1st with three-day-long sessions.
01:51At least 200 children from around the world, including Taiwan, will take part, learning more about each other and the neighbors they share the planet with.
01:58Client Wong and Irene Lin in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
