the 79th Open Lecture

A tropical country "Tonga “and Japan has a deep ties!

~ Overseas Cooperation Volunteers’ experience of the land of “malimali”(smile) ~

On Saturday 27 September, we held a lecture on understanding Tonga at the Central Library Event Space, with 20 participants.

Our lecturer was Ms. Chisaki Miwa, a former Japanese language teacher with the JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers in Tonga. She introduced the culture and educational situation of Tonga, a country that is friendly towards Japan. There is a deep bond between the Tongan royal family and the Japanese imperial family. Attendees learned that abacus education, introduced in the 1970s at the King's request, is still practiced today.

Participants gave very positive feedback, such as:

'I recognized the importance of multicultural coexistence and exchange with other countries. '

'I was satisfied with the packed 90 minutes, which covered everything from the pace of life on the southern islands to religion and lifestyle.'