26 Oct 2017

Out-going Japanese Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Masahiro Onishi has said the relations between Botswana and Japan are growing very strong including at grassroots level.

Speaking at the official opening of the painting exhibition at Ben Thema Primary School on October 23, Mr Onishi said the annual event was undeniably strong evidence of how Japan and Botswana had been strengthening the ties of the two countries.

The paintings are the work of the standard three pupils of Chigasaki Primary School and Tsuzuki Multicultural and youth Plaza in Japan while those from Ben Thema standard three pupils’ will be exhibited in Japan.

Mr Onishi said this year Japanese students who have been learning about life in Botswana were asked to draw a picture under the theme Conveying the Image of Japan, to Botswana students and said these paintings would be displayed at the Thapong

Visual Arts Centre next week while those from Ben Thema pupils would be exhibited in Japan from December to March next year.

The ambassador said today’s exhibition would not only attract the curiosity of the pupils, but would also give a better understanding for people in Botswana about children’s school life in Japan.

He said relations between countries were established based not only on political and economic partnerships, but on other significant factors such as cultural exchange to deepen mutual understanding.

Mr Onishi said friendships that started from a young age could be cultivated through cultural exchange and would definitely develop to a deep understanding about each other and their respective cultures, which would ultimately lead to a steady foundation for a strong bilateral relations.

In her welcome remarks, Ben Thema deputy school head, Ms Lesego Tiro thanked the Japanese Embassy for connecting their school with Chigasaki for pupils’ art exchange programme. ENDS