Ｃｏｎｔａｃｔｉｎｇ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ Ｅｎｔｅｒｐｒｉｓｅｓ ａｎｄ Ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｉｎｇ Ｊａｐａｎ

After half a year’s preparation， the first Chinese university students’ delegation of 32 members with the aim of contacting Japanese enterprises and experiencing Japan jointly organized by the CPAFFC and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in China (JCCC) paid a goodwill visit to Japan from May 28 to June 6. The delegation led by Wang Xiuyun， deputy secretary general of the China-Japan Friendship Association (CJFA)， was composed of students and teachers of the Renmin University of China， the University of International Business and Economics， the Beijing Normal University， and the Beijing International Studies University. The delegation visited Tokyo， Osaka， Kyoto， Chiba and Gunma where they went to enterprises， universities and people’s homes， making extensive contacts with the Japanese society. The visit broadened their vision， enriched their experience and enhanced mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Japanese Prime Minister’s Wife Akie Abe Meeting with the Delegation

In her meeting with the delegation on the noon of June 1， Japanese Prime Minister’s wife Akie Abe said， Japan and China have a very close relationship， particularly in the economic field; the two countries are dependent on each other and bilateral cooperation is further deepening. This time the delegation will visit many enterprises and contact ordinary citizens. She hoped that the Chinese students would take this opportunity to make extensive contacts with various circles in Japan， experience a completely new Japan and become the future envoys of Japan-China friendship. She stressed that the Chinese students could serve as a window through which the Japanese people learn about China， and hoped that while increasing knowledge about Japan， the delegation would introduce a true China to Japan so as to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries.

Shinji Fukukawa， chairman of the Committee for the Prospects of the Japan-China Relations in the 21st Century under the Japan-China Association for Economy and Trade and former vice minister of international trade and industry， and Chikako Ono，official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs， were present at the meeting. In his speech， Chairman Fukukawa said， if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to China is regarded as an “ice-breaking visit”and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Japan an “ice-thawing” visit， what we should do hereafter is to “raise the water temperature”. We should make joint efforts to promote a healthy development of Japan-China relations.

Visiting Japanese Enterprises to Experience Corporate Culture and Advanced Technology

One of the important contents of the delegation’s visit to Japan was to visit Japanese enterprises to know about Japan’s economic and social development. Assisted and arranged by the member enterprises of the JCCC， the delegation visited some of the typical Japanese large-sized transnational corporations including the Matsushita Electric Industrial Corporation， the Nippon Steel Corporation， the Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation， the Japan Airlines， the Wacoal Holdings Corporation and the Marubeni Corporation.

During the visit， the Chinese students were deeply impressed by the corporate culture and high technologies of the Japanese corporations， the concept of “ever advancing in a pioneering spirit” upheld by the Marubeni Corporation， the attitude of “regarding customers as gods， and serving them conscientiously” displayed by the Japan Airlines， the products meticulously designed by the Wacoal Holdings Corporation for breast cancer patients， the technological research and development made by the Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation， the advanced technologies of steel making and the successful recovering of “white garbage” for environmental protection developed by the Nippon Steel Corporation， and the technology of recycling used household electric appliances developed by the Matsushita Electric Industrial Corporation.The students were especially touched by Japanese enterprises’ people-oriented approach and strong consciousness of environmental protection. In the Matsushita Electric Industrial Corporation and the Nippon Steel Corporation， the students visited the places where Deng Xiaoping once inspected. When they saw the inscription: “The way of friendly cooperation between China and Japan is widening. Let’s make joint efforts.” written by Deng Xiaoping sincerely for the Nippon Steel Corp， the students keenly felt that they were shouldering the important task of promoting the future development of Sino-Japanese relations.

Visiting Ordinary People’s Homes and Making Friends of Wide Circles

During the delegation’s visit， the Japanese side arranged for the students to stay at ordinary people’s homes. 27 students from 4 universities stayed at the homes of 27 Japanese people， all of whom worked for the member enterprises of the JCCC and knew China fairly well as most of them had lived and worked in China. The home of Koreshige Anami， former Japanese ambassador to China and advisor to the Nippon Steel Corporation， also put up one student as a guest for the night. Every Japanese home made ample preparations beforehand and arranged a rich schedule. Though staying at Japanese people’s homes only for a short time， the students formed profound friendship with the hosts. On their departure many students and their hosts were reluctant to part.

The delegation also visited the Premier Zhou Enlai Poem Tablet at Arashiyama in Kyoto， watched traditional Japanese cultural performance such as court music， tea ceremony and flower arrangement， enjoyed typical mountain hot spring and toured the Disney Amusement Park.

At the farewell reception held by representatives of various circles of Japan in honour of the delegation， Wang Xiuyun， head of the delegation， said， the 10-day visit enabled the Chinese students to have a new understanding about Japan and the Japanese people to know about Chinese university students. China-Japan friendship depends on the people particularly on the young people of the two countries.

During their stay in Japan， the students were eager to learn wherever they went. They asked many questions， had warm discussions and made careful notes. They had a tight itinerary with rich and colorful contents. Through the exchanges， the students broadened their vision and learned much new and fresh knowledge which they would treasure for life.