That summarizes one of my impressions of the Exchange Tour with the Korea Maritime University Practice Ship - Hanbada, that took place on July 20 and 21, 2001. It was an opportunity for me to meet people and interact with them thus breaking the monotonous triangular movement from home to Laboratory. I made Korean friends as well as Chinese friends in addition to my numerous Japanese friends. Though, the Chinese were the people I often come across, this was not beyond hello! Hello!! This might be due to a presumed language barrier. However, the tour broke the barrier and there were real rapport with the people of other languages. Thus, the tour created an avenue that induced interest and interactions that transcended language barrier.

    The trip also afforded me the opportunity to dine and wine with the people I hold in high esteem. The most surprising was the University's President, Professor Masanori Michiue, who first approached and touched my Nigerian dress admiringly at the party held at Sakaiminato City Hall. I admire his gentle disposition and humility. I closely interacted with other professors and staff of the University and we exchanged ideas. The Japanese professors I have come across are amazing in humility and simplicity. 

    The trip was fun packed and there was never a boring moment. Every movement from one place to another was timed and all the programs went as planned with minimal alterations. We visited the ancient tomb as well as the Cattle Ranch, both at places close to the lofty Mt. Daisen. Next was the Tottori Flower Gallery (Hanakairo), a place where natural flora has been arranged and nurtured in a manner that mimics the beauty, which is a sine qua non of Paradise. The central green house of the Hanakairo stands out alluringly and it is not exaggerative to describe the glass dome as the epitome of the whole arena. My wife was emotionally moved when she came across a flower she was tending, before she left Nigeria for Japan over a year ago, in one of the smaller green houses. It was as if the management of the Hanakairo has traveled the world over to collect flower specimens.

    The Professor Takao Inoue's lecture on "The Ancient Came to Tottori Across the Sea - Yayoi Human Bone and Brain in Tottori" held inside the Hanbada ship was not only puzzling but amazing too. I saw the picture of the archeological bones of the Yayoi era. The people then were obviously fighters (warriors) as evident in the skulls marked with cuts by sharp objects/weapons to the extent that an arrowhead was left fixed to one of the irregular bones. He was able to establish a link between the modern Japanese and the Yayoi who came to Tottori across the sea. A symposium on "The Future of Exchange Around the Sea of Japan - International Exchange of Young People" was also held inside the ship. The youths that participated from both the Tottori and Korea sides displayed high level of diplomacy typical of Japanese. This really showed that there is a link between the two peoples. The whole program ended with a cocktail party on the deck of the ship in the evening of Saturday July 21, 2001.

    Thanks to the management of Tottori University, and the staff of I.S.S in particular, for arranging the trip. Kamsahamida.

Nigeria : Aremu, David Adebayo

(Holiday)

Taking part in the entering ceremony of Korea Maritime University Practice Ship "Hambada"

*The sightseeing place might be changed. 

Lecturer : Prof. Inoue Takao (Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University)

The used language is Japanese only!!

The English / Chinese / Korean resume is distributed. 

Theme : "The future of Japan Sea Rim Interchange / Young person's International Exchange"

Coordinator : Prof. Waka Ryoji (Faculty of Education and Regional Sciences, Tottori University)

Panelist : 10 students (Tottori U, Korea Maritime U, other U students)

The used language is Japanese and Korean