Media

Students sample vegetables at the Michisaki hydroponic farm.

An experiential learning opportunity led by the Department of Japanese Studies at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) saw 10 students travel to Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture in March 2017 to witness the devastation caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and ongoing efforts to rebuild the area. The five-day Young Leaders Tour of Japan was initiated by the Japanese Studies Programme Director Dr Janet Borland with the aim of encouraging students and future leaders to think about global issues such as natural disaster recovery and corporate social responsibility.

The Young Leaders Tour involved visits to several revitalisation projects in Miyagi, including MORIUMIUS, a residential eco-activity centre for children located in the town of Ogatsu which was deeply affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Opened in 2015 in a renovated primary school building, MORIUMIUS promotes the importance of sustainability and provides a model for regional revitalisation in Japan. Students also spent time at the Akiu Winery established by an architect who gave up his career following the earthquake to open Miyagi’s only winery as a means of revitalizing the community and bringing more tourists to the area, as well as at the Michisaki hydroponic farming corporation which grows vegetables on fields previously inundated by the 2011 tsunami.

The Tour was supported by the Mitsubishi Corporation and students visited the company’s offices in Sendai and Tokyo to learn about its involvement in reconstruction efforts in Miyagi and its corporate social responsibility initiatives, particularly in the area of sustainability.

Students will share their learning experiences in a special photo exhibition throughout the month of April at HKU. Members of the media are cordially invited to the opening of the exhibition. Details are as follows:

Date: April 6, 2017 (Thursday)
Time: 6.30-8.00pm
Venues:
Room 4.36, 4th Floor, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus (Ceremony at 6.30pm)
Ground Floor Gallery, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus (Reception at 7.00pm)

The Young Leaders Tour of Japan Photo Exhibition is part of a series of events held in conjunction with Japan Month at HKU 2017. Other activities include a violin performance in the University Museum and Art Gallery and Japanese Studies student performances. For details, please visit http://www.smlc.hku.hk/.

For media enquiries or individual interview requests, please contact Ms Eva Yung, Events Assistant, Faculty of Arts, Tel: (852) 3917 4633 / email: evaffy@hku.hk.