Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� September, 2004

Brazilian Coordinators for International Relations Pay Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Wednesday, September 8, 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received a courtesy call from the Brazilian youths currently in Japan on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. The JET Program, which is administered by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in cooperation with local governments, invites youths from various countries to Japan and provides them with opportunities to teach foreign language or sports at junior high and high schools across Japan as well as to work for international exchanges at local governments. Currently, over 6,000 youths from 41 countries are contributing to the exchanges between Japan and their countries as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) and Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) at local governments nationwide. The group which visited the Prime Minister's Official Residence comprised of 16 youths from Brazil who are engaged in activities for international exchanges and teaching sports in different cities from as far north as Obihiro City in Hokkaido to as south as Haebaru Town in Okinawa Prefecture. At the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "The year 2008, four years from now, will mark the 100th anniversary since Japanese people first emigrated to Brazil. I feel a strong sense of closeness to Brazil since Brazil is the country in the world with the most number of Japanese outside of Japan. I will be going to Brazil next week, which I have long been waiting as I have never been to South America since I became a politician. I ask all of you to become ambassadors of friendship between Japan and Brazil, to work as a bridge of friendship between the two countries, and make even further contributions."