Tohoku University students and Minister Noda

The visitors first had a tour of the special display that had been set up at the Embassy by the Japan Society showing art work by children from around the UK under the title “Messages to Tohoku”.  Mr Hitoshi Noda, Minister Plenipotentiary, offered his sympathies for the terrible ordeals the 14 students had been through as a result of the giant earthquake and tsunami which struck northern Japan in March this year.  He also thanked DMU for its generosity to the students.  Professor Mandy Ashton, Pro Vice-Chancellor at De Montfort University, was also at the Embassy.

Mr Noda said: “It was a pleasure to meet the group of students from Tohoku University as well as Professor Mandy Ashton and the people from De Montfort University.  As we listened to each student's unique story, we realised how horrifying and life-changing their experiences had been and the ongoing impact of those traumatic events.

“We are very thankful to De Montfort University for accepting the 14 students at this time. The students told me that they were having a wonderful time at the university.  We in Japan have had tremendous help and support from the British people in the aftermath of the disaster, but for a university to extend a helping hand to a group of students from the affected area in such a way is a truly marvellous example of international grass-roots exchange.  I hope the links thus established will strengthen still further the bonds of friendship between our two countries.”

James Gardner, Deputy Director of Strategic Partnerships at DMU, who spent the week with the students, said: “They were incredibly honoured to be invited to the Japanese Embassy, and Mr Noda gave a very moving speech.  I have to say it has been fantastic having the students with us. They have been a real inspiration to all the staff and students who have had the opportunity to meet them.  They have shown such bravery dealing with the situations they find themselves facing and yet have such enthusiasm for everything they do.

“There is no doubt they have had a really good week.  The highlights have been different for many of them.  For some it was seeing the Japanese football international Yuki Abe score a winning goal for Leicester City, for others it was simply being able to visit a traditional English allotment.

“The family of one student runs a rice farm, but because of the nuclear fallout from Fukushima they have been told they cannot grow rice for the next 25 years.  That was one of the many messages from the students that really brought home how this earthquake is continuing to affect them.”

The students were at DMU for a week’s holiday as they continue to rebuild their lives following the disaster.  They flew home on Friday 23 September.

Some of the students lost family and most have been left homeless as a result of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.  Some have been unable to return to their homes since the disaster in March this year because of the fallout from the Fukushima nuclear power station.  Others have seen their families’ livelihoods destroyed.

The students, who study at Tohoku University, in the north of Japan, which is 10km away from the tsunami-hit zone, were invited to the university by DMU’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard.  He offered the hand of friendship by contacting the Japanese Government soon after the quake hit and has since visited the country personally to make preparations for the visit, meet the travelling students in advance, and forge close ties between DMU and Japan.

The cost of the trip was covered by sponsorship from HP Hewlett Packard, Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and Jamie Lewis Residential, while various other forms of assistance and encouragement were extended by DMU alumni, Leicester City Football Club, the National Space Centre, Keith Vaz MP, Jon Ashworth MP, The Coach and Horses pub in Kibworth, The Font pub in Leicester, the Science Museum, London, the Japanese Embassy in London, Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, and Rory Palmer, Deputy Mayor of Leicester.