A bridge of development links Japan and China

The Nippon Foundation, of which I serve as chairman, and its affiliated organizations, began working with China in the early 1980s, initially on efforts to eliminate leprosy in the country. China had launched reform and opening-up a couple of years earlier and was embarking on a path of economic development. On the streets of major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, people wore monotone clothing of dark blue, gray or green, and walking down a street felt like being in a black-and-white television scene.

Since then, we have worked with many people in various fields both in Japan and China, primarily in the areas of personnel exchanges and human resource development. We have implemented more than 500 projects involving exchanges between Japan and China, directly involving about 50,000 people in the two countries.

The black-and-white scene gradually acquired color. And today, China outshines Japan as a country that produces some of the world's most colorful images. Our overarching goal has been that the people of both countries enjoy peace and prosperity, and as I have devoted myself to these exchange programs, I have been a witness to China's astounding growth and development, which are unparalleled in human history.