DILI, East Timor (Kyodo) A Japanese man promoting cultural exchanges between Japan and East Timor has brought to Dili 100 drawings by Japanese children for exhibition.
In an interview with Kyodo News, Michio Takahashi, president of the Timor Loro Sa'e-Nippon (East Timor-Japan Culture Center), said Tuesday he will also ask East Timorese children to draw pictures for exhibition in Japan.
Takahashi, who arrived in Dili on Monday, said he would open the exhibit of the drawings in the town of Laga, east of Dili, on Friday.
The drawings are from all over Japan, many by students children aged 5 to 12 from Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Takahashi also brought to Japan drawings made by East Timorese refugee children in Darwin, Australia, last year.
Since 1987, he has been working to boost the use of Tetun, East Timor's local language, among the East Timorese refugees in Darwin, where he constructed a school that teaches the language to the children, who mostly speak English or Bahasa Indonesia.
Takahashi said that he believes the use of Tetun is imperative to preserve local culture and that young East Timorese need to learn it.
He said he plans to set up a Japanese cultural center in Dare, south of Dili, before the end of the year.