A group of 13 young students and three leaders from Fukuoka, Japan visited Tonga as Junior Ambassadors in a program that builds friendship with Tongan children through exchange visits.

The six-day program of the Asian Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) was held from August 17-22 hosted by the Ministry of Education and Training in Nuku'alofa.

The students aged 11-16 experienced home stay, school visits and toured around the island. They also attended a soroban competition at the western district schools in Tongatapu, on 18 August.

Tongan Primary school students have annually been visiting Japan under this program since the 1990s. This year local students from Lavengamalie Primary School will join the program.

Set up in 1989 by the Fukuoka Junior Chamber of Japan, APCC is a civic movement aimed primarily for children of Japan, Asia and Pacific region to gain mutual understanding of different cultures and traditions through home stay and cultural exchanges.

The program funded by local governments and supported by donations from corporate sponsors has children from 40 countries including Tonga, travelling to Fukuoka annually.

The Japanese students visited the Japanese Ambassador in Tonga, HE Mr Yukio Numata who advised hem to take their experience of Tonga back to Japan as good memories.