A delegation from Kanazawa has arrived in Irkutsk. 18 schoolchildren and 5 adults will spend a week here, getting to know the city, its museums, library, children's railway and Lake Baikal. From July 27 to 28, the Japanese children will stay with Irkutsk families, learning local life and traditions. The guests have already shared first impressions of Irkutsk, noting its old architecture, matryoshkas and friendly atmosphere.

A delegation consisting of 18 schoolchildren and 5 adults will stay in Irkutsk from July 23 to 30. A rich program has been prepared for the children: tours of the city, visits to museums, Kindergarten No. 41, Education Center No. 47, the Irkutsk Regional Scientific Library named after Molchanov-Sibirsky, the children's railway, the Taltsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, the nerpinarium, the Baikal Museum, and the Baikal environmental health camp in Listvyanka. From July 27 to 28, the Japanese schoolchildren will live with Irkutsk families. At the official reception, the children shared their first impressions of Irkutsk. They liked the city's old architecture, matryoshkas, and the many beautiful people on the city streets. They are also looking forward to staying with Irkutsk families and getting to know the everyday life and traditions of Irkutsk residents more closely.
“Such student exchanges should continue,” said the head of the delegation, head of the General Affairs Department of the Kanazawa municipal government, Mr. Tani Akira. “The children had been looking forward to this trip very much, and they prepared creative performances to present Japanese culture to the people of Irkutsk.”
“Children’s impressions are the brightest and stay with them for life,” Valentina Peregudova noted. “Such exchanges are educational and beneficial not only for the schoolchildren who come to Irkutsk, but also for the children who, even if only for a short time, host Japanese guests in their homes. Such contacts, without a doubt, make an invaluable contribution to the development of ties between our cities, since the personal, friendly relations of the younger generation are a stable guarantee of the reliability of the partnership in the future.”