n the initiative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Nikolay Mladenov, Japanese students from areas affected by the big earthquake on March 11, 2011 have been on a trip to Bulgaria. The group of 16 students and four accompanying persons from Higashi Matsushima town, Miyagi Prefecture, stayed in the country from May 27 to June 4, 2012. The journey was arranged with the big support of Bulgarian contributors, including Geostroy AD.

The Japanese children visited Etropole, Mirkovo, Belogradchik and Koprivshtitsa as well as nature landmarks around them. The program included a demonstration of Bulgarian arts and crafts, a visit to a rose plantation and a rose-distillery, Bulgarian folk dance lessons, led by Ms. Neshka Robeva. In Sofia the Japanese students stayed at the homes of their peers from the 18th High School "William Gladstone" with intensive study of Japanese language and culture. The group had a warm reception by the Chairman of the National Assembly Mrs. Tsetska Tsacheva and the Japanese ambassador His Excellency Makoto Ito.