SeeMacau
August 31st, 2010, 04:40 PM
PHNOM PENH (Kyodo) A facility established in the Cambodian capital by residents of Hiroshima to facilitate peaceful exchanges opened a children's library Sunday.
Hidetoshi Ito, general manager of Hiroshima House located in central Phnom Penh, said about 210 illustrated children's books, mostly of Japanese folktales, have been translated into Cambodia's Khmer language since last November by some 38 Cambodian students studying Japanese.
The number of donated books will increase over time to around 500, Ito said.
Among the 100 or so people who attended the opening ceremony were Takashi Hiraoka, a former mayor of Hiroshima, and Katsuhiro Shinohara, a former Japanese ambassador to Cambodia.
Hiraoka, now director general of the Association for Exchange between Hiroshima Citizens and Cambodia, said at the ceremony that Cambodia's future depends on its children and "reading is really important" for them to acquire deep knowledge and contribute to the country's development.
Shinohara, who speaks fluent Khmer, said he was happy to witness the opening of the library, which Cambodian children can use to absorb more knowledge after their regular school hours.
Hiroshima House is located near the Royal Palace in a monastery complex that serves as the headquarters of Cambodia's Theravada Buddhism.
Designed for multifunctional use, including for language teaching and educational exhibitions, the five-story building was constructed bit by bit by Hiroshima volunteers visiting the country between 1995 and 2006, when it was completed.
In addition to providing lodging and various courses for Cambodians, the facility has a museum and a Japanese library.
Hidetoshi Ito, general manager of Hiroshima House located in central Phnom Penh, said about 210 illustrated children's books, mostly of Japanese folktales, have been translated into Cambodia's Khmer language since last November by some 38 Cambodian students studying Japanese.
The number of donated books will increase over time to around 500, Ito said.
Among the 100 or so people who attended the opening ceremony were Takashi Hiraoka, a former mayor of Hiroshima, and Katsuhiro Shinohara, a former Japanese ambassador to Cambodia.
Hiraoka, now director general of the Association for Exchange between Hiroshima Citizens and Cambodia, said at the ceremony that Cambodia's future depends on its children and "reading is really important" for them to acquire deep knowledge and contribute to the country's development.
Shinohara, who speaks fluent Khmer, said he was happy to witness the opening of the library, which Cambodian children can use to absorb more knowledge after their regular school hours.
Hiroshima House is located near the Royal Palace in a monastery complex that serves as the headquarters of Cambodia's Theravada Buddhism.
Designed for multifunctional use, including for language teaching and educational exhibitions, the five-story building was constructed bit by bit by Hiroshima volunteers visiting the country between 1995 and 2006, when it was completed.
In addition to providing lodging and various courses for Cambodians, the facility has a museum and a Japanese library.