The 10th UNESCO Children's Performing Arts Festival of East Asia-Students from Tsukidate Elementary School in Kesennuma City,Miyagi Prefecture demonstrated Waseya-shishi-odori dance-

A performing arts festival was organized in Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia by UNESCO and the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO,in which children from four countries and one region（Japan,Mongolia,China,Korea and Macau）participated.

The 10th UNESCO Children's Performing Arts Festival of East Asia（CPAF）was held in Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia on 22-27 August. Approximately 150 children and accompanying people from four countries and one region（Japan,Mongolia,China,Korea and Macau）attended the Festival. At the opening and closing ceremonies,the children from each country and region demonstrated a variety of performing arts such as song,dance and instrumental performances. During the Festival,they also participated in exchange programmes between participants,visit to local cultural facilities,hands-on learning experiences in nature,and so on.

Participants from Japan included students and accompanying people from Tsukidate Elementary School of Kesennuma City,Miyagi Prefecture,which is registered in the UNESCO Associated School Project Network（ASPnet),as well as Mr. Matsuura,former Director-General of UNESCO,Mr. Kato,Director-General for International Affairs of MEXT/ Secretary-General of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO,and Mr. Noguchi,Director-General of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. The ten students in the 5th and 6th grades of Tsukidate Elementary School demonstrated Waseya-shishi-odori dance.

Participants from the other three countries and one region（Mongolia,China,Korea and Macau）included students and the Secretaries-General of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the respective countries,and members from the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in China. As an organizer,Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,Minister for Culture Sports and Tourism,Minister of Population Development and Social Welfare,Vice-Minister of Education and Science attended from Mongolian Government,along with Director and staff of UNESCO Beijing Office.

At the closing ceremony,booklets and posters,which are comprised of pictures and letters written by the students from 14 ASPnet schools across Mongolia,were introduced by Secretary-General of the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO,and presented to the students of Tsukidate Elementary School by the Mongolian ASPnet school students.  The booklets and posters were created as a part of the “Japan Solidarity Project,” which is a joint initiative by UNESCO Bangkok and the Asia-Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO（ACCU）supported by the Japan Fund-In-Trust funded by MEXT to UNESCO,aiming at sending messages of hope and solidarity to the children in the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Following the closing ceremony,a reception was hosted by the Mongolian government in which awards were presented to students who were particularly active and performed impressive activities during the Festival. Ms. Shiori Yoshida,a 6th grader of Tsukidate Elementary School was awarded for her activities to make the most of new friends during the Festival.

The Festival was established by the leadership of Mr. Matsuura at his period of Director-General of UNESCO to coincide with the United Nations International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World（2001-2010),aiming at the promotion of cultural exchange and fostering mutual understanding between children in the East Asia region through music,dance and other performing arts. It has been annually hosted by different countries in the East Asia region since 2001,and biennially since 2010. The next Festival is scheduled to take place in China in 2014.

 taken from The Monthly Journal of MEXT, OCTOBER 2012 No.155 issue