On January 31, 2014 the Future Farmers of America (FFA) National Officer team visited with Future Farmers of Japan (FFJ) at Tokyo Metropolitan Horticultural High School for an afternoon of diplomacy and cultural exchange. The FFJ students represented five different Tokyo-area high schools and led the FFA team through various cultural exchange activities including calligraphy, cup-and-ball, tea ceremony, the FFJ national dance/anthem (pictured below) and the game “ninja,” which is apparently popular with young people on both sides of the Pacific. The U.S. Embassy, Tokyo’s Agricultural Attaché Evan Mangino presented the FFA team and the President of FFJ with letters from Ambassador Kennedy congratulating the two groups on 35 years of successful exchanges. Increasing support for student exchanges between Japan and the United States is among Ambassador Kennedy’s top priorities.
FFA Visits Vertical Farming Research Hub at Chiba University