The Embassy of the Republic of Fiji in Tokyo, together with the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club (YC&AC) Rugby Academy in Kanagawa, Japan, successfully completed the sports, education, and cultural exchange programme with the students and villages of Yaro, Solevu, Yanuya, and Tavua in the Mamanuca Group, Fiji.
The one-week programme, the first of its kind to be hosted at Mana Island Resort and Spa, is one of the flagship programmes of the Fiji Embassy in Japan in alignment with Fiji’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strategic priorities.
The programme include experiencing a Fijian village visit with the traditional welcoming kava ceremony, educational and environmental-related study of coral planting at the Mana Island Resort and Spa, and later participated in the Mana Kaji Rugby 7s Cup, a sports exchange, which they won.
The inauguration event of the Mana Kaji Rugby 7s Cup 2023 on Saturday, 19 August 2023, was marked by the official welcoming of the Chief Guest, Turaga na Taukei Nabukelevu Ratu Iliesa Ratunavudi Naitauniyalo, who was also joined by the Fiji Embassy Tokyo First Secretary Ms. Kelera Savu.
The Turaga ni Yavusa Taubera, Mr. Orisi Vukinavanua, expressed profound gratitude to the Government of Japan, the Fiji Embassy Tokyo, the YC&AC Rugby Academy and its members, and Mana Island Resort and Spa for hosting this event, bringing together the four villages, for the first of its kind event to be hosted on the Malolo Island.
He added that the support of the Embassy, signifies the betterment of our children and the building of our Fijian community. “It also indicates that we are not left behind, but YC&AC Rugby Academy is a blessing in choosing Mana Island to kick off this programme,” Mr. Vukinavanua said.
With the establishment of this new connection, the Fiji Embassy in Tokyo is confident that this will lay the platform for the four villages to strengthen and deepen its outreach in promoting people-to-people exchanges and tourism with Japan.
