Japan and France initiate exchange project for teachers at farming schools

6 teachers at farming high schools in Japan leave for France on May 29 to study how they educate students in the country. It is a one-week program, but it is likely to be repeated in the reversed direction next year.

The project is based on an idea of Ms. Sabine Hofferrer, an agricultural attache at the French Embassy in Tokyo. She explained me it is very important to have a long time relationship between the two countries. "In order to do so, education in farming is a key. Just asking more market opening of cheese to the Japanese government is not enough," she said. She also stressed that there are quite similarities in agriculture of the two countries. History, way of thinking, cuisine, and people are somehow different from those of US.

The farming high school I had visited was "Cahors Le Montat."

Directeur Pierre VIRMONT and chairwoman Karen kindly introduced me the school. They have two courses. One is Truffles, and another is wine grapes. They produce more than 10,000 bottles of good wine. Yes, I enjoyed it at the lunch time..