Source: Xinhua News Agency
TOKYO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- "Because of the '3.11' earthquake, I had the opportunity to go to China and meet him, and our encounter became a turning point in my life. Japanese youth Kei Honkawa told Xinhua news agency reporters in an interview that the "he" in his mouth is a small friend he met in China during high school.
Ten years ago, Honkawa was a middle school student in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. When the 3/11 earthquake struck, he had just attended his high school graduation ceremony and was having dinner with friends in a restaurant.
"Suddenly, the mountain shook, all the tableware on the table fell to the ground, and the sound of glass breaking reverberated in the store... At that moment I felt the danger of death. Honkawa and his friends ran out of the restaurant and found that even the road was broken.
A truck travels in water in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, on March 15, 2011. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Jianli
Ishinomaki suffered heavy casualties in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, killing and missing more than 3,700 people and destroying more than 53,000 homes.
The sudden disaster left Benchuan confused. In December of that year, when the China-Japan Friendship Association invited a delegation of Japanese high school students to visit China, Honkawa was lucky to be one of them. That was his first time in China. He played soccer with his Chinese peers, climbed the Great Wall and forged deep friendships with Chinese teenager Xu Yang.
In 2011, students of Weifang No. 1 Middle School took a group photo with Japanese students visiting China. From the back, the third from the right in the second row is Xu Yang, and the fourth from the right is Ben Chuanqi. Images courtesy of respondents
"I was very impressed by the trip to China," Honkawa recalls, "and I was living at Xu Yang's house and he was very nice to me." We had a hot breakfast outside together, and he bought me a robotic cat toy that I still treasure to this day. ”
This trip to China and his encounter with Xu Yang also brought about a transformation for Benchuan. "At first, my English was not good, and I could not communicate smoothly with Xu Yang, so after returning to China, I made up my mind to study well. The encounter with him became an opportunity for me to work hard, and today my world has become more expansive. Honkawa said on March 7 when attending an online exchange meeting between Chinese and Japanese youth held by the Chinese Embassy in Japan.
Photo taken by Kei Honkawa while traveling in Malaysia. Images courtesy of respondents
After returning to China, Honkawa studied hard, was admitted to the school of his dreams, and engaged in education-related work after graduation, with the ideal of engaging in education in China and other Asian countries in the future. He also has a wish for many years - to find Xu Yang.
If you don't forget it, there will be an echo. After learning of Benchuan's wishes, a Chinese diplomat, after many efforts, recently contacted Xu Yang, who is now a staff member of the Weifang Museum.
Xu Yang recently took a photo. Images courtesy of respondents
"In the second year of high school, a Sino-Japanese exchange program recruited host families, and I signed up to take on the task of receiving Kei Honkawa. I was under the impression that he was a shy but funny Japanese boy. Receiving contact from the Chinese Embassy in Japan, the floodgates of Xu Yang's memory opened instantly.
"We visited together, ate food together, played computer games together, discussed hobbies and our respective cities, and made a lot of good memories."
The language barrier did not affect the communication between teenagers. "We are all interested in Japanese anime and like to play football, and although communication is sometimes even a guess, communication is not barrier-free." Xu Yang said.
Kei Honkawa sent Xu Yang's Doraemon comic book in 2012. Images courtesy of respondents
Xu Yang mentioned that at that time, he liked robot cats. After Returning home, Honkawa specially sent him a set of robot cat comic books. Today, Xu Yang still treasures this set of comics, and he is not even willing to throw away the mailing bag.
"In fact, I have always wanted to contact him for the past 10 years, especially when the epidemic in China was serious last year, and all walks of life in Japan gave Great help to China." Seeing the sentence 'Mountains and rivers are exotic, the wind and moon are the same day', I especially want to write an email to him. He said.
"Although we spent a short time together, the friendship lasted. I remember Showing me photos of the disaster in his hometown, I wondered how his hometown was being built. If it weren't for the pandemic, I might have rushed over tomorrow. Xu Yang could not hide his excitement at finding a Japanese friend, "In the future, when I have a chance, I will definitely bring Chinese tea to meet." The last time he came to China, this time I went to Japan for an appointment. ”
Kei Honkawa gave Xu Yang origami and a thousand paper cranes he folded by hand during his 2011 visit to China. Images courtesy of respondents
In his message to the youth exchange meeting, Kong Xuanyou, Chinese ambassador to Japan, said: The foundation of Sino-Japanese friendship lies in the non-governmental organizations and the future lies in the youth.
The two teenagers in the past have now grown into promising young people and have common expectations for China-Japan people-to-people exchanges.
"No matter where Benchuan and I are, this friendship will last forever in our hearts, and we hope that the people of Chinese and the Japanese people will live in friendship for generations and build peace together." Xu Yang said. (Editors: Ma Xiaoyan, Tang Zhiqiang)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform
【Responsible Editor: Hou Qiang】