Event Report (World Plaza - Taiwan Edition)
World Plaza ~Taiwan~
On Sunday, June 16th, "World Plaza" was held at "Unicom Plaza Sagamihara." This time, we introduced "Taiwan," a country that continues to fascinate people from all over the world as a paradise where magnificent nature and modern cities blend together and where there is diverse culture and fine cuisine.
The speaker was Ms. Tsai Yi-jing, who is from Taiwan and currently lives in Sagamihara City.
Sai began by talking about Taiwan's wonderful charms as a tourist destination, noting that it is a treasure trove of world-famous street food, where a wide variety of dishes can be enjoyed, such as Xiaolongbao, beef soup, rice flour soup, and pearl milk tea (tapioca milk tea). He also talked about the country's many mountainous regions, beautiful natural scenery, and hot springs, as well as the fact that cities such as Tainan and Kaohsiung are home to many historical buildings and temples.
Regarding the economic situation, he said that a factory by TSMC, one of Taiwan's largest semiconductor companies, opened in Kikuyo Town, Kumamoto Prefecture in February this year, which has strengthened economic ties between Taiwan and Japan, and that Taiwan's transportation infrastructure, including the Shinkansen, MRT, and subway, are being developed, contributing to economic and tourist activity.
Next, he spoke about the state of education in Taiwan, explaining that compulsory education in Taiwan lasts for 12 years, from age 6 to 18, which is longer than in Japan, and that the rate of students going on to university is over 80%. He also spoke about unique aspects of the education system, such as compulsory nap time in elementary and junior high schools, and the fact that each school also conducts independent study in the evenings after classes are over.
In the second half of the Q&A session, the participants actively asked questions about Taiwanese culture, history, education, social conditions, etc. while experiencing Taiwanese food. It was very impressive that Sai answered each question very carefully.
All of the participants in this event were very interested in Taiwan, and some of them said with big smiles, "I've been to Taiwan three times before, but today's lecture has made me want to go again," and "I'm planning on visiting Taiwan soon, so I attended this event, and getting to know its charms in advance has made me more excited about my trip than ever before."
Finally, the moderator offered his condolences to those who lost their lives in the earthquake that occurred on April 3rd of this year off the coast east of Hualien County, Taiwan, and closed the event by expressing his gratitude to the people of Taiwan for the heartwarming support they provide whenever disasters occur in Japan, including the earthquake off the Noto Peninsula that occurred on January 1st of this year.
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