The Yokohama Convention and Visitors Bureau conducted a press tour on August 22 for foreign correspondents stationed in the Tokyo metropolitan area for events at the "Culture City of East Asia 2014, YOKOHAMA." Thirteen people including journalists from Bangladesh, China, France, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan participated in the tour.

Based on the agreement by the Japanese, Chinese and South Korean cultural ministers in September 2013, the "Culture City of East Asia" project started this year. South Korea's Gwangju, China's Quanzhou, and Yokohama were designated as culture cities of East Asia for the opening year.

The tour focused on cultural and art events in Yokohama. The tour introduced Yokohama's objective of strengthening its communication capabilities to globally advertise the diversity of East Asian cultures and deepening mutual understanding and cooperation through the trilateral exchange programs and events.

At the outset of the tour, Kimiyoshi Matsumoto, manager for the East Asian Cultural City at the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Yokohama City, gave a briefing on the "Culture City of East Asia 2014, YOKOHAMA" project. Participants visited "Yokohama Sand Art Exhibition," "East Asia Youth Ballet Week in Yokohama" and "Yokohama Triennale 2014."

The participating journalists asked numerous questions and made comments at the sites, showing great interest in the Culture City of East Asia 2014, YOKOHAMA programs. Some notable comments by the journalists included:

- "It is significant that the 'Culture City of East Asia' events are being held in Yokohama, a Japanese city with great cultural diversity. It was great to see the people of Japan, China and South Korea in the process of creating something together." (Reporter from Hong Kong)

- "Culture may bring countries closer together when they are having a hard time politically." (Reporter from Bangladesh)

- "I hope South Korea, China and Japan will enhance their exchanges and improve their relations through the 'Culture City of East Asia' project." (Reporter from South Korea)

List of URLs

-Yokohama Visitors Guide

http://www.yokohamajapan.com/ (English)

-Culture City of East Asia 2014, YOKOHAMA

http://culturecity-eastasia.jp/en/ (English)

-Yokohama Sand Art Exhibition

http://www.yokohamasand.jp/ (Japanese)

-East Asia Youth Ballet Week in Yokohama

http://akarenga.yafjp.org/youth-ballet-week/2014/ (Japanese and English)

-Yokohama Triennale 2014

http://www.yokohamatriennale.jp/english/2014/index.html (English)