The group headed by Assemblyman Sawatari Kazuo of the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly arrived Palau Sunday night and left Wednesday night.
The group is from Yamagata, Japan, which happened to be the hometown of Governor Yoshitaka Adachi’s grandfather.There are 13 of them who came to Koror and they met Governor Adachi.The group who are members of Palau-Yamagata Friendship Association also visited Koror Elementary School and donated school supplies.Sawatari said Palau is a beautiful island and he is looking forward of visiting the country again.Sawatari said the visit is to further enhance the mutual understanding between Palau and Yamagata.They also wanted to see the hometown of Governor Adachi whose family is originally from Yamagata.Governor Adachi went to Yamagata, Japan last month to visit his relatives there.Governor Adachi also met Mieko Yoshimura, Governor of Yamagata Prefecture during his visit in June and some members of the Yamagata Chamber of Commerce.Governor Adachi’s grandfather Teizi Adachi and his family came to Palau before World War II. The grandfather went back to Yamagata after the war and left his son Tatsuo Adachi, Governor Adachi’s father to Palau.Tatsuo married a Palauan and settled in Koror. His son Yoshitaka Adachi is now the Governor of Koror.Sawatari said Adachi’s family were known and well respected in Japan. One of their relative Mineichirou Adachi is very famous not only in Japan but also in other parts of the world.Mineichirou Adachi was a president of International Court of Justice and was the first Japanese to become President of Court of Justice.Sawatari said one of the programs that their group discussed with Governor Adachi is the possibility of sending students from Yamagata to study in Koror and vice versa.“Hopefully we can start this exchange students program next year. We will send Palauan students to Yamagata to study there and students from Yamagata to study here,” Sawatari said.
