Visiting Japanese students plant 170 hibiscus plants
Kota Kinabalu: One hundred and seventy Hibiscus plants were planted within five minutes in the Tropical Rainforest Park here by 165 secondary school students from Japan Monday morning.
'Definitely I am very happy and touched by their gestures coming all the way from Japan to do this,' said Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim, Mayor of Kota Kinabalu.
The students, comprising 16 girls and the rest boys, came from Konohama Gakun High School, Osaka, brought in by Japan Travel Bureau and Kay Tours Japan.
They were here for a four-day three-night trip, did white-water rafting in the Kiulu River, visited Klias Peninsular to see Proboscis monkeys, the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park off the capital city and saw the Orang-utans in Rasa Ria's Nature Reserve, Dalit Bay, Tuaran.
Hirai Hiromichi, Chairman of Konohama Gakun High School, led the group who were also accompanied by 15 teachers.
Asked why he did this, Hirai, rated a pioneer in taking Japanese students for overseas trips, said: "It's good to contribute to the communities of nations, this time, it is Kota Kinabalu."
Asked why he picked Sabah, he said: " Sabah is still rich in nature while the rest of the world is damaged. So, we came to Sabah to let the students appreciate the beauty of real nature," Hirai told Daily Express.
"And I think Malaysians are trying their best to preserve this beautiful nature," he added.
Asked why should Malaysia protect nature, Hirai said: "We all know about global warming because of the Green House effect," said Hirai, whose father founded the 700-strong school which started off as a boys school but now has 80 girl students.
But what can Sabah cities and towns learn from Japan?
Datuk Iliyas, who has visited Japan, said: "I noticed there are a lot of parks in big cities like Tokyo and other big cities and I also noticed a lot of beautiful trees are planted along the road, like bonsai-looking trees," he said.
"And most restaurants arrange flower pots at the entrance and they look very beautiful," Iliyas noted.
"And the cities are very clean and definitely we can learn from them," added Iliyas who said City Hall planted a total of 48,000 Hibiscus trees in record 15 minutes on September 29 this year, in response to a national campaign launched by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi.
Meanwhile, Kazue Okumura, Executive Director of Kay Tours & travel, told Daily Express: " There is a lot of potential in Sabah for student groups from Sabah, not only for sight seeing but also to participate in nature projects like this to contribute to the community," she said.
"Many schools in Japan are doing it now but Mr. Hirai Hiromichi is a pioneer and very active in this," she noted.
Hirai, 69, even attempted Mt. Everest but hadn't yet found time for Mt. Kinabalu. While here, some stayed at Rasa Ria while another group stayed at the Shangri-la's Tanjung Aru Resort.
They flew back to Japan immediately after the Hibiscus planting ceremony between 8am and 9am.
'Definitely I am very happy and touched by their gestures coming all the way from Japan to do this,' said Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim, Mayor of Kota Kinabalu.
The students, comprising 16 girls and the rest boys, came from Konohama Gakun High School, Osaka, brought in by Japan Travel Bureau and Kay Tours Japan.
They were here for a four-day three-night trip, did white-water rafting in the Kiulu River, visited Klias Peninsular to see Proboscis monkeys, the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park off the capital city and saw the Orang-utans in Rasa Ria's Nature Reserve, Dalit Bay, Tuaran.
Hirai Hiromichi, Chairman of Konohama Gakun High School, led the group who were also accompanied by 15 teachers.
Asked why he did this, Hirai, rated a pioneer in taking Japanese students for overseas trips, said: "It's good to contribute to the communities of nations, this time, it is Kota Kinabalu."
Asked why he picked Sabah, he said: " Sabah is still rich in nature while the rest of the world is damaged. So, we came to Sabah to let the students appreciate the beauty of real nature," Hirai told Daily Express.
"And I think Malaysians are trying their best to preserve this beautiful nature," he added.
Asked why should Malaysia protect nature, Hirai said: "We all know about global warming because of the Green House effect," said Hirai, whose father founded the 700-strong school which started off as a boys school but now has 80 girl students.
But what can Sabah cities and towns learn from Japan?
Datuk Iliyas, who has visited Japan, said: "I noticed there are a lot of parks in big cities like Tokyo and other big cities and I also noticed a lot of beautiful trees are planted along the road, like bonsai-looking trees," he said.
"And most restaurants arrange flower pots at the entrance and they look very beautiful," Iliyas noted.
"And the cities are very clean and definitely we can learn from them," added Iliyas who said City Hall planted a total of 48,000 Hibiscus trees in record 15 minutes on September 29 this year, in response to a national campaign launched by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi.
Meanwhile, Kazue Okumura, Executive Director of Kay Tours & travel, told Daily Express: " There is a lot of potential in Sabah for student groups from Sabah, not only for sight seeing but also to participate in nature projects like this to contribute to the community," she said.
"Many schools in Japan are doing it now but Mr. Hirai Hiromichi is a pioneer and very active in this," she noted.
Hirai, 69, even attempted Mt. Everest but hadn't yet found time for Mt. Kinabalu. While here, some stayed at Rasa Ria while another group stayed at the Shangri-la's Tanjung Aru Resort.
They flew back to Japan immediately after the Hibiscus planting ceremony between 8am and 9am.
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posted by Davor Novakovic @ Tuesday, December 06, 2005
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