■Japan-Korea Tunnel Karatsu/Nagoya Diagonal More than 1,000 observers and visitors from South Korea
Tunnel site inspections of the Karatsu Nagoya Diagonal Tunnel from South Korea have continued continuously since New Year's Day, and by the end of July, the number had exceeded 1,000, and as of the end of August, the number had reached 1,200. Groups of middle school, high school, and university students also visited during summer vacation, and reservations are still being made for tours.
Each inspection is conducted in large buses with seating for 40 to 50 people. Many come from Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces in southern Korea, which have easy access to the port of Busan, but some also come from the capital, Seoul. After visiting Karatsu Castle and Nagoya Castle Museum, the schedule is for one and a half hours in the morning. After the progress and lecture by Director Yoshitaka Okubo, we took a commemorative photo in front of the mine entrance, looked at the tip of the 540m tunnel, and then had a chat while eating watermelon in the plaza in front of the warehouse.
Afterwards, we will go up to the observatory above the sloping shaft and look out over the four Yobuko islands and Iki, and then look further west toward Korea. Of course, you can't even see Tsushima, and you can't see South Korea. After arriving at Hakata Port by boat from Busan, I finally began to take in the direction of my home country. For Koreans, Japan is the ``closest foreign country.'' The weaker yen helps, but it also seems that there is a strong desire to see Japan.
There were no inspections for three weeks after the Kumamoto earthquake on April 14th and 16th, but things have gradually recovered since then. The future of Japan and Korea cannot be created by being anti-Korea and anti-Japan. ``Even though I understand it in my head, I can't understand it in my heart.'' By increasing the number of exchanges between Japan and South Korea, the time has come to experience new feelings and create a new atmosphere.
The group will then visit Nagasaki, Aso, Beppu, and Dazaifu to experience Japan. The Japan-Korea Tunnel Project will make great progress if the people who inspected it spread the word of mouth within South Korea.
[Photo] Middle and high school students in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, July 26th
[Photo] Focus on the bulletin board in the plaza
[Photo] Listening to a lecture by Director Yoshitaka Okubo
[Photo] Inspection group from Jeollanam-do, August 30th
