Mr. Lin began his speech by thanking the Institute of Education Culture of Japan for its ongoing interaction with the ROC since its establishment in 1984. This interaction has led to many friendly educational exchange activities.

He pointed out the results of a National Survey that were reported by major Japanese newspapers on 30 October, 2014. The survey results showed that many Japanese think that it is important to “help others”, and that many Japanese think that Japanese are “kind”, “well mannered”, and “hard workers”.

The Institute of Statistical Mathematics considered that these survey results reflect the feedback received from outside of Japan, commenting positively about the attitude of Japanese people responding to the major earthquake that hit Northeast Japan in 2011. Many Japanese people had participated in a lot of the volunteer work after the disaster.

Mr. Lin went on to say that so-called “national character” refers to the comprehensive expression of various factors of a country’s national people and culture. Since ancient times, Japanese people have been affected by disasters and their strong will to live led to their developing a collective sense of Wa (和). One of the meanings of this word is to show a hard working spirit.

Mr. Lin emphasized the remarkable spirit of volunteering that Japanese people have. One of the reasons for the success of the London Olympics in 2012 was its volunteers; Japan will host the Olympics in 2020 and it will be a great chance for Japan to show the world its strong volunteering spirit.

Volunteering involves helping each other and sharing, and at the same time it signifies both rich humanity and a well-structured education system in society. Mr. Lin expressed hopes that the volunteer education in the ROC will be influenced by Japan’s excellent example and developed further.