Today the head of Tuva, Sholban Kara-ool met with Japanese musicians who arrived in Kyzyl on the invitation of  the Center of Tuvan-Japanese Friendship  "Kargyraa". Yanagiya Koharu, Makigami Koichi and Udai Shika left Tokyo  next day after the earthquake. Sholban Kara-ool, first of all, expressed through them deep condolences to the entire Japanese nation.

-  We live right in the heart of Asia, and  we feel special pain for the tragedies that happen to our Asian friends, - said the Premier . - I have been to Japan, and I know what a courageous nation strong in spirit the Japanese people are. We, in our turn, are prepared to offer any kind of support and help to Japanese families who were impacted by the elements.

The Premier announced that all the expenses connected with the arrival and stay of the Japanese musicians in Tuva will be fully covered by the government.

--The trains were not running,  nor the trams, but one of special things about Japan is that regardless of any tragedies, the infrastructure keeps working anyway, so we managed to get to Tokyo after all, and to Beijing from there.  And then we flew via Krasnoyarsk to Kyzyl,  - explained their travels Makigami Koichi. - We could not do otherwise. We simply had no right to disappoint our Tuvan friends. - It is precisely this kind of simple cultural exchange that gives rise not just to friendship between peoples,  it also facilitates economic and other type of co-operation. The beginning of this friendship has its roots back in 1994.

-  Back then, 17 years ago, I met Tuvan throat singer Gennadiy Tumat and musician Otkun Dostai, who literally infected me with Tuvan throat-singing, - recalls Makigami. - And already the next year I was in Tuva. Then the Tuvan artists came to Japan. That is how our friendship started. A little bit later, the association Khoomei" was founded in the town of Atami in  Shizuoka prefecture, with Makigami Koichi as the president. He is the moving force behind the popularization of Tuvan throat-singing in the Land of the Rising Sun. it was thanks to his enthusiasm in many ways that the Japanese learned  about the musical culture of Tuvans. 

-  We, in our turn, are ready to invite lecturers from Japan, - emphasized Sholban Kara-ool.  - And not just musicians. We would like, for example, to study in detail the experience of scientific organization of work, which has long been worked out in your country. 

Remember that a new public organization - Center of Tuvan-Japanese Friendship "Kargyraa" has been registered at the end of last year.  Its special tasks are to popularize Tuvan throat-singing, which is now used all over the world.

-  Since the very beginning, we have felt support from the government, - said the leader of the center Otkun Dostai. - now we are trying to get a piece of land to build the center, which we intend to build attracting Japanese investment. The plans are to exchange experience in medicine, sport and other fields. 

The head of the republic asked to be informed about the work under way and about the plans of the centeer of Tuvan - Japanese friendship "Kargyraa", so that they could find solutions for problems as they arise.