Study Classes

Ms. Wakako Hironaka, Ms. Kiyoko Shimizu and Mr. Tsurunen Marutei, House of Councilors, traveled to Laos from the 11th to 18th of January, 2005. They visited several areas, such as Vientiane, the capital of Laos and Salavan, and reviewed the current situation of poverty/development.

Ms. Hironaka and Mr. Marutei attended the briefing session right after they retuned to Japan and explained what they saw and thought. Members of Foreign Ministry also attended the session and took some questions from the listeners.

Mr. Tsurunei repeated the question, "What is real happiness for them?" Laos is said a poor country, but that point of view is from our side. Are they really poor? Are we really rich? It is difficult to find an answer.



	Ms. Wakako Hironaka, Member of the House of Councilors

Mr. Tsurunen Marutei, Member of the House of Councilors


	Questions from the audience
Staff members from the Foreign Ministry answered the questions.
	Ms. Kiyoko Ikegami, Director of UNFPA Tokyo Office who joined the meeting as a listener, answered some of the questions
	Goods from Laos, and many others are also on sale