Old friends: Orlando Children’s Home’s Mirriam Masibuko and Yasushi Naito of the Japanese embassy
Japan is South Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner, with investments in energy, mineral resources and automotive industries creating at least 150 000 jobs.
More than 2 000 South Africans have been through technical training in Japan, such as Kaizen, which enhances productivity in the manufacturing sector.
The country has consistently supported industrial development of South Africa and regards South Africa as an important strategic partner.
There are about 260 Japanese company offices in South Africa and the staff and family of this business community, together with permanent residents, make up the Japanese community that is on the front line of bridging strong relationships between Japan and South Africa.
This year marks 115 years of official relations between the two countries.
The Japanese community in Johannesburg has a long-standing bond of friendship and goodwill with the Orlando Children’s Home in Soweto, spanning more than 30 years.
The home is one of the oldest orphanages in South Africa.
Yasushi Naito, of the Embassy of Japan, first met the director, Mirriam Masibuko, in 1992.
Since then, mutual exchange visits between learners of the Japanese School of Johannesburg and the Orlando Children’s Home have been taking place.
On 5 July, 30 learners and teachers from the Japanese School were welcomed by the staff and children of Orlando Children’s Home.
The aim of the exchange was to learn to engage, communicate and make friends, embracing commonalities while respecting different cultural backgrounds.
The children played together, learning about each other’s culture through games such as nawatobi rope jumping, origami paper crafting and traditional Japanese and African dances.
It was wonderful to see the children playing together and interacting with one another so naturally.
Some former Japanese School of Johannesburg learners have come back to Soweto all the way from Japan as university students and worked as volunteers at the home.
Japanese schoolchildren play at the home
One of them was deeply inspired that he is now working with Save the Children to protect children, including those of refugees, in a remote village in northern Uganda.
The inspiration goes both ways. Junichiro Koizumi, who visited Orlando Children’s Home in 1997 as minister of health, visited Johannesburg again in 2002 as prime minister to attend the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD).
At the convention centre, he was welcomed by some of the same children he had met on his visit five years earlier.
One girl played a harmonica that Koizumi had given her on the previous visit. A photo that captures this special moment is proudly displayed in the children’s dining hall.
She has since grown up to become a social worker and now assists children in need.
It is encouraging to know that some of the “graduates” of the Orlando Children’s Home have overcome hardship and are successfully working in business.
Through various exchange activities, the Orlando Children’s Home has instilled the spirit of ubuntu into the Japanese community.
Visitors have included artists, business people, development agency officials and ministers.
Tokiko Kato, a famous Japanese singer who visited the home, organised the “Thank You Rescue Team From South Africa” concert in Japan after the support received following the Great East Japan Earthquake, in 2011.
Some of the funds raised were donated to the Orlando Children’s Home. Embassy staff also raised funds for cots for the babies’ unit one Christmas.
Saturday’s exchange activities were held at the Youth Development Centre which was built with grant assistance from the Japanese government in 2018.
A new connection was also made at the event. Mr Roberto Orlando coaches judo in Alexandra at the Judo for Hope Centre — which was built and supported by the people and Government of Japan — and is hoping to see judo introduced at the Youth Development Centre. It is great to see the circle of friendship broadening more and more.
At the centre of this circle is the home’s Mrs Mazibuko, who was awarded the Order of Rising Sun Gold and Silver Rays in 2014 by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan for her contribution to promoting friendship and goodwill between Japanese society and South Africa, having hosted more than 1 000 visitors from Japan with special South African hospitality.
The bonds between Japan and South Africa are growing ever closer. Important elements of Japan-South Africa relations are human-to-human relations based on trust and common value and respect for humanity.