Opening Remarks
Sendai City Board of Education
Yoshikichi Abe*Good morning. My name is Yoshikichi Abe, the Superintendent of the Sendai City Board of Education.
Today I would like to offer my respect and encouragement to everyone involved in this symposium. I am
anticipating a great success, and I am sincerely grateful to have the opportunity to be here today.
Well, how do you like Sendai? The residents of Sendai are proud of the beautiful zelkova trees that line
our streets, and dramatically follow the cycle of changing seasons. We are comforted by the vivid, bright greenof the new growth in the spring. In the summer, the rich, vibrant green of the dense foliage fills the air withlife and vitality. As fall approaches, we marvel at the intensifying display of orange, yellow, and red, as theleaves meet with the cold winter air. The majestic Mount Zao, and other mountains tower over the west ofthe city, while to the east, the vast Pacific Ocean extends to the distant horizon. We are blessed with delicious
water and bountiful harvests from the natural environment around us. I enjoy fishing, and from personalexperience, I can tell you where to go to catch various types of flatfish that make a perfect side dish for ricewine.
I am proud to call Miyagi Prefecture and Sendai City my home, and I hope to preserve this area’s
beautiful natural treasures for all future generations.
For this reason, we must work to raise environmental awareness on the local and international level. On
the local level, the city of Sendai has been certified with ISO 14001, and beginning with mayor of the city,
we are all working towards protection and conservation of natural resources. The board of education also
is working for this cause, and during summer vacation, about ninety thousand people have the opportunity
to learn about environmental issues through “Eco-schools.” Tomorrow we will hold the “Children’s PracticalEnvironmental Forum.” I hope that this event, along with other efforts will help to promote our students’environmental awareness. On the international level, I know that people from various countries recognizethat the natural environment transcends national boundaries. We share our wisdom and combine our efforts
to work towards environmental protection and conservation on a local and international level, and lovingly
care for the irreplaceable nature that benefits us all.
Starting today, the “International Environmental Education Symposium” will be held for three days
based around the theme of finding the light that will illuminate the path towards saving the natural world. I
wish to express my deep respect and gratitude to all of you who will participate in the search for this essential
light.
Also, tomorrow’s “Children’s Practical Environmental Forum” held by the Sendai City Board of Education
has been made possible through the cooperation and efforts of many people. I would like to thank all ofyou, and particularly, I would like to express my gratitude to Ms. Andrea Deri who will present the opening
lecture. Because of everyone’s efforts, the students of Sendai can gain a heightened environmental awareness* Superintendent, Sendai City Board of Education, JAPAN－6－Ann. Rep. Env. Edu. MUE. Vol.5 No.2, 2003

and a broadened from of reference which will enable them to take practical steps towards environmentalpreservation.
In conclusion, many thanks to all of you who have traveled great distances to join this symposium. As
you have heard, I am very proud of this city and its beautiful natural surroundings. I would be honored if allof you enjoy your stay here in Sendai. Thank you very much.

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