YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, July 28 (RIA Novosti, Pyotr Tsyrendorzhiyev) - The Ship of Friendship brought a Japanese delegation to Sakhalin, a Russian island in the Far East, Thursday.
The delegation comprises 44 people, including children, students and teachers from Hokkaido and marks the seventh time Sakhalin has formally hosted Japanese youth.
The guests will take part in an art contest dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Russian-Japanese diplomatic relations at the Vostok health camp. The Japanese and Russians will draw pictures on huge nine-meter canvasses.
After that, Japanese guests will move in with local host families to study Sakhalin traditions and culture and Russian.
The first Ship of Friendship arrived in Sakhalin from Japan in 2000. Some 500 Japanese students and children have visited the island since then.
About 140 Russian youth have thrice visited Hokkaido.
