On October 7th (Monday) and 8th (Tuesday), Soka University Vice President Kochi Kandachi and others participated in the International Symposium “Cultural Dialogue of Japan and China – International Symposium Related to Myths and Legends” that took place at the Nanyang Normal University Academic Exchange Center in Henan Province, China.

This symposium was hosted by the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Henan Province Nanyang Normal University with the aim of further deepening the cultural understanding between Japan and China. It was attended by researchers from both nations where discussions on the characteristics of the myths and civilizations between the two nations as well as the history of their cultural exchanges were held.

On the morning of October 7th (Monday), the Pangu Ceremony was held at a temple on Tongbai Mountain where Pangu (a giant that appears in myths transmitted from ancient times in China, known to have cut heaven and earth with an axe) is enshrined. Not only participants of the symposium but also many local people attended.

The symposium took place from the afternoon where representatives of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang City, and Tongbai County shared their greetings. This was followed by four representatives from both nations sharing keynote speeches. Vice President Kandachi, as a representative of Japan, spoke under the theme “Sino-Japan Educational Exchange and Humanities Dialogue” and shared the philosophy and ideas of the founder Dr. Ikeda, who cherished the exchanges between China and Japan as well as Soka University’s projects that are showing development through exchanges with China.
The following day on October 8th (Tuesday), sessions were held under four themes such as “Comparison of Myths of Japan and China” and “Myths and Culture.” Each of the 16 researchers presented their research findings and held an active discussion.