“The 21st Century Renaissance Youth Leaders Invitation Program is implemented as summarization of the 40 years history of the InternationalYouth Exchange Programs which were started in 1959 by the Japanese Government to commemorate the marriage of H.M. the Emperor, and as an innovative and advanced program to open a door to the new century.

Those youth who are taking active roles in various fields in different parts of the world are invited to Japan to participate in the 21st Century Renaissance Youth Leaders Invitation Program 2001. By providing a wide range of activities with Japanese youth, we seek to:

• Promote understanding towards Japan for the overseas participants;
• Promote mutual friendship and understanding between the youth of Japan and the respective countries;
• Broaden the international outlook of the Japanese Youth;
• Foster the spirit of international cooperation, continuous peace and
  prosperity;
• And to elevate the abilities of the participants who take part in the field of international cooperation. As the fruit of this program, we expect to develop youth who are capable of showing leadership in different areas of a globalising world, and to encourage them to take active part in youth development activities.”