An Akita native who has personally funded scholarships for over 10 years to Russian students learning Japanese at a Vladivostok university says that he hopes the recipients will become a bridge to promote bilateral friendship.
Koichi Muto, 68, launched the scholarship program as well as grants for instructors at the Japanese-language department of the Far Eastern Federal University in October 2001, after learning that many of them were in financial hardship.
To date, the former restaurant owner has provided more than ¥7 million to help more than 200 students and instructors at the university, which is famous for an outstanding Japanese-language program that dates back to 1899.