Addresses by Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino(2016)

　It is a great pleasure for me to meet you here today, at the opening ceremony of “the 6th Asia Oceania Camping Congress”. As I cherish my memories of camps since my childhood, both as a participant and as a volunteer, I have been looking forward to attending this congress with you, who have such wide experience of camps.

　I would like to extend my special welcome to participants from abroad. I very much hope you will have a memorable stay in Japan, which is blessed with beautiful nature and culture.

　I understand that your organized camps provide opportunities for participants to build relations with others, foster resilience, and improve their self-esteem, as they experience something different from their ordinary lives. I feel that activities to appreciate nature and diverse cultures are helpful for participants to extend their capabilities. Such camps have been realized by the cooperation of many hard working people including well trained and experienced staff with the necessary skills. I would like to express my sincere respect to all of you who have been making efforts to bring about high-quality camps.

　For example, it is very encouraging that “special needs camps” have been organized, and there are some camp sites with universal design. I am delighted to find that handicapped children have been able to relate to nature, stretch their abilities, and experience a sense of achievement and success in these camps. Also, I feel grateful to hear that children with serious illnesses and their families have been spending precious time in camps specially designed for them.

　I am very impressed that “grief camps” have been assisting children who are living in difficult conditions with heartbreaking experiences. I believe that grief camps, in which children can share their feelings with others and learn that they are not alone, are valuable gifts to those suffering pain in their hearts as a result of the loss of loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to those who have kindly extended their support for carrying out camps after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

　I imagine that each one of you has been building up your own camping history. There might have been camps filled with joy, or camps with difficult challenges, but I am sure that each camp has contributed to your ability to organize better camps in future. I hope that this congress will allow you to spend a fruitful time, sharing experiences and ideas, and holding discussions to explore further possibilities for camps. I also hope this conference will offer a good chance to raise awareness of the important roles played by organized camps.

　In closing my address, I wish you all good health and success, and hope that organized camps will bring valuable experience to people.