The purpose of this project is to provide an opportunity for journalists in the Pacific Islands to undergo education and training in news gathering and coverage in Japan, enabling them to improve their understanding of Japan's unique social issues and their relationship with the Pacific Island nations. It also aims to educate and train journalists to be able to write articles that respect the perspectives and values of the Pacific Islands, which differ from the perspectives of the Western media.
Participants were recruited from the Pacific Island regions in fiscal 2006, with three of the 11 applicants, from Guam, Saipan, and Fiji, being selected. They visited Japan in May 2006. The visiting reporters learned about covered events such as the Japan-Pacific Islands Forum Summit Meeting held in Okinawa, energy issues such as nuclear power plants and the Cool Biz campaign, problems related to US military bases in Yokosuka and Okinawa, and environmental problems. With writing assistance from Floyd Takeuchi of Pacific Magazine and Junichi Ohmae of the Institute of Global Media and Journalism, the participants wrote nine articles (one on the Japan-Pacific Islands Forum Summit Meeting, three on military base issues, three on energy problems, and two on environmental issues) during their one-week stay in Japan. These appeared in the media of their home countries as well as in a special issue of Pacific Magazine, and were disseminated throughout the Pacific region.