On August 25, with just a few days left before the end of summer vacation, a large group of elementary and middle school students gathered in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki, where central government office buildings are concentrated. They were taking part in a tour of government offices as part of an Education Ministry-sponsored project to increase dialogue with children.

The project is aimed at encouraging families and neighborhood communities to increase the opportunities for adults and kids to do things together and to think about what adults can do for children, who will lead the society of tomorrow. The Ministry of Education appealed to other ministries, local governments, private companies, museums, and other organizations to come up with programs that highlight their distinctive qualities. Thus far 5,657 organizations have participated in the project.

On August 25 schoolchildren visited 20 ministries and agencies to learn about the kind of jobs each is engaged in. With a "Kids' Map of Kasumigaseki" in hand, the participating youngsters toured the various government offices.

At the Education Ministry, for example, kids got to meet with the minister of education, while at the Finance Ministry, they saw bills being printed at a factory belonging to the Printing Bureau. They also saw the kind of equipment Japan's rescue workers use at the Defense Agency and made paper from recycled milk cartons at the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Ministry. The tour was full of firsts for the kids, and some seemed nervous at first, but they all had a great time.

Around 50 kids visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While viewing a projected image of a Web page that the ministry created especially for the tour, they listened carefully to an explanation of the kind of work diplomats do. They also learned about Kids Web Japan, which tells kids around the world about the major features of Japanese culture, society, and lifestyles, as well as what's really popular with Japanese kids these days.

Starting in the fall, Kids Web Japan will have a Japanese page, and there'll also be a new section on school life. The schoolchildren on tour said that they hope to use the Website to become friends with kids in other countries and to brush up on their English.

The Kasumigaseki tour turned out to be one of the highlights of summer vacation for many kids and allowed them a glimpse into the kind of work they might want to do when they grow up.

Photos: (From top) Students meet with Akito Arima, minster of education (Asahi Shogakusei Shimbun); learning about diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)