Studying arts in Tirana

Everyday, the Arts High School of Tirana is visited by, among other students, two special girls. They are quickly noticed because of their hazelnut eye shapes. Moe Minami and Hazuki Watanabe, both 15, left their families in faraway Japan to pursue their passion in art. And that passion brought them directly to Tirana. Moe is studying ballet and Hazuki viola. The two girls have been attending school since September 2008 and they say that after some months they are getting used to Albanian life. They are learning to speak Albanian, even though they understand quite a lot by now. The headmaster of the School, Xhovani Luca, who is the official custodian of the girls in Albania, says their parents decided to send the girls to our country because the eastern tradition of art schools is still strong in Albania. Moe’s father once watched a documentary on Japanese TV about this small country far away from Asia. He became very curious and went to the Albanian embassy in Japan to get more information in order to visit the country. “Mr. Minami is a very famous conductor in Japan and in April 2007 he and his string quartet visited Albania. So we organized a series of events along with our strings orchestra. And from then on we decided to keep in touch. Our orchestra paid a visit to Japan as well, and it was this second meeting that made Mr. Minami make up his mind and send his daughter to study in Albania.
Both girls live in the campus and, according to Luca, this was their parent’s desire. “Even though their parents have all the means to pay the rent for a private apartment, they wanted the girls to stay at the campus so that they could better integrate into Albanian life,” explains Luca.
The headmaster says that he’s impressed with the girls’ correctness, not only in school but also in their everyday life. The communication between them gets easier day by day, since Moe and Hazuki are learning Albanian quickly. They also know some of the main streets in Tirana and are getting used to Albanian food, as well. “The girls are always in touch with their parents through the internet and they keep sending special Japanese food for their daughters so that they can feel less homesick,” Luca says.
Albania restored diplomatic relations with Japan in March 1981.