A professor from the University of Tokyo and her students attend the mandarin corner.

The 600th mandarin corner was held in Tokyo, Japan on July 14. Japanese people who are fond of Chinese language, overseas Chinese in Japan and Chinese students studying in Japan took part in the event.

The mandarin corner is a Japanese non-governmental platform for people from China and Japan to communicate in Chinese and have a better understanding of each other.

The activity has been held in the Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park in Tokyo every Sunday since Aug. 5, 2007. A total of nearly 30,000 people have participated in the event over the years.

It is hoped that people taking part in the mandarin corner will make good use of the platform and make new contributions to help enhance mutual understanding and friendly relations between the two countries, Chinese ambassador to Japan, Kong Xuanyou, said in a congratulatory letter.

Yuji Miyamoto, former Japanese ambassador to China, believes that the friendly relationship between China and Japan not only serves the interests of the two peoples, but also contributes to peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.

A 53-year-old Japanese resident surnamed Ando, who takes an active part in the language corner, is determined to introduce Chinese history and culture to local people.

"The Chinese people are kind and enthusiastic and gave me a lot of help during my time in China," he said. He hoped to help Japanese people learn more about China through his efforts.