Rukai Advance Delegation's Departure Date Set for November 10 — Technicians Umezu and Hiwada

The Third Appraisal Center announced on the 26th that the departure date for its advance delegation to the Kingdom of Rukai, previously reported on October 12, has been set for November 10. The two traveling are Hajime Umezu, 42, a technician with the Window 5 artifact unit, and Kasumi Hiwada, 35, an appraisal officer who handles isotope-ratio analysis. The stay is expected to run about three weeks and marks the first step in technical exchange following the expanded appraisal cooperation agreement signed on the 20th, supporting the startup of Rukai's own appraisal facility.

"I'm not simply handing over everything I've learned since the unit started, but I think there are parts that will be useful to them," Umezu said. Of her first trip abroad, Hiwada said, "I was born into the genetically designed generation and this is my first time leaving the country. People might be thrown off by how I look, but I hope they'll judge me by the work." The center plans to complete shipping arrangements for the small observation equipment it is bringing by early November.

■ Dividing the Work on Site

According to the center, Umezu will mainly advise on storage-wing operating procedures at Rukai's appraisal facility, while Hiwada will teach equipment operation and how to read initial data for isotope-ratio analysis. Both are expected to speak to this paper again after returning, and the practical side of the expanded appraisal cooperation agreement, signed on the 20th as previously reported, is taking its first step less than three weeks after signing. A center official said, "It's a small-scale effort, but I expect we'll be making several more trips back and forth until Rukai's appraisal system can stand on its own."