THE KIZUNA (BOND) PROJECT: JAPAN- FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA (FSM)

Transcription

1 THE KIZUNA (BOND) PROJECT: JAPAN- FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA (FSM) MAYBELLINE MARI IHARA SEPTEMBER 2012 Page 1 of 10

2 My Report on the Kizuna (Bond) Project I applied for this program, not knowing what it was all about. After being approved by USP; the Embassy of Japan on Pohnpei arranged a meeting with the chosen applicants, to give us a clear understanding on the purpose of the trip and their expectation of us. The Kizuna Bond Project is a Youth-Exchange Project with Asia Oceania and North America. It is run by the Japanese government and it seeks to promote the understanding of Japan s road to recovery. As one of the twenty-two chosen from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). I am proud to say that, this once in a lifetime trip has touched my heart and it s the most incredible trip ever. I learned and experienced so much, it s overwhelming. After arriving at Narita airport from Guam, we were warmly welcomed and met our coordinator Mr. Takahashi and translator Ms. Maulani Tan. We were then transported by bus to Hotel Sunroute Ariake after enjoying a delicious lunch at Odaiba. Touring the Panasonic Center, I learned how this company is very ecofriendly; the company developed ways to conserve energy as much as possible and it opened my eyes to the new technologies that are being developed and how valuable they are. The rest of the members arrived that night Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, and Niue. We were given an orientation by JICE and JOCA, and after soaking in all the needed information about the disaster areas, we went to the Central Breakwater Landfill. I was really impressed on how they recycled their trash into land that will one day be a park. From Tokyo to Akita it was my first time on a bullet train (Shinkansen); the rushing feeling as the train dashed through the cities just gave me goose bumps. Cruising at Lake Tazawa the crystal blue waters gleamed in the shining sun. Making paper manually for the first time was really fun because I learned some paper making techniques, plus I think I was good at it. Experiencing Japanese tradition through the Tea Ceremony is the most interesting; there is a specific way of picking up the tea cup and drinking it. I drank natural Japanese green tea for the first time, it wasn t the best taste but it was still good and it s a very healthy drink. One of the most memorable experiences is when I spent the morning with my farm family. They welcomed us with kindness Otosan and Okasan. I picked and ate fresh tiny tomatoes, and I also had boiled and salted beans with chips; I learned how to pick and separate the right beans too. Visiting the Akita University was by far the most entertaining, they gave us a live demonstration and performance of their Kanto festival; even though it wasn t the real big festival, I really enjoyed seeing them perform live just for us. It was amazing! Page 2 of 10

3 Before heading to Kesennuma Oshima we spent a night in the Komagatake Kanko Hotel, here we experienced sleeping on the Japanese futon (Japanese style mattress) and sat on a little square mat or pillow at the dinner table. Spending three days on Kesennuma Oshima was the most exciting yet also sad and heart felt part of the trip. The exciting part was, I designed and painted my own one of a kind T-shirt. And I was touched by the courageous women who shared what she encountered during the earthquake and tsunami, her bravery to bring back sad or maybe frightening memories has shown me that the Japanese are really strong. If I were to put myself in her situation I might not know how to handle being separated from my kids, who are on the other side of the island and not knowing if they re alive or not. I admire her bravery on volunteering to share her experience with us. We sang our national anthem and got a chance to play the drums with the kids at the Oshima Elementary School, by the way, those kids are young, about the ages of six and up, but they were professional drummers. The best bond was with the Junior High school; we made paper cranes (origami) together, sang We are the World while making one big circle by holding hands with everybody. That was the best bonding experience ever! We also bonded with the other islands when we all planted our own memorial flowers. The citizens of Oshima were so nice to us, they made beautiful bracelets out of yarn and gave it us as something to remember them by, and I miss them all. Leaving Oshima was the saddest part of our three day visit; while the fairy was leaving the dock we held a ribbon from the boat to the island it was so sad leaving but I still waved and kept a smile. They kept waving until you couldn t see them anymore. The progress of the reconstruction efforts was super amazing; I didn t expect so much progress in just one year. I was surprised! The government and the community really bonded to make the recovery happen. I will continue praying for all the lost loved ones and those who are suffering from this unfortunate disaster. The moment we arrived in Tokyo we were quickly transported to the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs to give a presentation on our experience of the disaster site visit and what we ve experienced so far. We spent the last couple of days touring Tokyo, Japan. We went to Tokyo Tower, Akihabara, Edo-Tokyo Museum, prayed at a Shrine, visited the Pacific Island Center, and actually toured a Samurai s house. And I enjoyed watching the Honda robot. Overall, words really can t describe how amazing this trip was and how very fortunate and thankful I am to the Japanese government, JICE, JOCA, USP, the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Takahashi-san, Ms. Maulani Tan, Mrs. Junko Ito, Pritesh Chandra, and so many others, who has made this trip possible. I learned a lot and discovered the truth of Japan and I hope that through my experiences the people of Pohnpei will open their eyes to Japan s true wonders. I as a participant of the Kizuna (Bond) Project will do my part and share with my home island (Pohnpei), Japan s Message. Page 3 of 10

4 I hope to continue my education in Japan someday; I look forward to any opportunity. MEMORABLE PICTURES OF MY INCREDIBLE TRIP: PLACES, FACES, AND MEMORIES I WILL CHERISH A LIFETIME. (Group photo at Lake Tazawa) (Group in front of the paper making building) Page 4 of 10

5 (Us enjoying the Tea Ceremony) (On the platform at Mt. Kamayama in Oshima) (T-shirt making) Page 5 of 10

6 (Playing with the Drums & Posing for photos with the adorable kids) (Enjoying our delicious feast & admiring the beauty of it) (Bonding with Junior High school while making paper cranes) (Planting Flowers) Page 6 of 10

7 (Working together with the other islanders to pull the net of fish in; we found interesting creatures too!) (The most Memorable Farewell) (Tokyo Tower; posing and eating ice-cream) Page 7 of 10

8 (Posing in front of the Temple) (Listening to the historical lectures at the Edo Museum) (Amazed by the Red man, who does the robot dance) Page 8 of 10

9 (Trying new things: Wearing the Kimono) (Being amazed at the live performances) Page 9 of 10

10 TEAM MICRONESIA!! =) Page 10 of 10