JENESYS 2017 report

Name: TASPRIT KAUR

In November 2017, I was chosen to take part in the JENESYS 2017 programme which was held from November

29th, 2017 to December 7th, 2017. This programme (JENESYS- JAPAN EAST ASIA NETWORK OF EXCHANGE FOR

STUDENTS AND YOUTHS) was intended to promote interest about Japan and its culture and promoting our

culture in Japan. I went in group 1C, under the theme of Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction, thus giving me a

chance learn more about the disasters and how to cope up with it.

Group IC consisted of a total of 30 candidates, where 20 participants were chosen from the 5 Pacific Island

countries, namely Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu, with 2 supervisors and about

10 participants came from New Zealand. The trip was for 9 days in total. The prefecture we visited was

Fukushima.

As a part of the JENESYS 2017, I Have a major responsibility to promote Japanese culture to my family, friends

and other people through reliable means, such as social media (Facebook, instagram, snapchat).

My report will be a brief tour of Japan on a daily basis and I hope you love it!

Day1: 29th November, 2017 - THE BEGINNING

Pacific Island candidates (except for FSM) travelled to Nadi Airport at 6am on a Wednesday morning (29th

November) to catch flight with Korean Airlines at about 12pm. Group 1B was also with our group as we had the

same schedule except for the different prefectures and the theme. 1B was going to Nagasaki. Approximately 35

candidates, all going to Japan for the first time, where all meet for the first time, were really excited for the trip.

The flight was about 9 hours long and landed in Incheon Airport, South Korea for transition to Narita Airport,

Japan. After an hours stay, we finally boarded the flight to Narita, Japan. It was really very cold- temperature was

as low as 2 degrees.

2 hours wait was worth as we finally landed in Japan. The security check wasn’t too hard as I was busy

mesmerizing what I’ll do as I get out of the airport. We were then greeted by 2 smiling faces- Mr. Naoki

Nakayama (coordinator) and Mr. Alexandra Litvinov (translator) – the JENESYS staff, saying “konnichiwa” (hello in

Japanese) and a nice bowing. After everyone gathered, we went out of the airport and walked to where a bus

waited for us. Both of the groups went in the same bus to Daiichi hotel in Tokyo. The tall building, nice roads with

lights and fancy luxury cars surprised us as it is a rare sight in the Pacific Island nations.

As we arrived our final destination for the day, our room keys with our room mates were announced and we

headed off to catch some rest after a very long and tiring flight. However tired we were, the view from the room

was so catchy that my sleep just flew away. It was indeed very new to me – beautiful sight of Tokyo city, full of

tall building with different lightings. We had to re-energize for a new day of adventure so I opened my curtain

and fell asleep while looking at the view.

Day 2: 30th November, 2017 - Orientation and pop-culture – adventure begins

A good sleep in beautiful cold weather was interrupted by the alarm at 5.30am in the morning as breakfast had

to be served from 6.30am to 8.00am. A buffet style breakfast was such a good kick start to the day. The breakfast

consisted of Japanese meals – miso soup, rice, sashimi (raw fish) and steamed vegetables, and also modern meals

– bread, scrambled eggs, croissants, and cereals with lots of fruits. We had to get ready and be in the lobby at

8.30am sharp to go for the orientation. Different buses were allocated for different groups (3 buses – 3 groups

(1A, 1B, 1C)).

The orientation started at 9.30am sharp and introductory speeches were made and many delegates from JOCA

welcomed us to Japan. It was sometimes difficult to understand the speeches as their English accent was very

different from ours. However, with the help of the translators, it was quite easy to know what is to be done and

the important notices were understood properly. Ice- breakers were brought in the middle of the orientation to

break the silence and the very first step to know each other. Some very nice ice-breakers were introduced such as

to compliment and make your partner smile without knowing anything except for the physical appearance. The

orientation ended with another ice-breaker where we had to build a Japanese house based on the hand

directions of one of the group members without saying a word. The main reason for this was to make sure we

understand instructions and also we understand directions given by someone as I got to know that Japanese

people who do not speak English well use directions to give out information.

Lunch was right after the orientation which consisted of traditional Japanese food which includes miso soup,

ramen, sashimi, prawns. This is where I first tried the miso soup. At first I didn’t like it at all because it was far

more different from the soups from Fiji. So lunch that day was really challenging for me to consume. However,

Japanese food is really healthy as it contains a lot of vegetables.

After lunch, we headed to the tallest building in Tokyo – theTokyo tower – a very great architecture of Japan. We

had some spare time where we could go and shop if we wanted. We went to little gifts shops inside the tower

and I was very touched by the way the shop vendors greeted us when we went past them. This showed their

culture and hospitality.

We headed to Odaiba (man-made island) to take a look into the Japanese pop-culture. The amazing view in

Odaiba, the weather- I was so fortunate to go to Japan. The place that showcased the technology of Japan by

show casing a tall robot, sets of robots and a big mall was the Divercity Tokyo Plaza. This was the popular culture

of young people who had interests in games, robots, sports and music. Hundreds of people come to Divercity to

enjoy the pop culture of Japan. The pop culture is similar to our pop culture as we; the younger generation,

prefer games, technology, sports and music in our lives.

At 6pm we went to one of the modern restaurants for dinner. This was the first time for me to have dinner that

early. European food was given to us which were potato fries with roasted chicken in tomato sauce with iced tea.

This was very yummy. After dinner, our last stop was again Daiichi hotel and thus, we again freshened up, posted

todays’ activities photographs on Facebook and instagram – we had already begun to spread the beautiful culture

and sights of Japan!

Day 3: 1st December – Sensoji temple scroll, Sona Area and Reconstruction Agency – adventure continues

Breakfast on this day was same as the previous day- a buffet with traditional Japanese food and modern food.

The group left for Sensoji temple scroll at 8.30am. Small gift shops in a lane led to the Buddha temple. In front of

the temple, we had to light up incense sticks, which Japanese believe that inhaling it wards off the evil, illness and

bad luck. This is similar to our Sikh believe that lighting up incense sticks takes away bad smell, wards off evil and

bad luck. The temple had many beautiful statues of Buddha but unfortunately no photographs were allowed to

be taken. Shoes had to be taken off before entering the temple and one has to kneel down on the knees and

pray. This is another aspect that is similar to the Sikh practice while praying. It was so peaceful and calm inside

the temple. After the small praying experience, we were allowed to explore the small shops. It was a really

interesting view as the lane was decorated with Japanese lanterns and beautiful lights and flowers.

After visiting the peaceful temple, lunch was served in a traditional Japanese restaurant where we had to remove

our shoes and lock them in the small shoe racks, as we are not allowed to walk on “tatami” mats! – This was a

very important rule to remember. We ate our meal sitting crossed legged on cushions in a Japanese styled room.

Before beginning any meal, we had to say “ittadakimasu” which is usually gratitude before having meal. And

upon completion of meals, we said “Gochisou sama deshita”- gratitude after having meals.

At about 1pm, we headed off to Panasonic Company where a staff greeted us and showed us around. It was

really fascinating to see a lot of models of old and new electronic products. It was then brought to our attention

that Panasonic is the major supporter of Olympic and Paralympic games. Not only does this company aim at

achieving greatest heights in technology, but it also promotes sports, culture, and education to the disabled and

also the younger generation.

At 4pm, we headed towards the reconstruction agency which is responsible for the reconstruction of disaster

stricken areas. Here, we were given lecture on the Great East Japan Earthquake (11th march, 2011) – magnitude

of 9.0 and lasted for about 3minutes. It was the largest earthquake on record in Japan, and fourth largest

earthquake in the world since 1900s. It happened in Sendai, Miyagi near to Fukushima prefecture, after which

followed the tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station incident (Hydrogen bombing). It was sad

to know the number of lives lost and damages that people faced. According to the data obtained from the

agency, 72% relocation to upland is completed, and about 85% of public housing is reconstructed, as of 30th June,

2017. We were also told that the average air dose decreased by about 71% compared to November 2011, which

was a result of radiation caused by the hydrogen blasts. Thus, it fascinated me to know that Japan has made its

recovery in a very short time when compared to the damages done by the three dreadful incidents and that our

nation should have an agency similar to the one in Japan that only aims to reconstruct the disaster stricken areas

and normalize the lives of people.

After gaining a lot of useful information, our group headed for dinner and likewise, we were giving traditional

Japanese food, and as usually I found it really challenging to consume, especially the half-cooked fish. However, it

was nice to explore new kinds of foods. I followed the same routine upon reaching the hotel.

Day 4: 2nd December, 2017 – travel to Iwaki City, Fukushima and Homestay

On this day, we had to wake up early (about 5am) since our breakfast was between 5.30am to 6.30 am and we

had to leave for Iwaki City, Fukushima at 7am. Following the same breakfast, we had to meet up in the lobby at

6.30am to return our hotel room keys (check-out of the hotel). We had to catch a train from Ueno Station and

departed for Iwaki City at 8am. The train ride was awesome as we got to see beautiful views of Japan on our way

and the train ride took us about 2 hours and 30mins.

Upon reaching Iwaki city, we were taken to the city hall, whereby we had to be separated from our group and go

with the host families for home stay. This was a real mixed feeling situation as we didn’t know if any of our

friends would accompany us or not. At the same time, I was really excited to spend a day with a new family and

was hoping to learn a lot more of their culture. As we waved goodbye to some of our friends, I kept on hoping

that I get a company who would go with me. And yes, one of my friends accompanied me to my homestay.

Ms. Mitsukoh Yamaguchi (host mother) and her son Mr. Tomoha Yamaguchi were our host family who greeted us

with smile and hugs. They took us to food court and gave us a chance to choose our own meals. This was really

very nice as she said “I know that you might not like Japanese food so much”. During lunch, Ms. Yamaguchi

discussed with us our food preferences and noted it down. While she was planning dinner, an idea struck to me

and I requested her if we could make Indian food for her family tonight. And believe me; they were really

surprised and happy about it. After lunch, she took us to a grocery store and bought us whatever we needed for

dinner that night. Upon reaching her home, I opened my shoe on the right hand side of the door (this is another

one of their practices) and Ms. Yamaguchi offered us warm shoes to be worn inside as it was really cold. We meet

her husband, Mr. Yamaguchi and their pet dog named Koutta. She showed us our room and gave us time to

freshen up. She offered us Japanese tea (green tea) which I tried for the first time and I wasn’t a fan of it. But out

of respect, I drank it.

We then went a museum which – Iwaki City Museum of Folklore and Traditional Housing which had a number of

traditional Japanese houses on display, which were built between the latter tern of the Edo period and beginning

of Meiji Period (200 years back). Japanese traditional Minka were designed to suit the environment, climate and

natural features. For instance, the Ro (or Irori – a sunken hearth for cooking and warmth), Tsuchikabe – clay

walls, Kayabukiyane – thatched roof, the Kemuridashi – smoke vent in the ceiling and shoji – sliding paper doors,

were few of the devices made to bear the heat of the summer and cold of the winter. We were not allowed to

step on the door way or on the partitions that separated the rooms, instead we took big steps over it as this is a

belief of the Japanese. The wisdom, technology, and the customs of the predecessors could be rediscovered

here.

After having a wonderful experience, at the museum, we freshened up and were again offered Japanese tea

(second time!), yet I drank it out of courtesy. We then made roti and chicken curry in masala. It was really difficult

to make roti because there was no rolling pin and rolling board around, so we used a round stick and the

chopping board instead. This was an interesting experience for me as it was the first time I found cooking a

challenging task. However, we managed to make it. We also invited Mr. and Mrs. Yamaguchi to roll the dough

and yes, they really enjoyed learning how to make it. It was something really new to them. All I could tell my

friends was that “I brought the Indian culture to Japan”.

Dinner was served which consisted of roti, chicken curry, prawns, boiled potato, roasted chicken, pasta and salad.

I was in fact really proud of myself as they liked the food very much. This is where I realized what the JENESYS

programme was intended for – cultural exchange.

After dinner, we were escorted to our bedroom and it was a really tiring day so we knocked off early.

Day 5 – 3rd November, 2017 – homestay (continued), Iwaki Lalamew and Coal and Fossil Museum

Breakfast was served at 8am in the morning and we had to rush because the beautiful cold weather made our

sleep more comfortable. Nevertheless, we made it on time.

After the breakfast, we gave tokens to the host family and they appreciated it. Ms. Yamaguchi then took us to the

old Ganjo-ji temple, where we had to first wash ourselves in the shrine. The water was really cold but it was yet

another amazing experience. We went inside the temple after removing our shoes and unfortunately no

photographs were allowed to capture the wonderful and beautiful statues of Buddha. It was really peaceful

inside. Outside the temple was a shop which has fortune telling so our host mother paid for us and we picked up

little lockets that had a piece of paper which has our fortune written in it – in Japanese of course! So I asked my

host mother to read it for me. I usually don’t believe in fortunes but what she told me was surprisingly or should I

say shockingly relatable.

After the visit to the old temple, we had lunch and this time Ms. Yamaguchi took us to a restaurant that

specialized in making ramen – soup with a lot of ingredients. This was the first time I ever tasted ramen and I kind

of actually liked it and it was also the first time I used chopsticks to eat food. It was another achievement for me

to use the chopsticks.

Now it was time to bid farewell to my host family. Our host mother drove us to the city hall, where our

coordinators were waiting for us. It was indeed a sad moment for me as the family considered us as a part of

theirs and made us feel at home. There was an unseen, indescribable bond that had been made between me and

the family. It was really touching for me – a girl who lost her mum at the age of 16 – when Ms. Yamaguchi said

“now I am proud to tell everyone that I have daughters, you may not be my biological daughters, i have

established a connection that a mother has with her daughter” and when she hugged me, I cried. It was the most

heartbreaking moment in Japan where we parted ways with the host family. The care, the respect and the love

they gave us was beyond expectation and is invaluable.

After being reunited with the group, we headed to the Iwaki Lalamew- this is the fishermen market where

various fish stalls are and the locals of Iwaki city come to sell fish and earn a living. Here, we were given a lecture

to how much damage was done to this area. The presenter said that “this area had been totally devastated after

the tsunami and we had lost hope that anything will ever survive here”. It was sad to hear their story about their

struggles during and after the tsunami. However, I was astonished to know that they did not sit back to wait for

help. The locals of the Iwaki city came together and worked to clean the debris. Just days after the earthquake,

volunteers flowed into the disaster affected area to remove rubble and debris in order to develop a foundation

for the restoration of basic lifelines and infrastructure. It only took approximately 138 days to clean up and re-

build the Iwaki Lalamew. This was because the people cared more about their communities rather than their own

self-interest.

After learning a lot about the perseverance of the Japanese people, we moved towards our next stop which was

the coal and fossil museum. The museum opened in August 1984. It contains numerous exhibits tracing the

history of Japan coal field, as well as extensive collection of fossils from all over the world. Recreated coal mining

scenes are extremely popular. The museum displays materials which tell us about the history of coal mining in

the Joban coal field and the academically valuable fossils excavated in Iwaki City. The coal mine structure is

similar to the structure of the gold mine in Fiji. The tasks carried out are also very relatable.

After all the days’ activities, dinner was served which consisted of traditional Japanese food in the Japanese style.

We moved to Hotel Crown Hills to call it a day. It was then announced that the next days’ activity will be a

courtesy visit to the mayor and a participant each from New Zealand and the Pacific Island countries. And

unexpectedly I was chosen to represent the Pacific Islanders. I was shocked but yes, I prepared for it as I was

proud to be a representative.

Day 6: 4th December, 2017 – courtesy visit to Iwaki Mayor, visit to coastal area and farming experience

As usual, breakfast was served at 6am. It was buffet of both Japanese food and modern food. We had to be ready

to explore other parts of Iwaki city at 9am. We walked to meet the mayor as the venue was near. All the

speeches made by the mayor and other delegates were in Japanese and our translator was very handy. After a

while, I was called to give my speech on behalf of Pacific Islanders. i did my best as it was my solo performance in

a foreign country for the first time. During the photo session, the mayor thanked me and the New Zealand

representative- it was truly a proud moment for me.

Our team then visited the coastal area where the tsunami had actually hit. However, it didn’t seem like any

disaster had occurred there because of the fast recovery. To prevent the tsunami from reaching the shores and

the households, a sea-wall of about 9meters is built, followed by forestry (pine trees), then industrial area and

then residential area. So if the tsunami breaks the wall, it has to go through the forestry. Thus, these are the

preventative measure taken by the locals to protect their areas from natural disasters.

Lunch was followed after the coastal area survey.

After lunch, group went for farming experience in a cotton farm. We were given lectures on how they started up

cotton farming. After the disaster, the locals were unemployed thus, a women took an initiative to do something

rather than just sitting down and waiting for help. Thus, they set up a small organization and worked really hard

until they became the major producers of brown cotton in Japan. We then went to do some field work whereby

we helped the workers to collected/ pick the cotton. It was a very interesting experience as I had never seen a

cotton plant in my life. Through seeing the hard work of the ladies, I got very much inspired and thought of not

wasting my time and do something valuable.

After all the field work, we were served dinner and then our last stop was the hotel. I had to refuel myself for the

next day full of adventures.

Day 7: 5th December, 2017 – departure from Iwaki city, Visit to Sophia University

Breakfast was served in the usual manner. We had to be ready by 8am and check out of the hotel.

We walked to the Iwaki train station and departed to Tokyo at 9am. Train ride was awesome as we could see the

views outside. However, I used this time to catch some sleep. At about 11.30am we reached Tokyo.

After having lunch, we proceeded to Sophia University. It is one of the largest universities in Japan. The university

was founded on the belief that all people – no matter what one’s religion, ethnicity, or nationality may be, should

be brought together in peaceful unity and equity. Therefore, their education principle is “Men and women for

others, with others”. We were taken into one of the lecture rooms’ and told about the programme offered, staff

and student roll and the extra-curricular activities offered. We also got a chance to meet few of the students and

share with them your experience and vise-versa. We also had a tour around the university with one student tour

guide. The tall buildings and many students from other countries made it good atmosphere to study. We got a

chance to share our experiences not only with the students from Sophia University but to our group members

also.

After a wonderful days’ experience, dinner was served in a traditional Japanese restaurant in traditional style

with traditional food. After dinner, we proceeded to Shinagawa Prince Hotel to get a break from the days’

activity.

Day 8: 6th December, 2017 – visit to national museum and reporting session – the conclusion to our Japan trip

Breakfast was served as usual at 7am. We met up with group 1A and 1C in the lobby and headed towards the

Tokyo National Museum at 9.30am.

Artifacts on display showcased traditional Japanese way of life and history. The artifacts dated back to 1600s.

Dressing attire, weapons used in wars, amours worn by the soldiers, antique statues of Buddha and many other

eye catching ornaments were preserved. It was such a rare sight and everything looked so amazing. However, we

could not know what some of the artifacts were because their description was written in Japanese. Overall, the

museum was a good way to know more about the culture and tradition of Japanese people.

Lunch was served in a usually manner. Last traditional Japanese lunch with the group. I was surely going to miss

this.

All of the 3 groups moved to the venue of the reporting session. Here, we were given about 2 hours to prepare

for the reporting session. There were 6 members in one sub- group of the groups. So we each had one minute to

present in front of all present. We prepared well on what I found about the Japanese people, and 2 concrete

ways in which we will spread information on Japanese culture and tradition back at home. This was also an

awesome moment as we could share our feelings to others. Following the reports from all the groups, each group

had cultural performances. Since we were group C, our performance was at last. All groups displayed interesting

performances and finally our group did it. Yes, we did it well. It was the best performance out of all the groups.

And I was really happy about this. The reporting session concluded with this and the group then headed to have

dinner.

The last dinner in Japan. Our coordinators surprised us by taking us to an Italian restaurant where we got a

chance to eat pizza. We thanked them for this. This was the last dinner with our coordinators and other fellow

group members (New Zealanders).

We then headed to our hotel and called it a day. We had to catch some sleep before waking up early morning to

travel back to our countries.

Day 9: 7th December, 2017 – the conclusion – returning back

Sleep was interrupted by the alarm at 7am. We headed to have breakfast at about 8am. I felt sad and it was

because it was our last moments in Japan and last moments with the friends we had made during the trip.

It was then time to bid farewell to the New Zealand and FSM friends and this was another heart breaking

moment. We had become so close in just few days and it felt real bad to part our ways.

We then headed towards Narita Airport, our final destination in Japan and boarded the Korean Airlines to

Incheon Airport, Korea. In Korea, we had about 3 hours stay and then boarded the aircraft to Fiji. The 9hours long

flight was a good time to recall all the memories we made during the past 8 days and these invaluable memories

will be cherished forever.

The programme was overall very well conducted, with the planning followed accordingly. The staffs were friendly

and really caring and helpful.

I got to know a lot of things:

Learn to appreciate and show gratitude before and after consuming meal

Be punctual always

Try to do your own work instead of waiting for others

Help each other – don’t always think about yourself

Keep your country clean

Eat healthy food

However, there are some recommendations I would like to make about the programme:

More time should be given for each area of visit for face to face interactions with the locals to share

experiences.

The supervisors should not get lost- as it happened to be that they got busy shopping and arrived late at

the meeting point which led to delay.

I would like to thank the JENESYS team for giving me a chance to visit Japan and experience their culture,

tradition and ways in which they prepare for any disaster. This was a useful trip as I got to know a lot from their

way of life.