PHOTOS & REVIEWS
A brief introduction to the contents of daily lectures and practical activities with photos
Reviews from participants.
First day
Introduction
Mayor Matsuki says, ``For the sake of regional revitalization, we will do as much as possible to attract people from outside. However, first of all, it is important that the local people are happy with their everyday life.'' Professor MacDonald of Sophia University spoke about the dangers of developed countries to make changes without considering the characteristics of local areas. She was also surprised with the wisdom of Japan's ama divers, who chose not to use new diving equipment to keep their profession alive. We realized that both SDGs and regional revitalization are not easy to achieve. The photo is of Ms Take's work, which expresses the hard and often challenging situation in Shimoda.
Second day
Know the area
After fishing in the sea early in the morning, we learned how to grate three fish pieces (Sanmai-oroshi) and make nigiri sushi from Chef Ryuji at Mimatsu Sushi restaurant. "Even if there is no successor to Sushi restaurant, I can train weekend Sushi makers who work as a side job at local restaurants,'' he says. Both new and old residents are making steady efforts together to revitalize the area.
Third day
Learn about Japan
We hear from Professor Doi of Atomi Women's University about the history and attempts at regional revitalization in Japan, and Professor Fujita of Keio University about the attempts at universities. Knowledge deepens. After listening to a talk about changes in Shimoda's sea at the aquarium, we walked around Ebisu Island's geological formations and Shimoda City with local Saito Juku children. Members were amazed by the children's knowledge of the creatures that live on the coast.
Fourth day
Case Study: Town of Minamiizu
In Ihama, Minamiizu Town, Sean Tamura, a Community Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers member, rents abandoned farmland and grows crops. First of all, it takes a lot of effort to restore wasteland to a cultivable condition, even with the help from people who come to Japan using Working Holidays. But Sean says, "I'm lucky to have found such a beautiful place,'' and the locals feel inspired by him. The photo shows the garden that the Chief of the Ihama area, Mr. Matsumoto has decorated with trash he picked up from the beach.
Fifth day
Know yourself/Know the world
We learned communication secrets from Mr. Ozasa, a coaching expert, and realized the importance of listening to others and the difficulty of accepting them. Mr. Yamada of McKinsey and Professor Kurasawa of Keio University explained the international perspectives of SDGs. It is important to know about the situation in the world and think about what each of us can do to contribute. The photo is in front of the Kanrin Maru replica at Hotel Japan Shimoda.
Sixth day
Presentation, career and BBQ
Participants brought in their own art that expresses Shimoda to share and the instructor, Mr. Abe, gave them a review. All created wonderful works of art. In the afternoon, we listened the life stories from Keio NY High School graduates, Mr. Ueda, Mr. Washizu, Ms. Yamamoto, and Mr. Yamazaki, about why they reached to their current professions and how they found what they like to do. At the BBQ after the presentation, everyone who helped us, gathered together and had a great time talking enjoying delicious seafood and meat prepared by Hotel Japan Shimoda. The photo shows the boys who were the grillers.
Reviews from the participants
A.K.
I was encouraged to grow more through the communications with lecturers and students.
Y.T.
I heard from the people in Shimoda who worked in different fields to revitalize the city, and I realized the importance of human connections and cooperation with similar goals.
I learned about the SDGs efforts in Shimoda not only by listening to the lectures but also by experiencing them, which made me do deeper research by myself.
R.M.
I realized that I much prefer to live in regional areas than in big cities.
I.H.
I was impressed by how passionately so many people of Shimoda told us about their lives. They often talked more than we asked, and I learned that everybody's life has meaning.
I'm motivated more to be a college student!
N.S.
(Interviews were) very interesting and often ran out of time as they were excited to talk with us.
We enjoyed the first-time experiences as they were all unique. I wanted to experience the agriculture Sean introduced (at Minami-Izu). I never thought it would be a good experience.
I re-confirmed my interest in Japan's regional revitalization. The program allowed me to think about my future.
C.T.
I found out that I like learning from experiences rather than just listening to lectures.