On July 9, representatives of returning members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), the Senior Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, and the Japanese Diaspora Overseas Cooperation Volunteers had the honor of meeting with Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace (Gosho) and reported on their activities in their host countries. These meetings between returning volunteers and Their Majesties have continued from the very beginning—when the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers program was launched in 1965—to the present day.
On this occasion, Their Majesties met with a total of six members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, the Senior Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, and the Overseas Cooperation Volunteers for Japanese Communities who had been dispatched to countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Central and South America. Prior to the meeting, they met with JICA President Akihiko Tanaka at JICA headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.
Front row, from left: Mr. Mimura, Mr. Kou, Chairman Tanaka, Mr. Ogura, and Mr. Matsuda
Back row, from left: Mr. Otsuka, Director of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Secretariat; Mr. Miyamoto; and Mr. Miyamura
[Taking on the Challenge of Promoting Community-Based Vegetable Farming]
Mari Mimura (assigned to the Philippines; field: vegetable cultivation; from Kanagawa Prefecture) was assigned to the Agricultural Office at the town hall in Batangas Province, northern Philippines, where she worked to promote vegetable cultivation in the region by providing technical guidance to staff and farmers. Over the course of her two-year assignment, she worked alongside local residents to introduce the cultivation of 28 different vegetable varieties, organize cooking demonstrations and agricultural seminars, publish a newsletter in Tagalog, and set up unmanned sales kiosks. Through these activities, she contributed to the establishment of vegetable cultivation methods suited to the region and the promotion of agriculture. Here she is demonstrating tilling techniques using a tiller at a model farm.
[Contributing to the Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology]
Hiroshi Miyamoto (assigned to Malaysia, occupation: physical therapist, from Osaka Prefecture) is seen conducting physical therapy alongside local physical therapists. At a residential facility for children with severe disabilities in Kudat State, located in the northwestern part of the Malay Peninsula, he worked to improve staff rehabilitation skills and enhance the facility’s environment. Working in collaboration with local physical therapists, he conducted case conferences and training sessions to share Japanese expertise and techniques. As a result, the staff’s professional expertise and understanding of disabilities deepened, leading to more comprehensive support tailored to each child’s individual situation. He also contributed to the development of a support system aimed at improving the children’s quality of life.
[Creating New Learning Opportunities Through System Development]
Nobuhide Matsuda (assigned to Botswana; field: computer technology; from Hokkaido) was assigned to the IT department at Trokken University of Education in Trokken, a city near the capital, where he was involved in the development and operation of the university’s information systems. In addition to building a new management system, he conducted training sessions for staff and worked to develop personnel capable of ensuring the sustainable and stable operation of the system. He also helped enhance the learning environment for students by introducing an e-learning system, thereby contributing to the provision of more systematic and efficient learning opportunities. A scene from a workshop for staff held at the teacher training college
[Implementing Health Education Using Local Ingredients]
A scene from a health checkup at a kindergarten: Nanako Kou (assigned to Micronesia, job title: Home Economics and Lifestyle Improvement, from Okinawa Prefecture) was assigned to the Early Childhood Education Division of the Colonia Bureau of Education in Pohnpei State—one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia—where she worked on food education and health education aimed at preventing lifestyle-related diseases among children. Through initiatives such as introducing school lunches made with local ingredients, growing vegetables on the kindergarten grounds, and organizing joint sports events among kindergartens, she supported the children in establishing healthy lifestyle habits. She also focused on awareness-raising activities for parents, contributing to the development of lifestyle improvement initiatives that fostered collaboration among kindergartens, families, and the local community.
[Contributing to the Continuous Improvement of the Quality of Mathematics Education]
Tomoko Ogura (assigned to Colombia; field: elementary school education; from Oita Prefecture) was assigned to the Department of Education in the department of Quindío, located in central-western Colombia, where she worked to improve mathematics achievement and strengthen teachers’ instructional skills. In particular, she devoted herself to improving the quality of education by revising the curriculum and textbooks, conducting teacher training, and providing on-site guidance at elementary schools. Furthermore, she delivered practical lectures at teacher training colleges and universities. The textbooks she developed were distributed to all elementary schools in the department and continue to be used in classrooms even after her return to Japan. Together with the children she visited during her on-site guidance and her local colleagues
[Promoting the Preservation of Japanese Culture and Mutual Understanding]
Students smiling as they exit the stage after performing the “Orawa Dance” at a sports festival. Tomoko Miyamura (assigned to Paraguay, field: culture; from Toyama Prefecture) was assigned to the Paraguayan Association of Japanese Descendants, located near the capital, where she worked to promote Japanese culture. In response to requests from Japanese language schools and other institutions across Paraguay, she provided a wide range of cultural instruction, including kimono dressing, Bon Odori, calligraphy, and the tea ceremony. At a Japanese language school in the La Colmena district, she taught the “Owara Dance,” a traditional performing art of Toyama Prefecture, and performed it alongside the students at a school event. She also organized online exchanges with junior high schools in Toyama Prefecture, contributing to the promotion of mutual understanding.
After the discussion, participants shared comments such as, “I was deeply moved by how much interest you took in each of our individual activities,” and “Your warm words have given me encouragement for the rest of my life.”
© Source JICA