This is a slideshow that was shown in our Arigato Evento (Thank-you Event) during our stay in Omura City, Nagasaki.

On Aug. 21, our class visited Kibo no Sato in nearby Isahaya city. In the facility located in a quiet mountain area, some 50 mentally challenged people aged between 18 and 52 reside and learn skills necessary for living independently.  

Here is an article written by one of our participants about the Kibo no Sato visit:  “I may have had my fair share of pre-conceived notions of mentally disabled people before Kibo no Sato, but due to that eye opening community interaction, I will forever look at them in a different light.  There was a slight feeling of tension among the group when we arrived at the facility. We were met by the employees, who were very friendly, and then lead on a tour of the facility.  

The first building that we saw was the arts and crafts room.  The residents seemed to be having a good time and welcomed us with curious fascination.  I suppose it’s not every day they have about thirty people from twelve different countries come to interact with them.  I was really surprised, as I’m sure at least a few others of our group were, at how readily and without any apprehension the residents came up to us.  I was expecting them to be much more withdrawn and afraid of anything outside of their normal routine.  During the tour, we learned that it was not just a housing facility, but actually a place for those with disabilities to learn and, for some, eventually be on their own in society.  They are given skills which will help them get a job and lead a normal life on their own.   

After the tour, we played some games with the residents.  They were so happy and playful with us.  As I looked around the room, I could practically see the faces of our group change from apprehension to compassion.  Within moments of the first game, we began to understand that these people were absolutely no different from any body we might encounter on the street or in the grocery store.  If anything, they are more kind and outgoing than the average stranger.   

After a long day of awakening and fun, it was time to leave.  I could tell that they were overjoyed to have had us.  The question was posed later as to whether we might have influenced any of the residents in a positive way.  To that question I have this answer.  It was them and their pure and open hearts that influenced and changed us for the better.  I know that many in our group really grew that day, and that none of us will ever forget them.”  - Parker Kellen (USA)

This is a slideshow that was shown in our Arigato Evento (Thank-you Event) during our stay in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima.

After our two-week stay in Ueda City, it was nice to have a change of scenery and new host families. Hiroshima and Ueda are very different in many ways. Hiroshima is a huge city with many people and buildings where as Ueda is much smaller and in the countryside. Being in Hiroshima raised emotions for many of us and gave everyone a better understanding about what happened in this city on the 6^th of August, 1945.

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, it took the lives of over a hundred thousand people with devastating results and ongoing grief still felt today. World Campus International participants and staff attended the memorial service remembering the day that this catastrophic event occurred. People all over Japan watched the ceremony on their televisions and listened to the peaceful words of the speakers.

The following message, read by two sixth graders at the service, remained in the minds of all of us: …”nothing will come of inflicting the hardships and sadness that we suffer onto others - doing so will only cause an endless continuation of the same suffering. The creation of a peaceful world requires that each of us display kindness and strength to become the final link in the chains of hatred and sorrow that we encounter. It is also important that we transcend cultural and historical differences, accept each other, and understand each other’s thoughts and feelings”.

A day after the public ceremony, we were so fortunate to have a survivor of the bombing speak to our class. Everyone sat in awe as the victim of the A-Bomb told her stories. Although impossible to put ourselves in the shoes of this women, she was able to convey what she went through on this unthinkable day. She told us that the reason she talks about her experience is to motivate people to bring peace to the world.

After learning so much about the human and other costs of this military strike, many participants started to realize how many wars are currently going on that we do not pay attention to. World Campus’ members from Uganda talked about some of the wars that are continuing to be fought on their own African continent. The world is very large and it became clear to all of us that we have so much to learn about.

Our next city stop is in the Nagasaki prefecture and we are all ready to learn more about these tragic events and see how this other city has recovered as well as hear further views on the war.

This is the Slideshow we played in our First city on the road!

The first stop in the 2007 World Campus -Japan tour was Ueda, Nagano. Participants and staff from around the world met each other and had no idea what to expect. But with time and experiences during the first two successful weeks, we have all become even more excited, are getting to know each other better and looking forward to the upcoming cities and adventures. Here are some highlights from our first community visit.

The Wasshoi event was a fun and energetic activity that was not only shared by the participants of World Campus International, but also by the whole community of Ueda. Wasshoi is a summer festival and the sound made while lifting heavy objects here in Japan. During this festival, people carried portable shrines called omikoshi. It was quite a sight! Those carrying these large wooden objects were having such a great time and that positive energy carried over to everyone else nearby. Some of the World Campus participants and host families even joined in on the fun by dancing with Ueda locals. It was a great experience to take part in this Japanese tradition. 

With our city theme being “Educational Systems”, we had a chance to listen and talk with the Superintendent of the Board of Education for Ueda City and were also invited to visit all the schools in the Maruko district of their community. As you can imagine, the children at these schools were quite excited to take time out of their regular routine to engage with representatives from around the world!

We realized and talked about the distinct differences between the Japanese school systems and the systems in our own countries. This discussion also included special education and adult education and the efforts made to meet these needs in Japan.  One issue that was highlighted and very emotional was the discussion of pressure put on students as well as “bullying”.  Although the Japanese are a highly educated people with an almost 99% literacy rate, there are still challenges with overcoming the social pressures that very much contribute to one’s school experience.

Well, that’s all for now. We do want to sincerely thank all the people in Ueda city for making our stay in their city so comfortable and rewarding! Domo arigato gozaimasu.