To commemorate the opening of our Japan office on the  ICU campus, JICUF held a series of opening events in mid-May. One of the events was a showcase of JICUF grant projects. We asked our student ambassadors to interview the participants. Please enjoy below the interviews conducted by Aruto Kamiya.

Aruto Kamiya (Photo by Naoki Beppu)

1. “Anthropological Fieldwork and Engaged Population: Organic Involvement with Isen Town, Tokunoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture” Professor Mie Moriki (Anthropology)

Aruto: You conducted anthropological fieldwork on Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture. How was the experience?
Prof. Moriki: Because our visit was during the typhoon season, our ferry to Tokunoshima got delayed for 10 days! We had to change our plan to stay on the island for two weeks, but while we waited for the ferry service to resume, we continued our interactions with the local residents through Zoom and activities at Kagoshima University. When we finally reached Tokunoshima, we were warmly welcomed by the residents, and we were able to directly engage with their lifestyle and food culture. It was a valuable experience for the students to observe their culture and the natural environment.

Aruto: This was your second visit to Tokunoshima. Did your perception of the island change between your first and second visits?
Prof. Moriki: An important realization during the second visit was that the island is not a single unit but comprises towns with distinct identities. Those of us who live in the Kanto area tend to see the island as one unit, but each town has its own sense of community. In both visits, we focused on Isen Town, but during the first visit, we stayed in a different town. The people of Isen Town encouraged us to stay in Isen Town next time, and that is when I realized that each town had a strong identity. This is how I came to understand that the fieldwork needed to be viewed as a study on Isen Town rather than the entire island.

Aruto: What are your future plans for this project?
Prof. Moriki: Undergraduate students continue to study Tokunoshima for their senior theses, and we hope to maintain our interactions with the community. The youth on the island go through elementary school through high school as classmates, and most find work on the island or go to cities like Osaka. They don’t have many opportunities to get to know university students, so through our interaction with them, I hope that our students can be role models who can widen their perspectives. I also hope that our students can continue to learn from them..

Aruto’s Notes: I was particularly inspired by the fact that despite the disruption caused by the typhoon, Moriki sensei’s group continued communication with the residents of the island through Zoom, appreciated the power of nature, and gained awareness of the different values that the island residents had.  Interestingly, the hard water on Tokunoshima significantly improved Professor Moriki’s health during her stay!

2. “Cross-Cultural Communication, Economy, Gastronomy, and SDGs in Bangkok” Senior Associate Professor Allen Kim

Undergraduate student Kaito Yoshimura, who participated in the program, was interviewed. Kaito joined this project after taking Professor Allen Kim’s “Introduction to Sociology” course in his first year of undergraduate studies.

Aruto: How was your experience participating in this project?
Kaito: The two weeks were incredibly busy yet fulfilling, offering a wealth of learning opportunities. The participants came from different years and majors., For example, I am majoring in development studies, but another student was a literature major. Despite meeting for the first time, we collaborated and learned from each other. Activities included cooking traditional Thai dishes, wearing traditional clothing, and visiting an organic papaya farm. These activities allowed us to learn about Thai culture from multiple angles.

Aruto: What was the most educational activity in the project?
Kaito: Visiting a juvenile detention center and an orphanage was the most enlightening experience. At the detention center, we not only observed the facility but got to talk to the  inmates and their families. Many inmates were gregarious, and I deeply felt  the impact of poverty and family environment on crime. It was an eye-opening experience that connected classroom theories to real-world situations.

Aruto: Which photo from the project is the most memorable to you?
Kaito: As part of the program, we had an opportunity to meet Thai university students. This photo shows us having dinner with the students who had an interest in Japan. It was a profound cultural exchange. These students later visited Japan, and we got to show them around Tokyo. It didn’t end up being a one-time exchange, and through continued interaction, my interest in Southeast Asia has deepened.

Aruto’s Notes: Kaito’s passion for Southeast Asia was evident. Students often choose Europe and the US as study abroad destinations, but through Kaito’s experience,  my interest in Southeast Asia, a region with strong ties to Japan, grew.

3. “Designing Inclusive Education in Japan – Education that Embraces Each Individual” Miyako Watanabe (Undergraduate student)

Inclusive education is a reform process in education that ensures the attendance of diverse children in local schools, regardless of nationality, race, language, gender, economic status, religion, or disability.

Aruto: You visited Minamisakurazuka Elementary School in Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture, twice for your inclusive education project. How was that experience?
Miyako: Minamisakurazuka Elementary School has been implementing inclusive education for over 50 years. I was able to visit the school twice through an introduction from a university professor whom my mother knows. In Japan, it is common practice to separate education for students with disabilities, but this school integrates all students in the same classroom. The first visit was a series of surprises and learning experiences, while the second visit allowed for deeper observations focused on each student.

Aruto: What was the most memorable part of your visits to Minamisakurazuka Elementary School?
Miyako: I was most struck by the lack of the concept or terminology of “disability” among the children. They grow up together and accept each other as friends. I was moved that such an inclusive environment had formed naturally. 

Aruto: Do you think it is possible to promote inclusive education in Japan, and what is necessary to achieve it?
Miyako: Promoting inclusive education in Japan, where separate education has been the norm, is challenging but possible. First, it requires increasing the number of staff, including not only home room teachers but specialized support staff. Schools cannot raise funding for this on their own,  and a significant reform led by the government would be necessary. Second, it is necessary to create a space for students to think about disabilities. I just mentioned that the children at Minamisakurazuka School did not have the notion of “disability,” but some students bullied others, or unintentionally said things that hurt children with disabilities. Learning about children with disabilities during moral education classes, for example, can prevent prejudice and bullying.

Aruto’s Notes: I have taken the same course as Miyako in the past and knew about her research project, but through this interview, I felt her strong passion for inclusive education. As someone who aspires to be an educator,  I was inspired by her  efforts to create barrier-free learning environments.

4. “The First Global Community Psychology Conference in Japan” Professor Toshiaki Sasao (Psychology)

Professor Sasao has taught at ICU for over 25 years and held the first international conference on community psychology in Asia in July 2023. 

Aruto: In a nutshell, what is community psychology?
Prof. Sasao: Many people think of psychology as the study of mental processes and counseling, but community psychology examines how society can achieve the well-being of all. Since clinical psychology is the mainstream in Japan, many people associate psychology with counseling, but at ICU, we have had a study group on community psychology for over 20 years and interacted with other universities both within Japan and overseas. The goal of community psychology is to achieve the well-being of community members based on a sense of social justice, and it involves multiple fields such as sociology, anthropology, and social cognition studies.

Aruto: What led to the decision to host the first international conference on community psychology in Asia?
Prof. Sasao: As I said, clinical psychology has been dominant in Japan, and a conference on community psychology had never been held in Asia. Since ICU has been at the center of research on community psychology, it was natural to plan the first conference here. 

Aruto: What are your future plans for community psychology?
Prof. Sasao: Our small study group at ICU has grown to include collaborations with top universities such as the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University. We have also grown through building relationships with international researchers. We aim to continue expanding and leading the field of community psychology in Japan.

Aruto’s Notes: I had a narrow view of psychology, focused mainly on individual mental processes. This interview broadened my understanding of the field.

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Interviewing these four individuals provided valuable insights into the diverse and impactful projects supported by JICUF grants.