Japan Will be in Our Hearts Forever

“Japan will be in our hearts forever,” was one of the phrases mentioned by the participants when the JENESYS Programme was nearly coming to an end. Perhaps this was why the JENESYS Programme was so unique; it touched each and every soul of the participants; it had the power to create the ever all embarrassing moments when tears came flooding out from the eyes of literally everyone more than once, beyond the understanding and comprehension of those who first felt that parting could be so difficult.

In a society where the values of respect, tolerance, care, and accommodation have been embedded in every citizen, I have always said, “Never underestimate the Japanese’s hospitality.” Throughout the programme, all volunteers had shown dedication beyond their own tasks and responsibilities, they treated everyone with great compassion. The places that they have brought us to: the Kiyomizudera temple and the Arashiyama in Kyoto, the Peace Memorial Park and the Disaster Reduction Centre in Hiroshima would be entirely different, if there were no signs of constant welcoming smiles and friendliness on their faces.

But beyond their great hospitality, I found that the Japanese are bonded from one to another, civilised for the sake of the community and disciplined for the sake of others. One of the situations that we encountered was in the Kansai Airport, Osaka. At that time, we were all rushing to the first lavatory that we could immediately caught sight of, which was just located not more than 10 metres from the escalator. Immediately, we were informed by the airport officials to avoid congesting to the washroom as it hindered others from walking past the route. And, you will most likely gasp when you enter their washrooms, because of its unusual cleanliness that you can almost never see in Malaysia. As some people put it, “You can always sleep in the toilets of Japan.” If you were in Japan, you will also realise that the fire extinguishers, unlike in Malaysia are placed literally at the corners of the floor, without any form of containment.

What’s up next is how the Japanese put things at their own hands when it comes to the environment. Virtually everywhere there are recycle bins, but finding a trash bin is a difficult task in Japan. It has become a habit of the local people to carry their trash with them back home. Walking down the streets, there are cyclers along the clean pathway. Cycling and walking are few of the preferable transport means to the Japanese.

Overall, the JENESYS programme has taught me a lot. Besides those mentioned above, I have also learnt the importance of peace and harmony, the effects of an atomic war, ways to prevent disasters and how to face one when it hit you and of course, love.

Michael Fork

JENESYS 2010