Osaki Kamijima Trip

In June 2017, I was invited to visit the island of Osaki Kamijima as part of a delegation of AshokaU Change Leaders from College of the Atlantic, Brown, Cornell, Hamilton College and The New School.  The delegation was hosted by Hiromi Nagao, a dynamic leader and former university president, who has partnered with the Mayor (Yukinori Takata), a business leader (Okamoto-san), and a religious leader around a vision to create a new college on the island.

Osaki Kamijima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea in/near Hiroshima. The island has a rich history based in a vibrant ship building industry and agriculture sector.  The island economy and population peaked around WWII at 24,000 but has been steadily shrinking due to shrinking demand and population migration to 8,000 residents ... and continuing to decline.  

Nagao Sensei ("sensei" = a Japanese term of respect), the tireless visionary leader behind the project saw an opportunity to locate a university on the island and design it from the ground up as a catalyst for community revitalization - and as a demonstration site for reforming Japanese higher education. While the design of the school is very much a work in progress, it appears to be based in three principles: aligned goals of education and community priorities, a curriculum that develops 21st Century learning outcomes, and a culture that cultivates a greater awareness and commitment to social impact among its graduates.

The highlight of our visit was a symposium designed to develop community support for this project. The audience at the Symposium was the community of Osaki Kamijima - more than 100 farmers, business leaders, and educators with a stake in the future of the island.  

The event was staged brilliantly by Nagao Sensei. In the second photo, you can see Mayor Takata, the head of the town's Assembly, and Kan Suzuki, a special advisor to the Minister of Education (of Japan).  Suzuki started the meeting with a 30-minute speech that linked this project to the Ministry's strategy of higher education reform and a validation of social innovation education as a proven model that should be adapted for the proposed school.  

Each of my AshokaU colleagues shared background about our schools - and described social innovation education on each of our campuses.  Our presentations were conveyed to the audience via interpreter ... which was a new experience and much harder than I expected!

The Symposium was followed by a very fancy dinner that included our delegation, the project sponsors, and a variety of other stakeholders from the town. I quickly learned that the meeting-after-the-meeting is when the business really happens.  

In the second photo, you can see Nagao Sensei working hard with Mayor Takata - discussing the project and planning next steps.  As a result of their intense negotiation, the Mayor agreed that the town should take a more active role in the project - and he agreed to host another delegation in December to develop more concrete plans for the project.  

In the third photo, you'll see that everyone else in the room was also deeply engaged in discussion - organized in small groups around both tables.  It was interesting to watch the groups shift throughout the night - with people leaving one group to join another or for new groups to form.

Another sign of the event's success was coverage in the newspaper the following morning. Nagao Sensei and her team were delighted!

As we were getting ready to leave the island, the Deputy Mayor (photo #2, second from right) and several of his staff met us at the ferry landing with beautiful gifts and a large banner that asked us to return soon.  Then they stayed on the pier long after we left, waving vigorously until we were out of sight.  This gesture was deeply appreciated by everyone in our group and helped us all feel that the time we spent on the island was important.

I've included this selfie with an orange farmer who we visited to learn about his experience using pollenating bees to share two stories.

Kourtney Collum, a faculty member at College of the Atlantic, does research on the use of pollenating bees in agriculture and spent more than an hour learning about his farming practices. During the dinner, the farmer (sorry - I never learned his name!) told Nagao Sensei that our visit was a highlight of his entire life - he felt that his knowledge and expertise was valued - and that he felt valued. I was so grateful to be present during that visit - and for the impact that our visit was able to have for him.

I include this picture for another reason ... This farmer taught me an important lesson about Japanese culture - that a should never pour their own wine - this should always be done by a host. And further that when the guest sees the host approach to fill their glass, they should empty it - to assure that the host is given the opportunity to fulfill their duty to serve you.

The sake was delicious ... this was not a difficult "responsibility" on my part!

Beyond the business of our work on Osaki Kamijima, we thoroughly enjoyed visiting in Hiroshima and exploring the rich culture and history of Japan

Visiting Hiroshima was deeply meaningful.  While I'd learned about the use of the atomic bomb to end our war with Japan, visiting the site of this horror was deeply meaningful.  The A-Bomb Dome (top-left) was just steps from our hotel and is positioned almost directly under the bomb detonation so the outward force of the blast preserved a significant portion of this building. It was amazing to see pictures taken days after the blast where EVERY other structure in the surrounding area was fully obliterated.

The second picture (top right) shows the "t-bridge" - a unique bridge configuration that was easily identifiable from above and was selected as the target for the bomb detonation.

Below, you will see our delegation laying a wreath at a monument for the bomb victims. While I was honored to represent Brown in this meaningful gesture, I must also share that the "event" was planned by Nagao Sensei to attract press coverage of our visit (press release and all!).

The plaque next to the monument is also notable.  The inscription reads "FOR WE SHALL NOT REPEAT THE EVIL".  We were told that the original inscription was different - something like "FOR WE SHALL NOT ALLOW THE EVIL TO BE REPEATED".  This change was made after the dedication by the Mayor of Hiroshima and significantly signals that the responsibility to prevent such atrocities is shared by everyone ... including Japan.

Inside the Hiroshima Peace Museum, we saw many exhibits to bring the story of the atomic bomb attack and its aftermath to life. The clear message of the museum was peace ... with a strong point of view that such horrors should never be repeated.  One of the most powerful exhibits were video testimony of survivors - from a man who was protected by the blast because he was already at school to a woman who lamented that losing her husband and children in the attack "ruined her entire life".

The first picture (above) suggests that the bomb was dropped to end the war and prevent Russia from increasing its influence in the reason - and also included another reason that I'd never heard before - to justify the expense of the project to the American public.  I had never heard this part of the story in the version we learned in school so felt skeptical about the point of view. As I proceeded through the exhibit, I soon saw this "Memorandum for the President" that expressed concern "if the project proves a failure, it will then be subjected to relentless investigation and criticism".  

Really?  It was difficult to absorb that the expense of the weapon development was part of the justification for killing 150,000 innocent people.

Another distasteful moment was seeing #3 - with a sketch of the A-Dome surrounded by the devastation from the bomb - and a guide for servicemen who visited the site during their leave. A kill zone is a tourist attraction?  And what about the risk of radiation poisoning to the visitor?

One of my favorite sites on Osaki Kamijima was our visit to the Okamoto Soy Sauce factory. Okamoto-san learned the business from his grandfather and father and has now passed on his LOVE for making high quality soy sauce to his own son. The business is more than 100 years old and has held on to their original methods to make a superior project. You can see the large tanks - approx 8-10 feet deep and 4-5 feet in diameter that hold product at various stages of fermentation and aging. We learned that their product sits in these open tanks for 1-2 years (depending on quality).  In comparison, commercial product uses engineered bacteria in the fermentation process that finishes the product in a few weeks.  The wait is worth it ... I promise you!

Hospitality and respect. Our hosts could not have been more gracious.  One of Nagao Sensei's most committed partners in this endeavor has been Okamoto-san, the owner of a construction company on the island. About three years ago, the project came to an abrupt halt when Nagao Sensei's local sponsor quit the race for mayor. Okamoto-san was a supporter of her candidate's opponent and helped him understand the potential of the project - and got him on board.  While Okamoto-san was quiet and reserved throughout our entire visit, we were also aware that he had organized all the logistics of our visit and was with us at all times to assure everything went well.

Wednesday was a dreary day with near-constant rain.  We were due to have a picnic lunch at the top of a picturesque mountain - and Okamoto-san planned the entire event.  When we arrived at the site (in the rain), we found two large tents, tables and chairs, and a full portable kitchen setup - and a large staff preparing okonomiyaki - a vegetable and egg pancake for our lunch.  

As soon as we arrived, the staff paused for introductions. Our group was introduced by Nagao Sensei - introducing each of us by name, our school, and our role. This was followed by Okamoto-san introducing each member of his team. This small gesture assured that everyone present felt noticed and recognized.

On reflection, I realized that this may explain the custom of bowing that we observed whenever we arrived or departed.  Before arriving in Japan, I'd always observed this custom as somewhat perfunctory. But when I exited the plane and was greeted by the captain and a flight attendant with a bow, it felt for a moment that they were pausing to acknowledge me - and with a surprising feeling of sincerity,  welcome and humanity.

Order. Everything in Japan is in its proper place, is attended to with meticulous detail, and the results are generally beautiful. One pervasive example is packaging of almost every product you see.  Restaurants have life-like samples of every dish in the window - candy and treats are beautifully displayed and packaged.

This order even showed in their landscaping. On left, a worker is holding a screen to keep the dust from the edging from bothering nearby guests. On the right, the grass is cut by three mowers in a row - each one with a slightly different blade to assure a consistent and finely manicured cut.

Two final images.  On left is David Green, the (co)founder of Auralab, Sound World Solutions, and Legworks - three social enterprises that are focused on accessibility and access to quality healthcare to low-income people. He is my hero - and I am his self-annointed FAOG (first and only groupee). This NPR story tells you more than I could about my admiration for him - but suffice it to say that he lives his life in a balance that I admire ... impacting the lives of millions AND taking care of his own needs ... 

The other ... well, I think it speaks for itself!  

I can't wait to go back ... so much more to learn and enjoy!