A Fellowship in Hiroshima: Juggling Multiple Jobs while Exploring Japan
By Benjamin Echikson ‘22, Hiroshima (2022-2024)
I have been in Hiroshima for over four months, a milestone I feel has zipped by me in a flash. My time in Japan has been busy as I am juggling three jobs at United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), ANT-Hiroshima, and Green Legacy Hiroshima, and then spending the rest of my free time traveling and searching for new places to eat.
The most significant part of my Oberlin Shansi Fellowship is my time at UNITAR where I spend three days a week. The central theme that has dominated my UNITAR experience so far is the G7 summit that will be held in Hiroshima in May 2023. My time living and working in Hiroshima happened to coincide with a once-in-a-lifetime event that will draw the world’s eyes to the usually low-profile city and every organization, firm, and institution in the area are trying to capitalize on it; posters related to the event are splattered all over town and every day I hear chatter about it in anticipation. UNITAR is no exception. The first notable project I have been tasked with is UNITAR’s Youth Summit Side Event of the G7. What makes this event so unique for me apart from its scale (UNITAR Hiroshima is hosting an ambitiously large event to take advantage of the unique opportunity), is that it is the first event I have worked on since the beginning.
A view of Hiroshima and its picturesque streetcars
By my arrival in September of last year, most events and training programs that UNITAR hosted were already passed or winding down. UNITAR’s G7 event has allowed me to experience how an intergovernmental organization produces and runs events from scratch. I was involved in much of the process from brainstorming to conducting outreach. One aspect I value about my time at UNITAR is that I am given interesting tasks that feel worthwhile despite my status as a newcomer who has recently graduated college; the work I do in planning and preparing the event, with meeting with partners and potential participants are all crucial parts of running a successful event. These responsibilities have bestowed me with valuable experience, and I hope to keep learning while at UNITAR.
ANT-Hiroshima and Green Legacy Hiroshima occupy a smaller portion of my workweek with one day each but are by no means less meaningful to my experience in Hiroshima. At ANT-Hiroshima, I am not working on a large long-term project similar to at UNITAR, but there is always something for me to work on when I come to the office: helping record testimony of survivors of the atomic bomb, updating the English blog, meeting and discussing with journalists writing about ANT, visiting and speaking at local schools, accommodating the visit a member of the French National Assembly, editing the French translation of ANT’s picture book to list a few of my past engagements. There has yet to be a dull day at the ANT office.
Ini village in rural Hiroshima
Similarly, my days at Green Legacy Hiroshima are busy. The highlight for me was in November when five scientists from prominent botanical gardens in America came to Hiroshima to study the survivor trees, leading to a hectic but exhilarating three days of running all over the city to visit trees and other sights. The visit was a success and Green Legacy Hiroshima created a connection with renowned plant scientists that could lead to more academic research into survivor trees. Both ANT-Hiroshima and Green Legacy Hiroshima are small, grassroots NGOs, yet despite that their message of peace reaches a vast amount of people, and the connections they hold are innumerable. I am always impressed by the number of new faces that visit the ANT office from all over the world to discuss how to work together. Both have taught me that even as an individual I still have the power to make a difference.
My travels have also been an important part of my experience. My first trip outside of Hiroshima was in November when I got a three-day weekend and decided to do a whirlwind tour of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. November is a special time in Japan as the scenery undergoes a dramatic change in color as leaves turn from green to red and orange. These fall leaves are so special in Japan that they even have a unique term: 紅葉, pronounced “kouyou” and translates to “crimson leaves”. Visiting Kyoto, I immediately understood why the Japanese hold the fall leaves season in as high regard as the cherry blossoms season; countless historic temples and shrines were covered by gorgeous red trees, and the mountains encircling the city were splattered with burgundy to give an extra beauty to the already stunning Kyoto. It was not my first visit to Kyoto, but the season and nature were such a wonderful refresher from my busy day-to-day that it became a special visit for me.
The fall leaves seen from Daihikaku Senkoji Temple in Kyoto
Osaka rivals Tokyo as Japan’s city that never sleeps, and additionally has been nicknamed “the nation’s kitchen”. I intended to put that moniker to the test and was not disappointed with the shabu-shabu (Japanese hotpot), takoyaki (pan-cooked octopus), and ramen I ate. Kobe can also boast about its food; its world-famous beef seemingly melts in the mouth in a deluge of flavor. The food has been a highlight of my time in Japan.
My second long trip was to Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four large islands. It was a week of gorgeous scenery and delicious food. My first stop was Fukuoka, the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen; made with a pork-bone broth, it is the most popular variation of ramen. My next destination was Nagasaki, the other city devastated by the atomic bomb. Walking around the city and seeing its remains from before the bomb and visiting its atomic bomb museum expanded my understanding of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as symbols of peace. Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are today bustling cities, and it would be easy to forget the fact that they were ever ravaged by atomic bombs if not for artifacts and reminders that have been carefully preserved by locals to never forget the devastation. My visit to Nagasaki makes me think deeper about my role as an Oberlin Shansi Fellow in Hiroshima, a question I am still thinking about.
The highlight of this trip for me was when I went to Yakushima, a small island three hours south of Kyushu by boat. Yakushima is famed for its natural beauty, having even been designated a World Heritage Site and used by world-renowned director Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli as the inspiration for his animated movie Princess Mononoke. For years I had dreamed of exploring its vast forest and climbing its scenic mountains. Yakushima’s unique climate has led it to be a hotbed of flora, most notably ancient species of Japanese cedars that grow to mammoth heights. I spent an entire two days with my mouth agape stunned by its enchanting tropical forests and astonishing views on top of mountains and cliffs.
Me at Taiko Iwa Rock in Yakushima
Adapting to life after college is always difficult. Moving to a new country, adapting to a new culture, and not being perfect in its language add an extra layer of challenge. Despite all that I can say without a doubt that I have no regrets about being an Oberlin Shansi Japan; I have met and worked with many different people of different backgrounds that I would not have had I stayed in the USA, seen new sights, and eaten new foods. Most of all, I believe the challenge has allowed me to grow as a person, and with another year and a half to go, I still have plenty of room left for growth. I plan to keep learning and enjoying myself while I am here in Japan.