#jenesysph

Abdel: *Our curiosity of the concept of the Michi no eki, or a roadside station, led us to contributing substantial inputs on how to further attract the younger population. Conceding that it is the elderly who has money, time, and resources to avail of the services provided for by the Michi no eki, we said that the adventure-seeking nature of youth should be tapped to make it more attractive for them, such as introducing hip products such as matcha, considering the use of applications to make it more interactive already and be more put out there in the public, and developing a bed and breakfast concept for guests.

*Unlike the Philippines, Japan has an aging society and aging population, which is one of the biggest challenges Japan is confronted now. According to the President of Chida Clean Corporation, our speaker in the afternoon, he said that there is not much social interaction for Japanese people so the government has set up meeting parties and dating places for social interaction to ensue. 

*Japan is big on waste segregation and it is because they can use the segregated waste for other purposes. For Chida, they collect used corn oil (mainly for tempura) in their formulation of their main product: biodiesel fuel, fuel for diesel trucks made of rapeseed oil or used corn oil. Furthermore, Chida partners with the local Tohoku University for this project, specially on rapeseed sorting and selection. This was where I saw the relevance of our batch theme: industry-university collaboration. In fact, there is cooperation in Osaki City, where Chida is located, of universities and big companies.

Christian: The day started with us visiting Chida Clean Corporation in Osaki City. The corporation may be described as a non-profit organization mainly focused in the production of fuel which uses various products such as corn, canola, and rape blossoms, posing as an alternative on fossil fuels. Mr. Nobuyoshi Chida, the president of the company, discussed how the corporation improves industry by the development of new technologies that are aimed in making production more efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly. The company connects with various organizations, including universities, for further research and information dissemination, raising awareness and searching for possible improvements in this new sector. Mr. Chida said that this is possible through the building of relationships outside of the workplace, i.e. mostly through parties, informal meetings, etc. The delegates then proceeded with the next collaboration model with the A La Date no Michi-no-eki (Road Station). After a fun-filled learning activity with the creation of onigiri (rice balls) and a meal with the Road Station staff, the officials of Michi no-eki provided us with their own model of collaborative projects with universities. The universities were able to help the company by providing possible plans which will improve their services (becoming foreign tourist-friendly) and will increase foot traffic (by attracting the youth). This was done through several internships which resulted to various studies, with the company implementing these plans. The country may be able to apply the similar concept, considering that domestic tourism has a lot of potential in becoming a driver of economic growth.

 Dada:  It's another memorable day in Japan's Miyagi prefecture. The C group traveled to Ala Date Michi no Eki, Osaki City for a informative lecture regarding the roadside stations in Japan from its President. These stations are haven to drivers/ travelers who needs rests, and information on the roads ahead. These government-supported facility aim to promote local trade as well as tourism. In their roadside station, i noticed that they sell local but, high quality products by small time farmers, thus, supporting the SMEs. After the lecture, we were taught how to make rice balls which is a heart warming experience, for, our teachers were the seniors' society who came to the facility despite the extremely cold weather outside. Next destination was at the Chida Clean Corporation which is small enterprise producing fuel from used cooking oil: BioDiesel Fuel. The lecture was delivered by Mr. Chida himself, the proprietor of the corporation. He also gave insights regarding their government's support on marriage activities to remedy Japan's aging population and his joy on having a child, Marin-chan, despite of late age. 👍 These two venues were the few examples of industry and university collaboration in which students are involved in producing/suggesting/proposing plan of actions to industries in order to improve their market reach or to promote productivity. Admittedly, these collaborations rarely happen in the Bicol settings and needs to be promoted in the Philippines too. This could be a unique avenue for learning for students and a cost-effective effort from industries. 😀

 Darren: The day started with a short travel from Ark Sendai Hotel to Michi-no-Eki which is located in Osaki city. There we met the local people who taught us how to make an onigiri (rice ball). Right after learning how to make one, we had exchange with local people while having lunch. 

Based on the proposal through internship, Michi-no-Eki is considering to create its own sightseeing tour courses and experience-based attractions for tourism promotion. Proposed by the students from Ishinomaki Senshu University, they also started providing tourist information by using QR code to cater the problems in language barrier. In the future, they consider holding crash courses in English and installing multilingual signs, and making brochures in multiple language to further solve the pressing issue in language barrier.  The remaining time in the afternoon was consumed by the Chida Clean Corporation's informative keynote lecture. I consider this lecture as one of my personal favorites since the President did not only tackle his designated topic on biofuel but he gave some random facts in Japan and also asked Thailand, Singapore, and Philippines about our current situations. I also found out that out of 3, 863, 530 companies in Japan, only 10, 596 are considered large companies and the rest of them are small-medium enterprises (SMEs).  In partnership with Tohoku University, the Rape Blossom Project continues to save radioactive contamination in farmland. As the new fuel for diesel generator or for public transportation, BDF continues to increase its demand in the present. It is amazing how Japan fully utilize its natural resources while promoting environmental sustainability. 

 Grace: Informative Fifth Day. In the morning the team visited the Chida Clean Corporation and went at Michi-no-Eki (Road Station) in the afternoon.  At Chida Clean Corporation, Mr. Nobuyoshi Chida, the president of the corporation gave one hour and thirty minutes lecture about Recycling Energy Project: Bio Diesel Fuel and Tohoku University Rape Blossoms Project for the restoration of farm lands damaged by tsunami Y. Nakai. And we spent the last thirty minutes in the area to see the big and clean manufacturing facilities that are used to clean the used oil and mix some elements on it to make as a renewable energy. The corporation and the community make sure that they are not wasting their resources.  In the afternoon we moved to Michi-no-Eki (Road Station). While we were heading to the place, Minamisan told us that we are going to make our own lunch: Origini (Rice Ball). Even if I'm not a fan of it, I felt excited because I want to try new things. Before we started they had a very short orientation. After that we were sent to the kitchen and surprisingly there were beautiful women waiting for us, they were the ones who taught us on the Origini making. I felt the love and good way of teaching by our teachers even if we're just nodding because of language differences. It was fun! Finally, we had our lunch with our teachers and believe it or not the moment I tasted the first Onigiri that I made, I became a fan of it. #MariaLovesOnigiri

 Ian: Our first scheduled event is a visit A La Date Michi No Eki (Roadside Station) in Osaki City. Arriving at the venue was truly memorable for me as this was the first time that I experienced real snow fall. We were welcomed warmly by the local residents. The President discussed the role of The Michi no eki. It is to provide space for drivers to take a rest, to provide information about road condition and to provide a place for binding local products. However, the Michi no eki in Osaki collaborates with university students because they are experiencing problems with decreasing number of visitors especially from the youth. The collaboration project is also an avenue for the students of different universities to learn actively and to participate in community projects. 

The next event prepared for us was a visit to Chida Clean Corporation. Before discussing about the company, Mr. Nobuyoshi Chida, the president of the company, shared some facts about Japan. Some of these are: the inverted pyramid population of Japan, meeting events for future couples, how rare they wear kimono, the average marrying age in Japan which is 30 years old, Japanese women are more inclined to work, English education is only taken for 6 years, there are 9 years of compulsory education, there are many year-end parties everywhere, there are only 0.3% large companies in Japan and the rest (99.7%) are SMEs. Chida Clean Corporation produces bio-diesel in the area. They recycle corn oil (tempura oil) and also use oil from rape blossoms. The citizens of the city actively participates in their company by collecting and donating their used corn oil. The Chida Clean Corporation also collaborates with Tohoku University students. They have a project entitled: Rape Blossoms Project. Through their research, they were able to use farm lands damaged by tsunami by planting rape seeds. The extracted oil from rape blossoms are made into bio-diesel which are used to operate machineries and equipments. The Chida Clean Corporation is also supported by the local government. Mr. Chida also emphasized the efforts of Japan to shift into renewable energy. After the discussion about the corporation, we were given a chance to roam around the facility. We were able to see the gas oil mixing facility and the research facility. The tour to local industries made me realize that SMEs in Japan are truly empowered. 

 Jerm: The activities today we're truly insightful featuring two different lectures. On the first one, we discussed the Chida Clean Corporation and their advocacy for clean energy. Japan is a natural disaster prone area which is why it is an important matter to them as they are the first ones to be affected. I think that Japanese people understand the consequence of non-renewable energy and that it's better to pay more for energy than suffer its consequences. It's definitely a lesson to learn for the Philippines, a proper cost-benefit analysis. It is time that we make a switch to cleaner energy. As for the second stop, the Michi No Eki Station - it emphasized on the efforts toward local tourism. These establishments really help in promoting interaction especially in rural areas, and it is also another concept we could re-do in the Philippines. In the Philippines there is great emphasis on international tourism but we tend to forget that we could also cater to our own countrymen. It is actually an easier market since there are fewer restrictions to traveling domestically. It's a market that already exists but lacks the proper development and promotion. The country is filled with lots of different attractions and it is just right that we maximize and utilize these places not only for foreigners but also for our fellow Filipinos.

Juliet: My insights regarding the strong collaboration between government,business, and academe is strengthened in visiting A La Date na Michi no eki (roadside station) and China Clean Corporation.I observed this very strong collaboration between and among these sectors.The roadside station in terms of services to the commuters is the same in Philippines.However,in terms of ownership and management, these are different.Although michinoeki is managed by a corporation, it is not really profit driven but more on providing efficient and effective services to the commuters while revitalizing the local economy and community.Further, this kind of collaborative enterprise promotes economic opportunities in the countryside.This kind of functional collaboration is also observed in the Chida Clean Corporation, a medium sized company engages on production of bio-diesel fuel.Japanese government with the help of private sector and academe is very committed in recycling and environmental conservation.It supports local energy business companies.In development, I observed that in general the cost of environmental damages is taken for granted.I feel better that countries like Japan invest on environment protection vis-a-vis revitalization of local industry.

 June: Stopping by the Michi no Eki was more cultural than I thought. The place was technically made for travelers but what you experience inside made you feel Japanese. They taught us how to make our own onigiris in three different flavors namely salmon, crab, and prune. Each onigiri can only be made with one flavor but they were still delicious nonetheless. It was a rare experience since rice balls / onigiris are not made in the Philippines. It is truly knowledge worth sharing in my hometown. We were also able to know more about Japan’s natural way of using fuel which is the biodiesel wherein extracts for the oil are gained from different plants. Their research in the rapeseed oil which was collaborated with a university has greatly contributed to the company’s development. Although it is only a small company, as said by the speaker, the company itself is steadily growing and constantly meets the demand for natural fuel.

 Love: Japan was able to advance its technology and conduct various research and development on renewable energy through active collaboration of academe, private and public sectors. As a calamity stricken country, Japan is doing its best efforts to help mitigate climate change. The Japanese government is so supportive in the creation of new industry or enterprise and subsidized 50% capital requirement of Chida Clean Corporation. The Filipino delegates expressed their interest about the technology which can be adapted in the Philippines however, the owner Mr. Nobuyoshi Chida said that language is one of the limiting factors for the upscaling of this technology globally. But I think it would be possible because now Japan is opening its doors to ASEAN countries. 

After this visit, the team (Philippines, Singapore, Thailand delegates) proceeded to A La Date Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Station) to learn about their business operation and management. Before the lecture, the delegates learned how to make “onigiri” or rice balls. After onigiri making, lecture on the  A La Date Michi-no-Eki is a private sector that serves as a multi-functional facility and provides road users with environment and conditions that make their trips safe comfortable as well as serves as a venue to help bring liveliness to the local community/area concerned. Its 3 functions include: rest/refreshment, community promotion and linkage and dispatch information. I suddenly realized that in the Philippines we have this kind of business operation. I learned that even this kind of service, aside from a strong private and public partnership, collaboration of academe is necessary to help in identifying/ improving services to address the needs of road users. Lastly, this day’s most thrilling part was the snow experience. I saw snowflakes falling everywhere. I think everyone felt so excited about the snow which was so obvious when everyone ran out the snowfield, took photos, had snowball fight and laid/rested on snowfield.

Nelson: There are two reasons I am excited for today's activities: first, the onigiri making, and second, the orientation on homestay. I am a big fan of onigiri. Especially those from 711, Family Mart, and Lawson all around Japan; actually, any onigiri as long as you bought it in Japan is good. As for the homestay, I have always wanted to live like a Japanese. I have finally experienced how to make onigiri. It was so easy! We were joined by the shifu (housewives) who assisted us on making our onigiris. Although, there was a language barrier, it didn't hold them from treating so warmly as if we were family; and that Nihongo booklet handed to us prior to our trip helped us a lot to at least convey the phrases we wanted them to know.  Lectures from Chida-san from Chida Clean Corporation and Michi no Eki (Roadside Station) were commenced and we got enlightened on these organizations and projects, too. The Recycling Energy Project of Chida Clean Corporation is such a great idea to be adapted in the Philippines. Although, it's a bit pricey for the current status of the Filipino farmers, it will help and save a lot should we focus on the future and long-term plans. The Michi no Eki project is vey convenient for both local and foreign tourists in Japan. Especially for in transit tourists who want to save a night staying in a hotel, they can actually stay in a Roadside Station soundly. In the afternoon, we experienced snow for the first time in our lives and as a result, everybody got crazy and went out to the field and took pictures, threw snowballs at each other, and a lot more. This program gets so much exciting every single day!

 Nina: We had two stops for today, Chida Clean Corporaton and the A la Date no Michi no eki (roadside station). During our busride to Chida Clean, it slowly started snowing. It was a priceless moment seeing snowflakes fall from the sky. 

In presentation about Chida Clean Corporation, I learned that SMEs is a huge part of Japan's economy. Before, I thought it was the big companies. The lecture got more interesting knowing how they recycle waste (used corn oil) to Bio Diesel Fuel (BDF) - using it for vehicles by big car companies. These used corn oils come from households, hotels, supermarkets, factories and companies. In this way, you can see the unity and the cooperation of the community in taking part in conserving the environment. Aside from corn oil, they make use Rape Blossoms in making BDF. They started the Rape Blossoms Project and what's great about it is that this is a collaborative project by universities all over Japan. Then, we went straight to Michi no eki (roadside station) wherein we will be making Onigiri (our lunch)! Minami-san said that this is Japanese's soul food. It was a great experience with them and also when we got to eat lunch with them. They were very friendly and accomodating. After the break, there was a presentation about what is a Michi no eki. I realized that Japanese really values people and their culture. Having a Michi no eki in a community provides locals and tourists a place to rest, eat, and shop. They also provide livelihood for the community where in they teach people (mostly elders) how to make food or house decors. Also, they provide internships for university students and they are proposing for a cultural tour for tourists.

 Norshida: I feel that I was a kid with full of excitement and adoration with the place as if I have reached heaven for the first time since all I saw was white snow slowly falling to my cheeks. 

I was stricken with the principles that Michi no Eki has, they provide space for drivers to rest, provide information on the current situation of the road and they also place eating and buying area for driver/passenger in which local products are being sold. They also have internship wherein locale can gain and experience at sales situation and they also conduct research on the history and culture of the Iwadeyama. 

Next stop was in Chida Clean Corporation, in which we were able to meet Mr. Noboyushi Chida. I could say he is a great inventor, innovator and environmentalist since he is very concern with the future generation. He also inspires me in preserving the environment. Japan Government is already doing counter measures to prevent the decreasing population. And also, Japan is also very active in Automobile Company. Bio Diesel Fuel is the innovations of Mr. Chida in which they collect used oil from the community. On the final note, Mr.Chida emphasized that all of us shall work together for the environment.

 Rea: Our first stop for today is Chida Clean Corporation, an environmental cleaning operator. One thing that I learned in Japan through this program is their regard for the environment. Despite having advanced technologies and sustainable economic growth, Japan did not sacrifice their environment. Chida Clean Corporation produces bio-diesel fuel made of rapeseed oil or used corn oil. After the lecture, we went to A la date na Michi no eki (Roadside station) where we made our own onigiri and ate our lunch together with the local people. After our lunch, we got a short break before the lecture. During this break, we played snow ball fight and enjoyed our first experience of snow. The lecture is about Michi no Eki (roadside station) located in Osaki City. This station has three functions: Rest/Refreshment, Community promotion and linkage, and Dispatch of information. It will be convenient to have this kind of facilities in our country not only in SLEX/NLEX but also to other areas where there are travelers going to different provinces or tourist spots.

Abdel: Again, the legendary Japanese time is confirmed: the bullet train arrived on time. Left on time. The bullet train? Of course, I was happily delightful inside to have finally experience the stuff you just read in your text books in elementary. Plus, I saw snow for the first time.

*It must be a first world country thing, or maybe just the Japanese, but I've noticed that there were no ticket inspections made during the entire two-hour trip from Tokyo to Sendai. People could switch seats but what about stowaways? I was meaning to ask that but never got the chance too.

*I appreciated Soma-san, one of Group C's coordinator, pulling Jun and I to the 0 km point at the Tokyo Station, the originating point of Japan's national railway network. Much like Rizal Park being the origin of all national highways in the Philippines, and the previous 0km in my beloved birthplace Marawi City, it was an Instagrammable moment. So I did, with Soma-san and Jun's shoes as well.

*It was unfortunate that the visit to the Miyagi Prefectural Government did not push thru. Hearing the supposed lecture on "an outline of the region , an introduction of the features and appeals of the industries and specialties; role of local self-governing body with emphasis on efforts toward regional economic revitalization; and economic, trade, and investment relationship with participating countries" from Japanese government officials firsthand would have not onlu achieved that purpose but also exposed us to actual public officers of Japan.

*The replacement visit though at Japan Agriculture Cooperative (JA) was welcome. All of the delegates had several questions for the President of JA, the speaker, after his presentation. As the President's presentation tackled on the present state of agricultural cooperatives nationwide and their role in securing Japan's agricultural sector, we all could relate. Most ASEAN countries, with India included, are experiencing the phenomenon of farmers becoming less and less viable as a profession. As of 2015, Japan's population engaged in farming is at 1.7%, or 2.09 million out of the 120 million Japanese.

 Anya: Today was E X H A U S T I N G. Not to complain tho, it was exciting as well :D

Early call time today because we got on the shinkansen bullet train! It was comfortable and quite warm inside the train. As a passenger, I wouldn’t feel the full speed of the train. However, looking outside, I noticed that huge buildings and streets were passing us by really quickly. That was when I realized that the shinkansen is really a powerful transportation technology as it covered those distances in second. With further calculations, our ride was two hours long so that meant that our destination, Miyagi Prefecture, was very far from the capital. Another exciting thing that happened during the train ride was seeing snow on the way! I had never seen snow before so I was thrilled to see it up close and sticking to the ground. I read that Sendai didn’t have much snow so I soaked up the sight of it from the train.

Once we reached Sendai, we got on a bus and went straight to the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives office. Mr. Masayoshi Abe. a senior executive of JA Midorino, introduced us to the concept of an agricultural cooperative and the role of JA to the Japanese farmers. The lecture made me realize that agriculture was still an important part of the economy; however, due to the technological development in Japan, there seemed to be decreasing agricultural practices. It was a bit alarming that the sales level had not changed much in the past decade (and in fact, decreasing in terms of rice sales!!), accompanied by the aging problem of the farmers. It was a good thing that they kept pushing for programs to engage the youth in farming, supported by their national government. It was smart of them to try to bring in the youth from the cities, because usually they were the ones with new technique, contributing to the development of the local economy.

 Blessy: It was the most interesting topic to me since my field is related to Agriculture. I realized that Philippines has more abundant land area for farming than Japan and yet our farmers are poor. There is a good support Japan government is giving to their farmers to sustain the improvement of their agriculture sector.

The average age of farmers is younger in the Philipines that should be its advantage. But because of the lack of law that will protect farmers rights and lack of technology that will help farmers improve productivity, Filipino farmers' status of living is behind Japan's.

 Dada: The highlight of the day were the Shinkansen ride and lecture at JA Midorino.

 We were traveling all morning to Sendai. Getting there, we've gone aboard the Shinkansen/ the bullet train. One common characteristic of developed countries are their progressive railway system. It is an efficient way of transporting people from places to places therefore catering more productivity.

Meanwhile, it is exhilarating to see snow during our ride to Miyagi prefecture.

Then, we attended a lecture by the JA Midorino regarding their goals and other details regarding their agriculture sector in Japan. Now, one of the pressing issue in the sector is the aging/ increasing average age of Japanese engaged in farming which is like in the Phil agri sector; the only difference is that Japan has an aging population while the Philippines has a young population. With that, Japan is trying to remedy it with partnerships. It is also good to know that small time farmers are supported and empowered through the cooperative.

 Darren: Today, we got a chance to experience a ride in Shinkansen (bullet train) going to Sendai. Most of us were tired but seeing snow for the first time was totally worth it. Nost just the Filipino delegates were excited to experience snow but also the others who came from tropical countries.

When we arrived in Sendai, we directly headed to Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA). As a student taking up Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management, I am very much aware that the number of young people engaged in agriculture - may it be from Philippines and Japan - is continually decreasing probably because most of them work in the corporate world.

What I observed in the Japanese way of living is that there is always an initiative for Japan to improve the lives of its citizen, and not just for profit. Since Philippines is an agricultural country, I am hoping that the linkage of trade and industry between Japan and Philippines will be strengthened after the JENESYS program. Hand-in-hand, Philippines will export its products and in return, Japan will also export their own products. In this way, sustainable economy between a developed and a developing country and strong partnership will be achieved.

 Grace: A ride on Tohoku Shinkansen. Bullet trains in Japan are the most exciting mode of transportation on land. This would be a perfect and fast transportation for persons who want to go to various provinces of Japan. This proves that Japan has high-level infrastructural technology. They have excellent security and operational management. They ensure all the passengers to be safe and sound until they reach their respective destinations.

On our way, we saw mountains, ricefields and roof of house nicely capped with snow. I felt so happy becuase it was my first time to see snow.

 Ian: It was a rainy day in Tokyo. We had our breakfast in the hotel and then went to the bus immediately. The weather became colder due to the rains. Again, we had our brief tour with Tokyo. We were able to see the emperor's palace again, the popular Sofia University and the Tokyo Meteorological Center. We were dropped off in a train station. Our scheduled event for the day is going to Sendai which is located on the northern part of Tokyo. The means of transportation we used in going to Sendai was the ever-popular bullet train (Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train). On the inside, it was different compared to ordinary trains. We sit comfortably and I have observed that it really lived up to its name. We were able to reach different stations in short time. In the train, I was able to see for the first time real snow. It was a surreal moment. We finally reached the Sendai station after 2 hours. As expected, the weather was cold. Our facilitators gave a brief introduction about Sendai. It was another long trip in the bus in order to reach Japan Agricultural Cooperative (JA). The scenery was a lot different to Tokyo. There are a lot of agricultural lands and establishments are smaller. We had our lunch at the JA Headquarters. After our lunch, the Senior Vice President of JA discussed the function of the cooperative and the effect of its establishment. One of the things I inferred from the talk was that Japan agriculture also faces a lot of problems, from the increasing average age of farmers, decreasing sales and even the foreign trade agreements with other countries. Which is also similar in my own country, the Philippines. However, the JA exerts a lot of effort to elevate the farmers. We returned to the hotel for the dinner. After that, we roamed around the streets of Sendai.

 Jerm: Almost missing the Shinkansen bullet train will stay etched in my mind forever – good thing we got there just in time. The bullet train experience was amazing having to see the different faces of Japan as we travelled through the different places we passed by. At one point we even saw snow – another first I could tick-off my bucketlist. What made the bullet train experience even better though was the company I had through it – sharing food and passing things to so everyone can get. After the train ride and transfer to the venue, we had another keynote, this time about agriculture in Japan. We were able to hear from representatives of the Japan Agricultural Cooperative that aims to improve the lifestyles of those involved in agriculture. It was quite insightful as we were able to discuss how Japan, despite its progress, still saw its agriculture as weak. Most people think agriculture is a sector for the less developed although they do not realize that most of the inputs in products originate here. We should also instill the same mindset here in the Philippines – that we already have somewhere to start on and that all we have to do now is build up’s on that and make it even stronger. Like all countries, Japan still does encounter problems like an aging agricultural population. This is critical as if the trend continues there would be no one left to sustain the practice. It was then explained that Japan does support activities that further encourage the youth to participate in agriculture and to make them see agriculture as a decent alternative rather than just a last resort.

 Joan: It was an exhilarating experience for me rushing to board the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train for Sendai at the Tokyo Station (Yamabiko 133). This state of the art transportation is vital to locals as well as tourists. Moving to surrounding prefectures via the bullet train is convenient and a time-saver. Along the railway tracks beautiful sceneries can be seen, from agricultural lands (rice paddies) , residential and industrial areas. One, image I can’t seem to forget is ye first sight of snow covered leaves of trees and the grounds as well. Un/fortunately, there is no hint of snow when we stop at Miyagi station but nevertheless the sky was gloomy and I felt chilly all the way to my joints and bones.

In the afternoon we had a lecture at Japan Agricultural Cooperation or the Japan Midori.

The Japan Midori is an important institution wherein group of persons engaging and passionate in agriculture converge and promote cooperation. One glaring fact and quite a disadvantage for the Japanese cooperatives and other corporation is the majority of the members are the aged. Hence, youths are aggressively encouraged to be farmers through different types of exposures, such as internship in farming, cooking shows and as a child grows up, instilling into them the importance of farming. This is not only happen in Japan though, in the Philippines the same scenario is evident. The difference is that, our government is not yet pushing for youth to engage more in agriculture, or maybe there are initiatives but I have not heard about it or these were not yet implemented.

The Midori sets up local shops and directly sell their products in these shops. This is beneficial as farmers do not need to transport their products and risk damaging their products and adding the expense to the consumers. This kind of set-up is familiar as there are already available facilities where farmers can sell their produce.

My take-away this day is that in union there is strength in other words “one for all, all for one”.

 Juliet: The Shinkansen ride gave me another realization of what Japanese is today- a developed country both in terms of its economy and society.The seat I took inside the bullet train gave me feeling that hopefully my country can also achieve such development.Moreover, the lecture on JA cooperatives which is actually my second time again showed me the "I do" spirit and norm of Japanese people in community building and management.This magnified my high regard of the Japanese culture and practice of getting together and helping each other. I observed that the collective way of farming and selling the farmers produce really not only strengthen the cooperatives but the people and communities as well.The JA also provides sustainability mechanism for the agricultural activities of the farming communities and life of the community people.The experience, mechanism, and norms of JA in business management and community building as shown in the case of JA Midorino really help to cultivate the vibrant Japanese agricultural communities. I hope my country can replicate such.I have high hope that despite the different agreements such as TPP and FTA, this cooperative spirit especially in Japan will not wither.This cooperative spirit is something of value that we as developing nation must imbibe.‪#JENESYS2016 ‪#JICE ‪#PHILIPPINES

 June: Riding the Bullet Train made me feel very interested in its mechanics. With a train traveling as fast as the bullet train, I thought about the technology used that would help it reach this speed and at the same the stabilizers it had so that the passengers’ experience would feel like it’s just an average train where you can walk around freely. With the bullet train passing by numerous towns, seeing these views was very beautiful to look at.

 From the Japan Agriculture Cooperatives, I was able to see that Japan has a similar situation with the Philippines regarding the ageing crisis in agriculture especially in the farming industry. The average age of farmers in Japan is 66 years old which is very similar to the average of farmers in the Philippines. Philippines being an agricultural country that has a lot of potential in this sector due to the abundance of resources (e.g. land, marine resources, etc.), this poses as a problem for the country in sustainable development given that future generations might have lesser amounts of production if the current average of farmers would remain unchanged.

 Love: When I joined the JENESYS Program, I really wanted to learn about the Agriculture Sector in Japan. This was realized on Day 4. But before going into details, I was so amazed when I rode the Shinkansen train. It was really a great experience and made me compare the transportation system in the Philippines. In the development work, transportation matters. Inaccessibility can really impede the development. If you cannot deliver goods and services rapidly, then progress might take slowly. On our way to the lecture venue, I saw how Japanese people maximized their land area in agricultural production. Even in small spaces/ lots/areas, Japanese farmers were able to plant different crops on their backyard. In farming, Japanese were technologically advanced. I saw different farm implement along the way as well as individual greenhouses established in front of their houses. Though Japan does not rely on farming as main source of income, still families were able to produce their own food for consumption. Greenhouse was constructed to protect the crops from extreme weather condition, i.e., winter/snow. I also noticed that the irrigation in the Philippines is better compared to Japan (that's what I saw and observed during the travel). No concrete main lateral canals and ditches were seen during the travel. Despite this limitation, I saw that synchronous planting was observed and highly- mechanization was practiced. Philippines and Japan are both calamity-stricken countries where different natural phenomenon are happening. I think we really have to deepen the relationship with them (the Japanese government). During the lecture, it was also emphasized that Japan is only 39% food sufficiency and arable land is decreasing as well as labor force/human resource is aging. The main focus of the discussion was the idea of collective action in farming from land preparation, planting to marketing. The cooperative is responsible in managing and marketing the goods and produced of farmers. With this, traders and middlemen are limited and most of the income goes directly to farmers which is very different in the Philippines. Wealth of ideas garnered through this learning experience is worth sharing to Filipino farmers and we could somehow adapt or modify their technologies with our existing resources.

 Nelson: If I were to sum up our fourth day in four words, these are: TRAVEL, SHINKANSEN, SNOW, and AGRICULTURE.

TRAVEL.

Travel because we spent roughly 5 or 6 hours on the road today. From the bus trip to Tokyo Station, Shinkansen ride to Sendai, and a long bus ride to our hotel in Sendai.

SHINKANSEN.

Our shinkansen ride bound for Sendai was the most memorable moment of this day. Firstly, except for me, I think it was the first time for the Philippines team to ride a bullet train. Secondly, it was another good time to mingle with the other delegates; take pictures, share food, and of course, talk. Our Tohoku Shinkansen ride to Miyagi gave us a short and very quick tour of the northern part of Tokyo.

SNOW.

All of us were screaming when we passed by a city covered in snow. Everybody panicked and had their iPhones and cameras ready to take pictures of the white picturesque view! We weren't sure which city it was but seeing snow for the first time in person was so surreal. It was like staring at a huge wallpaper of a forest and a village covered in white dust. Since there where tunnels, everybody was nose to nose to the shinkansen's window waiting for the snowed city gleefully.

AGRICULTURE.

I was a bit surprised about the status of Japan's agriculture industry because of the impression of how successful Japan is in almost everything; apparently it is not. Athough, Japan's agriculture isn't bad, it isn't as impressive as it was a few decades ago either. According to the lecturer of today's topic, the number of members, employees, and the rice sales drastically decreased and a few of its reasons are: the millenials are not interested in agriculture and there are no one for the aging farmers to pass on the business and these farmers abandon their business when they turn 80 and retire. This is why Japan Agriculture Cooperatives reach out to nearby countries for support and new ideas for interested youngsters.

It was a very eventful day that nudged us physically, emotionally, and intellectually. There is never a dull day in this program!

 Nina: Today we are scheduled to go to Sendai. We got up early, had breakfast, and went staright ahead to Tokyo Station. We had a chance to not only see their very famous bullet train but also ride in it. Their bullet trains are very comfortable, fast and efficient. We rode Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train and during the train ride, we saw snow! 😄 It was obvious that everybody was excited to see and experience snow, given that, we come from countries without winter.

Arriving at Sendai, you can already distinguish its difference from Tokyo. Sendai has no high structured buildings and it is surrounded by lots of fields (mostly rice and vegetable fields). We went to Japan Agricultural (JA) Cooperatives, a cooperative for those who are engaged in agriculture. Though their current number and state declined from what it is before, they still pursued in helping the community and improving the lifestyle of each and everyone. It was great knowing they look forward to strengthen partnerships with other ASEAN countries, European Union, U.S., and also China. It was alarming learning that they have a pretty high farmer average age which is 66.4 - even higher than ours, in the Philippines. I highly encourage that they promote benefits and advantages in joining farming to the youthI believe that this kind of cooperatives are really much appreciated and helpful since there is only a small portion of agricultural industry in the country.

After dinner, we went shopping at Don Quixote - our favorite! I was overwhelmed by the prices at the same time, the good finds. My favorite buy was the huge meiji chocolate. My family will definitely love it as much as I do 😄 We ate takoyaki and I bought ice cream from a vendo machine, sadly, my friends did not get to have one since nothing was going out even when they have already given their payments.

I had an awesome time today and I am excited for the coming days!

 Norshida: Soma san informed us about our trip to Miyagi in which we are going to travel thru Shinkanshen (Bullet Train). Been excited to ride a Shinkanshen for the first time as if I was a kid wanting to have a ride. Most of the Japanese walks very fast and I have been trying to walk like them but unfortunately I cannot walk at their pace. I also thought that once your an MSU'ans (MSU ALUMNI) you walk faster that any University Student in Mindanao since College Buildings were far from each other. I have observed that Japanese avoid delays in everything. We arrived at Sendai City at 12:10 PM, the biggest city in Tohuko Area. I've learned also that TO means East and HUKO means north, Sendai is also known as the City of Green. We were also able to visit at Japanes Agriculture in which I have an insightful information about the Japanese Agriculture, I have learned how they consolidate all of their agricultural products. I was amazed on the dynamics and mechanisms in the consolidation of their agri-products.

 Sittie: We were traveling most of the day. From rushing to the Shinkansen bullet train to bus ride from one place to another in Sendai that took us at least 1 hour of ride going to another place.

by Grace and Joan

Today, we woke up quite early for our baggage to be collected and shuttled by a bus to be sent ahead to Miyagi. The previous night we have already prepared a small  bag for our clothes to be used in our Tokyo stay and trip to Miyagi Prefecture.  

It was a sunny morning on our way to Time 24, we were oriented by Sohma San about how their traffic rules were a bit strict. She informed us about Japan's set-up on its zoning after it was colonized during the World War II. The delegates were quite observant and asked Sohma san all sorts of questions. She pointed out the fences beside the roads which alleviates or cancel out noises from the busy streets, as noise had been a problem already.  We were amazed how the gingko and cherry trees changed color with the season. All important and meaningful structures, old and new were diligently announced by Sohma San in her microphone.

Upon traveling from Narita, Chiba towards downtown Tokyo, the progress is evident through the industries, buildings, man-made structures and even landscapes and rivers. They have adapted to the changing time but still preserve the traditional ways, agricultural lands can still be seen in conjunction with modern facilities. You cannot see any trace of the tragedy anymore as they have been efficient and speedy recovery.

The aim of the lecture in the ASEAN- Japan Center is to deepen understanding of the charms and strength of Japan’s markets and industries and of economical relations between Japan and invited regions and countries. The key note lecture was delivered by Masataka Fujita, the Secretary General.

Lunch time was a hit, as we took it at Hana-no-Mai, a Sumo inspired restaurant. There is a Sumo wrestling ring, and the restaurant is full of locals. The food was simple and filling.  After having conversations with our Thai groupmates during lunch we headed out and by foot we all went to explore Edo-Tokyo Museum and adjacent to it is a huge sumo wrestling stadium. Sumo wrestling is a national sport of Japan and held thrice a year.

Abdel: The lecture at ASEAN-Japan Center by no less than the Secretary-General himself was on "Evolving Economic Relations between ASEAN and Japan". There were also other heads that gave lectures on three important topics: FDI, trade and investment, and tourism. Given the time constraints and the level of technical detail of the discussion, all were too much to take in for the delegates. There was not much time for Q&A as well. That is what is remarkable about Japanese - they are sticklers for time. Started on time, ended on time. *For this day lecture, I found two important matters: first, the most segmented value chains in ASEAN for Japan are found in manufacturing, then the services and primary sector. This is expected, and a comparison of the 1990 and 2011 data shows that the the most segmented sector in the manufacturing industry are motor vehicle and other transportation equipment, and electrical and electronic equipment and at 62.5% and 53.5% respectively. Second, Japan has AEC or the ASEAN Economic Cooperation where in it collectively recognizes the ASEAN as a huge contributor of economic business and investment decisions, a single market and production base where there is a USD $2.4 trillion combined GDP. There is also the recognition that China is eating its way more into Japan's trade relations as well, like the rest of the world. *I learned today that Japan takes seriously the food restrictions and preferences of the delegates. We ate in a restaurant on the way to the Edo-Tokyo Museum that served us mostly vegetables. Ian, who checked no alcohol as a restriction, joined us because the soup that they had for us had minimal alcohol. I cannot help but compare to how different it is to the Philippines. *The restaurant we ate in was right exactly below a metro rail. How confident the Japanese restaurant was, in building establishments below a rail, and what an experience having trains pass above you in between chewing your meal. *Thanks to Mark, Anya, Joan, and I, together with two other Thai delegates, availed of the free tour guides that the Edo-Tokyo museum offered. From the Nihonbashi Bridge to the Nakamura-za Kabuki Theater, we were given a swift but detailed tour, punctuated with viewing original and replicated items as exhibited and large-scale models, faithful replications of the originals. I learned that there were three types of people in the old Tokyo days - craftsmen, warriors, and rulers, and there were three calamities that devoured Tokyo that transformed Tokyo. As a tidbit, the tour guide told us that so many school kids were visiting the museum as schools out and it is the best time for Japanese kids to go to the museum!

Anya: Tokyo Day! This being my first time in Japan, I was so excited to move into the capital. I was peering out the window the whole time during our bus ride from Narita to Tokyo.

Upon entering the city, I believe there was a collective awe towards the infrastructure of Tokyo. Sohma-san pointed out some of them, such as the sound barriers to reduce noise pollution, the reclaimed land, the stacks (???) of skyways, and the tall buildings that had some quirks. We unfortunately couldn’t stop and check them out because we were heading to the Time 24 building.

Located at Time 24 was the ASEAN-Japan Centre. The centre had four missions revolving around trade, investment, tourism, and exchange promotions. Officials from ministries of different ASEAN nations shed some light regarding these missions. However, the secretary general, Mr. Masataka Fujita, gave a lecture regarding the economic relations between ASEAN and Japan. In his presentation, he highlighted that this relationship had evolved throughout the decade., and how this evolution entailed a change in operations as well. He also showed us some trade statistics and the basic concept of global value chains (GVCs). He ended his presentation with some questions to ponder on: 1) How to get more involved in GVC?; 2) How to get more value added locally? For me, as a student of business, finance, and economics, these questions are relevant and important. We also need to drive up GVCs, the GDP along with it, and to encourage domestic creation of value-added.

Right after the enlightening lecture, we had lunch at a sumo wrestling restaurant. There was no wrestling match but the experience was still quite interesting. To us, the restaurant looked traditional and that added to the excitement. Something I noticed in the restaurant was the coat rack. I find that gesture becoming of the restaurant because they were considerate of the customers and also admirable of the customers because they trust each other that no one would steal a coat.

Next stop after lunch was the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Some of my Filipino friends and I, joined by some Thai delegates, got a guide to tour us around the Edo exhibit. She showed us the fascinating history of Tokyo, formerly Edo. The time period was during the Shogunate rule so the exhibits had a lot to do with the hierarchy among the people at the time. I was personally not so fond of hierarchies but I was interested in how the Japanese people were able to adopt. The guide reiterated that the people from the lowest class (merchants, iirc) had very small land area allotted to them. Because of this, they were able to develop a zen perspective in which they don’t really need much material things to live their lives.

After this eventful day, we were brought to our hotel in Shinjuku. On the way, our bus passed through several places such as Ueno, Akihabara, and Ginza. It was towards nighttime already and the streets were so alive with the lights and the people. After the official events for the day, our group decided to go to Ueno to shop for souvenirs. We had to take the train to that part. The metro lines were quite complicated, and fortunately the people we asked for directions were accommodating.

Overall, today was quite exhausting but it was fun! We were able to take in information about the economy, about culture, and snippets of daily living (through the restaurant and the metro).

  Blessy: After the session with Nexus, I was able to understand why Japan is investing on exchange programs like Jenesys. This is their way to encourage ASEAN countries to partner with Japan to outsource raw materials from different countries. They focus more on value adding on products that make their economy better than those who have provided materials. They focus on trade, investment and tourism with ASEAN countries which they believe they could be even with China and America in economic growth.

  Christian: After eating breakfast and packing up our things, we immediately proceeded to a bus that transported us going to Tokyo. Going to Tokyo can be said as very convenient, as there exists an efficient infrastructure system (i.e. the expressway) that connects the capital city to Narita Airport. It took us around an hour to get to Time 24 Building, the venue for the first conference.

The first talk was mainly focused on ASEAN-Japan economic relations, with ASEAN-Japan Center providing us important insights regarding the dynamics between the two entities. The center, known officially as ASEAN Promotion Centre on Trade Investment and Tourism, is focused on the execution of its promotional activities in four different aspects: (1) Trade, (2) Investment, (3) Tourism, and (4) Exchange of peoples. In totality, these four missions are aimed in advancing economic development between the two entities, especially that Japan’s expertise in development (as manifested in its economic prosperity) may be replicated by one of Asia’s most rapidly-advancing regions. The talks by the representatives gave us details on the various mechanisms as to how these promotional activities are executed (which are done through seminars, trainings, lectures, exhibitions, and other forms of information dissemination). 

In the second part of the lecture, the secretary-general of the center, Mr. Masataka Fujita, gave us information regarding the current economic dynamics between the two bodies. He emphasized a lot on the potentials of trade through a value-added approach. It may be inferred from his talk that economic integration may be further advanced through the creation of global value chains, distributing the creation of various inputs for different commodities in other countries such as those in ASEAN, most of whom present high potentials for growth. The participation of ASEAN countries to GVCs is seen to improve the trade conditions of such nations, providing both higher incomes, additional employment, thus improving standards of living.

After a sumptuous meal at the Sumo Wrestling-themed restaurant, the team proceeded to the Edo-Tokyo Museum with a short walk. An initial reaction for me was some sort of amazement, especially with the magnitude of the architectural design of the edifice. Inside the building, various exhibits on Edo and its current counterpart Tokyo are available for public viewing and use (as some pieces are interactive). The history that these exhibits conveys is something we as Filipinos can truly learn from, especially that the realization of the potentials for the development of our cities is of high importance in spurring development and in improving the lives of our people.

Dada: This day, i learned that one shall treat his/her health as a valuable asset for one's productivity. The Japanese gingerly takes care of their health because they see it as an extreme necessity in their everyday activities. They make the serious effort to go to medical clinics/ hospital just to ensure their health. That is what i observed during my visit at their city hall (Tokyo) health clinic with Hagino-san.

I also observed how Japan excellently provides cheap and quality health care for its citizen. Tokyo has really nice facilities (buildings) for its city hall. And since we're nearby, we visited the metropolitan tower of Tokyo (45th floor of the city hall) which gives a birds' eye view of the city of tokyo and the nearby prefecture. I was really thankful since the test was negative and grateful to Hagino-san for accompanying me. She is very an insightful person and delightful to talk to especially if its an intellectual conversation.

  Darren: Masataka Fujita, the Secretay General of ASEAN-Japan Centre, together with other experts who came from different countries, discussed the centre-wide activities that utilize the complementary expertise of its different divisions and directly contributes to the policy and strategy making processes for the government and the private sector respectively. These activities are (1) trade promotion activities, (2) investment promotion activities, and (3) tourism & exchange promotion activities. I learned that such activities help ASEAN-Japan Centre to sustain its mandates on promoting exports from ASEAN to Japan, accelerating investment flows, vitalizing tourist traffics, and expanding exchanges of person between Japan and ASEAN.

After learning some economic facts on how Japan strengthens its partnership with ASEAN, we visited a museum to learn more about Tokyo's history and culture. Electronic age has already paved its way but the Japanese culture has long been preserved. Serving as a projection onto the city and the living of the future, Edo-Tokyo Museum, a museum located in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, aids in the preservation of the rich culture of Japan. The name "Edo-Tokyo Museum"came from the old and current name of the capital of Japan - Edo is the oldest name, and the latter, Tokyo which literally means East Capital," is the current name. Moreover, Edo Tokyo Museum has two zones, Edo and Tokyo zone, which depict the traditional and modern Japanese way of living.

It is amazing, and mind-boggling at the same time, how the advancement of technology in Japan does not entirely affect (in a negative way) the proliferation of culture. Both of these things are part of Japanese life; hand-in-hand, technology and culture help in the advancement and the preservation of each other. Truly, Japan is more than just a country - it is an abode of continuous economic development where advanced technlogy and rich culture intertwine.

  Ian: Our scheduled event for the day is a visit the ASEAN-Japan Centre and a tour at the Edo-Tokyo Museum. While on the road, some facts and history about Tokyo was explained by our facilitator. One of those is the etymology of Tokyo. Tokyo translates to "East Capital". Another was the former name of Tokyo, which is Edo. While on our way, I had the chance to catch a glimpse of the road and traffic system, flood control facilities, manufacturing establishments, telecommunication sites and famous landmarks (including Tokyo Disneyland). Then, we finally arrived at Tokyo. It was a surreal moment for me as I was already able to see with my own eyes the popular city of Tokyo. The first part of our activity for the day is to visit the ASEAN-Japan Centre and listen to the talks of the speakers. The forum was graced by Mr. Masataka Fujita, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Japan Center and different representatives of the ASEAN countries. They primarily discussed about the trade, investment and tourism activities of ASEAN nations and Japan. It was an insightful event as we were able to observe the efforts of Japan and the ASEAN countries in elevating each other. Japan has a fair share in the exports, imports, foreign direct investment (FDI) and official development assistance (ODA) to the ASEAN countries. ASEAN and Japan help each other in identifying problems and provide policies as well. Through the partnership there is also information sharing and capacity building. However, when I observed the data per ASEAN country, it is still a reality that regardless of the FDI inflows of Philippines from Japan, there is still low value added in our products compared to the other countries. Having a high value added translates to higher GDP per capita, as shown in the data provided by Mr. Fujita. After the forum, we had our lunch at Hana-no-Mai which is a traditional Japanese restaurant. After making our stomachs satisfied, we walked going to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. On the inside, the first things I saw were the Kabuki Theater and the Newspaper Office (Chōya Shinbun-sha). We roamed around the museum. We observed and read some facts. I noticed how the present Japan is different to its past. The museum showcased the efforts of the people to build its own name and to be labeled as a developed country. After touring, we went to the museum shop and bought some souvenirs. We also headed to the topmost floor of the museum and had a look to the city of Tokyo. All of us are in awe when we saw the view. We returned to the bus as the next activity prepared for us was dinner. While on the road, I saw the heart of Tokyo. Beautiful lights and buildings are all around the city. We arrived in a food court and had dinner. Afterwards, we had another brief tour around the Tokyo on the way to the hotel. We were able to see the Tokyo Sky Tree, the parliament office, popular department stores and the palace of the emperor. We arrived at the hotel and left our bags immediately as we were given a time to roam around Tokyo. With the fellow delegates from the Philippines, we decided to go to Ueno. We had the opportunity to ride Japanese train for the first time. The train routes are a little bit complicated compared to the Philippines that's why we became a little bit lost, however, we still successfully arrived to Ueno. Although many stores are already closed because it's late night already, some of us were still able to buy souvenirs and food. We hurriedly went to the train station again as we are required to be back at the hotel at 23:00 (11:00 pm). Because of our previous experience, we gained a little mastery about the train route. Fortunately, we arrived at the hotel on time. It was a really beautiful and fun day in Tokyo and I look forward on going back.

  Jerm: Mr. Fujita gave a very insightful lecture on the ASEAN Economy and its relationship to Japan. He imparted an important concept – value-added trade which is something people often overlook when discussing progress. He said that service is just as important sector as manufacturing in any country and that each country has to find a balance to become less reliant on foreign inputs. This was then followed by lunch at the Sumo Restaurant near the Edo Tokyo Museum. Here, we got to share a meal together with our Thai friend, Woody. After an ~Oishi~ meal, we went to Edo Tokyo Musuem. It was filled with people of different ages emphasizing that history and culture are really important things to the people in Japan. As we toured through the museum, I realized how vibrant the story of Japan is and how it has surpassed many challenges to become what it is today. The day’s program ended with a sumptuous dinner where we got to choose from different stalls without really knowing what they were cos they had no English translations. Regardless, everything was delicious and it was really a wonderful experience.

  Juliet: I was able to deepen my understanding and appreciation of Japan as global power in the economic landscape of the Asian region, specifically its relationship to the ASEAN.This economic relationship goes beyond economic opportunities and growth towards peace and stability in the region.I think, the partnership and cooperation in trade,investment, tourism, and exchange program that ASEAN-Japan Center promotes is not merely focusing on liberalization of the ASEAN economies but more on strengthening one's capability in the economic arena. Whether the objective is the leveling of the playing field or increasing business infrastructure investments or strengthening global value chain, I believe that the utmost consideration of the uniqueness of the capability of these individual states which Japan as a nation exemplifies through the said Center is a strong point of this partnership and cooperation.Another learning that I gained is the beauty and impact of the changes and evolution of said economic relations between ASEAN and Japan from Foreign Direct Investments to Trade and Investment to Economic Integration.Truly as Fujitasan said we must analyze this relationship with historical perspective in order to contextualize where and how will be each individual ASEAN-member states specially our country in this regional integration.

The visit at the Edo Tokyo Museum was very insightful for me.I realized that like any other country, Japan in the past was simple yet colorful like during in the Edo period. However, it is evident through the artefacts, historical displays, and infrastructure models showcase in the museum that from the day-to-day lives of the Japanese to the administration of their laws, the society did not only thrive for individual survival and upliftment of the one's life but community building as well.Amazingly, this exemplar norm of the Japanese people in community building led Japan to where and what is it now - one of the global powers.

  June: The Edo-Tokyo Museum was the richest place of Japan’s history that I’ve ever been to. It shows how Japanese culture, traditions, and contemporary life was back then. It was a very enriching experience and it has allowed us to learn deeply about Japan. It was a walk down memory lane. Only this time, it was the memory lane to Japan.

The ASEAN-Japan was a very informative experience. Learning about the collaboration between Japan and ASEAN in different areas gave me knowledge I needed since as a member of the ASEAN Region, to continue and sustain these collaborations that exist between us would be our duty as the youth.

  Love: Day 3 was able to make me more understand the purpose of the JENESYS Program through a keynote lecture given by JICE and MOFA. The lecturer discussed about the Economy of Japan and its relationship to ASEAN countries. Now, the Japanese government is doing its best to create a good partnership among ASEAN counties through tourism, investment, trade and exchange program. I think this move will strengthen the relationship of Japan to ASEAN countries including T’mor Leste and India. The Japanese government is pursuing a more active participation to the ASEAN recognizing its responsibility to provide economic and technical assistance to ASEAN countries. So much information was discussed regarding Japan and its forward activities and it was really informative. Also, I gained insight on global-value chain which I think is very helpful in preparation for the free-trade agreement. The knowledge learned can be shared to the duty-bearers of our organization’s project. With this, I can further identify activities that support farmers to move up and capture more value for their crops that would increase farmers’ income. After the lecture, the team headed to Edo Museum to witness the colorful and wide history/culture of Japan. I was really fascinated about what I saw during the learning visit in the museum and even came to reminisce my childhood days playing the ever popular “family computer”. The country is very “techy” and yet the Japanese people were able to preserve its very rich and significant culture, customs and traditions. What Japan has become now was influenced by a very rich and significant culture that was preserved and maintained through times.

  Nelson: We were instructed to wake up early and be at the lobby of the hotel for our baggage to be sent to Miyagi prefecture before having our breakfast, so we won't carry it when it's time to move to Sendai. As part of their routine, the JICE representatives checked our temperature and made sure that we sanitized our hands before eating. I like how concerned they are with everybody's health not because it's their duty but because prevention is always better among other things.

Today's agenda includes a keynote lecture about economic relations of Japan between the ASEAN countries and a trip to Edo-Tokyo Museum in Tokyo. Everybody was very excited about going to Tokyo because why not. After the very informative talk about economics by the Secretary General of ASEAN-Japan Centre, Masataka Fujita-san, we had our lunch at a Sumo Restaurant. It was a great time to talk and know more about the other delegates from the participating countries while having a sumptuous lunch at the same time. And then we headed to the Edo-Tokyo Museum right after.

There were so much information about Japan's history to take in and I barely remembered everything I read and saw in Edo-Tokyo Museum to be honest but one thing's for sure, everybody enjoyed what they experienced!

During dinner, all of us got to choose what dish to have with a prepaid card given to us by the JICE folks in a hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurant. Some had ramen, curry, udon, karaage, tempura, and a lot more. Although we still haven't experienced dining in a sushi rastaurant where there's a conveyor of different kinds of sushi yet, we sure loved all the food we had since we arrived in Japan; even their rice tastes good enough to nibble on without any viand with it hence the onigiri with just a nori. So far, so good!

  Nina: It's Tokyo day! We had a chance to be in the City of Tokyo. The mini city tour during the bus ride to Time 24 Building was great! I noticed that they have a lot of parking lots and people mostly walk or ride a bicycle. These could be two of the reasons why there is not much problem in traffic. Also, I am overwhelmed to see "legit" sidewalks, where in people can walk and use their bikes, and mothers could stroll around their babies.

It was a great pleasure meeting Mr. Masataka Fujita, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Japan Centre. His lecture was good and informative. It gave us a glimpse of what they do and what they promote for the betterment not only of Japan but also of other ASEAN countries. Through excellence in trade, investment, tourism, and exchange they establish reforms and good relations with each and every country. I agree with his answer to one question in what can we, the youth, can do to help them. I believe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will create a great impact and better changes to the world when all of us work together to pursue it. And as the youth of today, the next generation is counting on us.

After lecture, we ate at a sumo restaurant called Hana-no Mai. We are served by raw food and a compact stove on the table. We let our food to be cooked and share it with our friends together in the table. It was a great experience, indeed!

I was not able to appreciate every single piece displayed in the Edo-Tokyo Museum because of the number of visitors that day but I saw how they preserved their history and how did it develop through time. My favorite part in that tour was when we went up to the 7th floor and saw the Tokyo skyscraper.

When we got back to the hotel, we, then, prepared for our shopping! We decided to go to Ueno but sadly most shops are already closed. That cold night was an adventure,‪ #AmazingRace feels. I appreciate Kuya Mark for guiding us all the way and back

Though tiring, I enjoyed a lot today.

Norshida: While on our way to Tokyo I have noticed that their transportation is modern and highly developed. Roads were structurally built. I also observed a wall barrier beside the road wherein Soma-san explained to us that it was a concrete panel fence was applied to the roads as noise control measure, it is meant to block direct sound from vehicles since they believed that noise is also a pollution. Edo was the oldest name of Tokyo, is also the cultural center of Japan. Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century. Japanese people also believed that Mt. Fuji is a goddess as Soma-san told us. Upon arriving at Time 24 Soma-san reminded us to go to the bathroom before entering the lecture hall because when the lecture start no one is allowed to go the wash room. I could say, Japanese people have really practiced discipline and order in every aspect of their daily life. Lectures on understanding the Evolving Economic Relations between ASEAN and Japan have discussed by the Secretary General Mr. Masataka Fujita. I have also learned about the mandate of ASEAN-JAPAN Centre in which Trade Promotion, Investment Promotion, Tourism Promotion Activities and Exchange Promotion. I was also enlightened by the Global Value Chains and Value added Trade. After the lecture we headed to a Sumo Restaurant wherein I get a chance to eat a sumptuous Japanese meal. At Edo-Tokyo Museum, I also got a chance to see original and replica of Japan’s historical culture and tradition. I was stunned on how they maintained and preserved artifacts from their ancestors.