Introduction: JENESYS 2.0: Disaster Prevention Course

One of the most sought for travel destinations today is Japan. Many travellers want to experience the rich historic culture as seen in their festivals, temples and pagodas, traditional wear and of course, traditional Japanese food. Moreover, some enthusiasts want to buy merchandise from their favorite anime, manga, or Jpop, and thus the reason to go to this country.

Last September 29 - October 7, I was privileged to be one of the delegates who passed the application to JENESYS Program.
(From over 300 applications, my 34 co-delegates and I made it to the cut.)


Japan-East Asia Network of Students and Youth Program 2.0 (JENESYS 2.0: Disaster Prevention Course) was  initiated Japan Overseas Cooperative Agency (JOCA) and the Japan Information Cultural Center (JICC) of the Japanese Embassy, in partnership with National Youth Commission (NYC), having these objectives:
 (1) to disseminate knowledge regarding disaster prevention and risk mitigation actions in which Japan operates since Japan is one of the countries that is most hit by calamities, and
(2) to deepen the delegates’ knowledge and interest in Japan and its culture and traditions through the COOL Japan brand.

To sum up, here's what we've done:
We visited Tokyo to observe the cutting-edge technology that the Panasonic Center caters, to visit Honjo Life Safety Learning Center to experience calamity simulations, and to experience Japanese culture in Asakusa and Akihabara. Then, on the third day, delegates went to Shizuoka Prefecture to visit some of the infrastructures built or being built after they were hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. We went to Hamamatsu City Coastal Levee, tsunami evacuation tower, and in The Forest of Hope. Also, for cultural experience and exchange, we went to Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Toumon Homeland, Green Tea Field and Factory and undergone homestay program for 3 nights and 2 days.


And because we had a packed schedule from Day 1 to Day 9, I will blog the detailed version of this unforgettable journey. Stay tuned!