Middle School Students from Hironomachi in Fukushima Prefecture Participate in the Japan-America Grassroots Summit 2014 in San Diego
Immediately after the nuclear power plant accident of March 2011, all Hirono Town residents had to evacuate from their hometown which is located within 30km from the plant. However, because the location is in the southward and wind direction was opposite, currently residents are gradually returning to the town where the decontamination work finished. Still, the number of the students of Hirono Junior High School is one sixth compared with the number before the accident.
Middle school students from Hironochoritu Hirono Middle School in Fukushima prefecture attended the 24th Japan-America Grassroots Summit 2014 in San Diego Region, with support from JAL, Kyocera, Toyota Motor Corporation and The Tokyo Club.
Fourteen middle school students and one young adult joined the full schedule of the Grassroots Summit from September 23 – 30, 2014, and enjoyed a customized educational program. Hirono is known as “Hometown of Children’s Songs”, and the students performed the chorus at the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Summit.
At the Opening Ceremony which was held at PETCO PARK (the MLB Padres ballpark), Masashi Tsuchiya, one of the students who participated in the program, threw the first pitch before the game between the Padres and the Rockies and received thunderous applause.
During the Summit, the students participated in various activities such as visiting a Gas & Electric company, meeting with local high school students and discussing the future of energy, and meeting with Japanese college students of U.C. San Diego. They also experienced a real American life and became friends with host families through a Also, through a three-night homestay.
- For more information on this program, click here
Student Experiences are as follows:
“I came back to Japan, being overwhelmed by the differences of transportation, food culture, national characteristics, etc. Touching the foreign culture, I could broaden my views. This experience will surely affect my future in positive way.”
“In order to continue the human ties made through this Summit, I would like to keep communication with my host family with letters and such.”
“Although the climate is completely different, there are many similar points on the energy issues between Japan and California. Both have long coast line, and have active geothermy. That is to say the renewable energy has potentiality to create the new field in business and in technical cooperation between Japan and America. I believe that the renewable energy not only save the global ecology, but also Japanese economy.”
About the Japan-America Grassroots Summit
The Grassroots Summit is an annual event organized by John Manjiro Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange.
