Q&A with TOMODACHI Program Participants and TOMODACHI Alumni: Nanako Saito

For this interview, we talked with Nanako Saito, an alumni of the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program, who is also a former Regional Mentor of the Hokkaido Region. She is a teacher of English at a Sapporo City high school, and has recently won an award for two activities that she has implemented in her classes. Her passions include supporting the future generation through teaching English and encouraging them to participate in various opportunities to achieve their goals. She has also recently been featured in an article encouraging students to participate in international programs such as TOMODACHI, where she shared her own experiences to help children and young people explore more opportunities for self-realization.

Q1: What made you decide to participate in the TOMODACHI MetLife Women’s Leadership Program as a mentor?

Since I was a child, I always felt that it would have been really nice to have more support to have mentors in my life. I always wanted to become independent, but I didn’t have any role models. So when I heard about this program, I thought that it was really nice that I could help younger generations to develop their capacity, to learn from each other, and to network with other women from all over Japan. When I started working after graduating from college, I realized that there are so many challenges for women. In school I think I didn’t really notice that many differences between men and women. So when I started working, I thought that for women it’s harder in some ways. Women may have more responsibilities at home to take care of the family. If we want to do those jobs perfectly, it’s really impossible I think. In my case, I came back to my hometown in Hokkaido about ten years ago to take care of my parents. I thought that women need more networking support.

Q2: Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?

When I joined the TMWLP Program I tried to do creative experiences with the mentees, and outside the program I went on a short trip with my mentee. I mentored two mentees actually, but one of the main mentees, she majored in forestry. So we planned to visit one of my friends, who does farming outside of Sapporo. It took us about three hours by bus to visit them on the weekend. We went there together, and actually we invited two international students from Hokkaido University, where my mentee studied. One student was from Indonesia, and the other student from Mozambique. We all went there and learned about the farmers, the farming, rice crops, and then also we exchanged ideas about the challenges of farming in Hokkaido, and fair trade as well. I always think that learning from books or the internet is very important, but also to have experiences and to meet people face to face are equally important. I think these experiences are very valuable. Also my mentee was not from Hokkaido, so when we visited my friends’ house, she told me many things about the differences of plants, and the forests in Hokkaido and mainland Japan, which was a very memorable experience. When working with the mentees, I felt that it was more important for them to express their purpose for participating in the program and their thoughts on how they would make the most of it in the future.

Q3: What did you learn from the program?

In Japan, Japanese people work really long hours during the week, or even sometimes on weekends. I spend a lot of time on my work on weekends, sometimes or quite often I bring work to my house, but I also spend a lot of time with my family. When I was younger, I think I had more time and opportunities to meet different kinds of people. When I grew older, it became harder. I really think that I have to do my best to meet different kinds of people. And that’s what’s very important. I think when I go to work, and when I come home I usually meet like minded people and people with similar backgrounds and similarities. I think it’s very important to meet people with different cultural backgrounds, different values, and different genders. So during the program I met many people, like mentees and college students, and when I went to Tokyo, I met mentors and mentees from all over Japan. People with different majors, different jobs. I think it was very important for me to have a network, and they are all interested in global issues. I think it was very important to learn that we have to take leadership. Because in Japan we don’t really have leadership education programs in schools. When we think of leadership, we tend to think of something very important or something big. But I think during this program I also learned that taking leadership is very important for everyone. And when I, for example, make my decision, it ought to be something good for the community, or to other people. I think this was a very good and important lesson for me to learn.

Q4: What was your experience like as the former Regional Member of the Hokkaido Region?

Actually my mentee was a regional leader, and she, I and TOMODACHI staff members worked together to make a good impact in the community and also to network with other alumni. So for me, that was a very important and impressive experience. We brainstormed a lot of creative ideas. Unfortunately, it was during the COVID pandemic period, so we couldn’t organize any face to face events but we organized a couple of online events. Actually I think at the end, I thought that it was very good, because due to the online events, many people from other prefectures participated. That was also beneficial for us, and for example, during the events, we worked with lots of people from both public and private sectors. And our focus was for people to live with nature. That’s what was our main interest. In one of the events we invited a group called Ainu Art Project, and they performed songs in the Ainu language and played their own guitar called the Tonkori. Lots of participants online were very impressed and very moved, and many of them started crying. Because they sang about how beautiful Hokkaido nature is, and we have to appreciate it and live in harmony. That message was very powerful. I think those events were very impressive. We also learned that many people are very cooperative when we took initiative, and many people participated mostly on a volunteer basis. Especially my mentee Hiromi Waragai, when she explained the purpose of the events, many of the guest speakers there instantly said, “Oh, yes, there’s no problem we want to contribute”. That was very impressive. I think taking leadership and networking with like minded people is a very important thing. Also in another event, we invited some guest speakers to talk about tourism and nature in the town of Niseko, Hokkaido. They have beautiful mountains, and actually the ski resort is one of the most popular ski resorts in Japan and has lots of visitors such as foreign tourists as well. We invited some guest speakers, including the town mayor, Mr. Katayama. Actually, I got to know him at one of the U.S. Consulate events in Sapporo, and we exchanged our business cards. When we approached him, Hiromi and I thought that he would be just too busy to say yes, but when Hiromi sent him an email, he immediately said, “Yes, I want to cooperate.” I think lots of people are interested in making a positive impact in society and working with young people, and I think it’s also important to take initiative from our side to work together.

Q5: How did you become interested in teaching English as a second language for students in Japan?

Before I came back to Hokkaido, I worked in Africa and other countries, such as Malawi and Mexico. I also did work as a summer intern at Washington, D.C. and Tokyo. Mostly, I worked for children and young people, and I worked both in the private and public sectors. So for example, in Africa I worked with kids and teachers with the Education board, and the Ministry of Education. I also worked in the international corporation area. And that’s what I really always wanted, my passion was to contribute to children and young people. And when I was younger I always thought that I wanted a mentor. I think that it would have been really great if I had more support from adults with different values, not only from one teacher and from my parents. I think that would have been much nicer. And I think that in many cases children have challenges, even in Japan there are a lot of child abuse cases, and sometimes children’s rights are not protected, and there are issues related to gender as well. So that was my passion to help kids and young people. When I came back to Sapporo, it was a very natural choice to become a teacher. In Japanese high schools, for example, the Japanese teachers spend much more time in guidance and counseling, and organizing school events. So I think that is a big difference from American schools and schools in Japan. We have a system of homerooms, so 40 students in one homeroom, and they usually stick together. They take the same lessons, and in the classroom, one teacher becomes in charge of one homeroom, and they take care of them very closely. I am an English teacher, but my main work is more like an educator, with mentoring and supporting students for college entrance exams, for example when they write essays both in Japanese and English. I also support them when they prepare for the interview test for college entrance exams. I work with them very, very closely, because now the college entrance system is becoming not as simple as it used to be. Each college has different entrance systems, and they require presentations, essays in Japanese, and interview tests in English, which is very different. It’s a lot of work and responsibility, but it’s also enjoyable for me to support them, and to see them grow and realize their dreams. And also as an English teacher, because I worked abroad, I think that it’s very important not only to speak English, but to understand other cultures, and to appreciate the different cultures and backgrounds. So I am interested in a lot of interesting things like international programs and projects. For example, a few years ago I had my student participate in a Global Classmates project that is run by Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC), an American organization. My students participated in this program and they communicated with students in the U.S., and they did this exchange for almost one year, both in Japanese and English, because American students were taking Japanese lessons. They communicated in both languages and exchanged real letters, and met online as well. That really impacted my students, some of them are still communicating with American students on social networking services like Instagram. And for many of my students who participated in those programs, when they went to college they studied abroad, so their world is bigger now. At the beginning, they said, “Oh I can’t write in English, it’s impossible to talk in English with them online.” But my work is not to just teach them all the time, but to give them opportunities and to encourage them. Because once they try, they like it. They just find their own way. I think it’s very important to motivate and encourage young people. Also when they answered the questionnaire at the beginning of the project, they were kind of scared of American culture, because they see news on gun shootings in America. But each society has pros and cons, so when they know that, they become more resilient and are more open minded. I think that’s what’s very important for their lives, not only necessarily in studying abroad, but it’s very important to understand different perspectives and appreciate cultures.

Q6: Can you tell us about your experience participating in the conference on English education in Arizona?

Before participating in this conference, I was taking a TESOL certificate course online at Arizona State University. So that’s how I got to learn about this conference, and during this program I communicated with lots of English teachers from all over the world. I thought that it’s very important to learn from each other, and share my experiences and learn from other teachers as well. Because when I work in my school it’s very challenging to have a big picture in my lessons. So I decided to participate in this conference, and during it I made a presentation about Japanese High School Students’ English Language Journeys, where I shared the activities I implemented in my English classes, including KAC, and how it has benefitted them. In December, I also made a presentation at the Japanese Society for Studies on Educational Practices in Joetsu University of Education, where I shared my experiences and what I do in the classroom. Last October, I also won the Best Paper Award (Second Prize, Individual and Group section) from the Japan Educational Mutual Aid Association of Welfare Hokkaido Branch. The content of my paper is about the educational activities of TOMODACHI Initiative and FAST RETAILING’s THE POWER OF CLOTHING project in my school. I shared my experiences during the RISE online event to develop leadership skills organized with the Regional Leader Hiromi and the former Tohoku Regional Mentor Kazunori for 320 10th grade students in my workplace. I try to learn from others and exchange good practices by writing and speaking. Because I participated in the TESOL course and the English conference, I became interested in studying more, and I decided to enter an online doctoral program. I started the program about four years ago, and I still have to study for about two more years.

Q7: As many students in Japan have the assumption that they cannot speak English, what strategies have you implemented in your classes to help them gain confidence and realize their capabilities in speaking English?

When I find opportunities for my students, I always try to encourage them to apply. For example, my former students participated in programs like Stanford e-Japan and Global Classmates Summit, and one of my current students has just received a Hokkaido University’s training scholarship in Okinawa this winter. I’ve seen students’ positive changes when they participate in such programs, and I think we adults can support young people to try new things, have diverse experiences, and enrich their life. In Japan, actually, because of our culture, we value seniority. We also have a very high context culture. Even in Japanese, we don’t talk much with strangers, and we don’t say our opinions to senior people as well. And so I think there are a lot of challenges, even in Japanese, to communicate with people from different backgrounds. In my class, I usually try to make groups, or I have my students work in pairs and groups. And I will also try to create time for them to brainstorm ideas. And in Japan, most of the lessons have 40 students sit and listen to teachers, so we don’t really have many opportunities to interact with other people. It’s hard for them to ask questions in public to teachers, even my students, when they have a question, sometimes they come to me during lunch time, but they are very intimidated to ask questions to me. For them to speak in public or speak their ideas, it’s very challenging. So I think it’s very important for teachers to create a very safe environment for them to speak freely and ask questions, and exchange ideas. I think making that environment is very crucial. The college entrance exams in Japan mostly focus on listening and reading. I think I just find it very challenging. If we have to focus on college entrance exams, students tend to spend more time reading and listening, with quizzes and drills and stuff like that. So we intentionally have to create more time for them to speak and write in English. Once students start doing that, they really like it. I think at the beginning they don’t really enjoy it because they are not used to it, and they need motivation and encouragement. But once they start writing and speaking, they really like it.

Q8: What does TOMODACHI mean to you?

I think TOMODACHI means inspiration. I think it’s a very beautiful program, because it started to help people in Tohoku and I really appreciate their spirit, and I’m really grateful for the people in the U.S. and the U.S.-Japan Council. And I’m very impressed that this spirit is now all over Japan. I always think that it’s very important for young people and children to have a mentoring and networking system. And because young people are very vulnerable they need support from different adults and different people. Having this friendship really changes our lives. So I think this spirit is very beautiful, and I really appreciate it.

Q9: What are some of the challenges within your community, and what opportunities do you think the TOMODACHI/USJC can do to help address that issue?

I think there are so many issues to be solved in Japan. For me, gender disparity, and support for young people and children. These are the two very important areas. I think now we have just as many female college students in Japan as male students. But, as I said when they go into the workforce, they see a completely different world. When they start working, they face a lot of challenges because simply, they have more male colleagues, I think. At least in my current workplace, most of my colleagues are men. I work hard, but if I want to work like men, like staying in school until late at night, as well as doing things at home, if I want to do both of those things perfectly, I think I’ll become sick right? So I think women need more networks and support systems. Women work harder, but they think it’s not enough, and there should be a public support system. Also, I see that there are a lot of men that want to spend more time with their family. I think there are a lot of men who want to be involved in raising children and doing things at home. But I think they also have pressure from society, and for them they cannot take paternity leave as well. So I think it will be really beneficial for both men and women if there is some kind of support. And also to spend time outside of work is very important in order to refresh and relax, and I think doing things at home, or having hobbies or going out can refresh their mind. I think that will really have a good impact on their work as well. In Japanese society the population is shrinking, so I think there should be a more solid system to support young people and workers as well. For young people and children, I think it’s very difficult to picture their future when they see their parents working so hard, coming home so tired, and them having very little support from work or from the government, so for them it’s very difficult to have hope. Also, I think that there should be more resources in education in Japan. In my high school and most of the high schools in Japan, 40 students study in one classroom, which is very small, and for one teacher to take on 40 students is very difficult. It’s very, very challenging. The overwork issues of teachers in Japan is also a very big issue. So I think there should be more resources in school, and it will benefit students, parents and teachers as well. I really want to spend more time with each student. But simply there is not enough time, and I think that’s how all the teachers feel in Japan. In Japan the birth rates are very low now. So I think we should have put more resources in young people and children.

This interview was conducted by Hannah Fulton on March 9th, 2024. Hannah is currently a TOMODACHI Alumni Program Intern and is an Alumni of the Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship Program 2022-2023.