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Thu, Sep 6, 2012
60 students total from Tsinghua University, Korea University, and Waseda University participated in the Asian Students Environment Platform 2012 (ASEP) , organized by AEON Environmental Foundation (Chairman: Takuya Okada, Waseda alumni) . With Waseda’s Professor Emeritus Takeshi Hara of the Waseda Environmental Round Table as an advisor, the theme was to “think of the environment through Japanese culture.” With fieldwork in four prefectures (Tokyo, Saitama, Iwate, Kyoto) at the core, a 7-day camp-style program was put together. On the final day, there was a result presentation at Waseda University. At the group presentation made up of 3 universities, interesting keywords like “visiting old, learn new,” “moderation,” and “reverence,” were selected.
For the fieldwork, we visited the Tanohata Village in the Iwate prefecture, which was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Through storytellers of the tsunami, we listened to experiences from the disaster. From the mayor Kanji Kamitsukue, we learned about the current conditions of area rehabilitation. At the nature school of this village, students planted trees for memorial. We also visited the planted forest “Shii-no Mori,” which Waseda has been running for over 50 years. At the visit to Aeon Laketown, we learned about the efforts towards the environments being made at Aeon’s shopping center, such as hybrid gas ecosystem and eco-labels for the ocean.
At Kifune Shrine in Kyoto, we learned about the Shinto beliefs towards the environment through the head priest of the shrine Kazuhiro Takai. Hiroko Maruyama, lecturer of Waseda Environmental Round Table, taught us about ideologies within a syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism. Visiting the world heritage Kinkakuji Temple, we felt the beautiful culture of Japan directly. At Kuramadera Temple, head abbess Koun Shigaraki taught us the environmental ideologies in Buddhism.
At the completion ceremony, honorary professor Takeshi Hara commented on the participants of this forum, which aims to strengthen future environmental principles. The forum ended in great success as he commented, “please treasure your imagination.”
Through this forum, students strengthened their relationships with each other regardless of nationality. Bypassing international political problems with each country, debates were held, and new viewpoints for future environmental policies were acquired. We look forward to the participating students becoming future environmental leaders. This forum is planned to continue for 10 more years.
