In this Issue - The Japan Foundation, Manila

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10 FEATURE The Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Programme (JENESYS) was launched by the Government of Japan as a result of the Second East Asia Summit (EAS) in January 2007 during the term of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. It is a 35-billion-yen youth exchange program, inviting about 6,000 young people to Japan mainly from the EAS member states (ASEAN, Australia, China, India, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea) every year for five years with a view to establishing a basis of Asia’s stalwart solidarity by expanding youth exchange. The program is expected to deepen mutual understanding among young people who will assume important roles in the next generation in each East Asian country. Various kinds of exchange programs including inviting and dispatching youths have been implemented in cooperation with concerned countries and organizations. An Architect’s Perception from Travel to Japan Text and Photo By Ramil B. Tibayan Travelling has been a hobby for me since I graduated from college. I have travelled the Philippines searching for the different architectural styles that the previous architects have used from the Spanish era up to the modern times. Travelling is also a way for me to learn the different customs and culture of the Philippines. I am an architect here in the Philippines and currently practicing my profession in the field of Construction Management and I am also an advocate of Philippine built heritage. When I was invited by the Japan Foundation to visit Japan, I didn’t think twice about it. It is now my chance to see and learn the practices and methods that Japan is applying in preserving their heritage. Together with 25 delegates from East Asia and Pacific, we travelled Japan and stayed for 12 days to learn and experience their heritage and culture. Amazingly from these travels, it is good to see that Japan’s built heritages are exceptionally preserved. The temples of Kyoto, the machiya houses of Takayama, the Gassho-style houses of Shirakawa and the castle park of Kanazawa are some of the places we have visited that are all in good state of preservation. It is not only limited to built heritage but some customs and traditions of Japan are still in practice like the re-thatching of Gassho-style houses, the Owara dance and the traditional tea ceremony. In addition to these practices, we were also given the opportunity to have hands-on experience by participating in the pulling of the float at Kyoto’s Gion Festival. From my point of view, Japan has been successful in preserving their culture especially their built heritage. As I have observed through the lectures and site visits, there are 3 factors which led to Japan’s success in preserving and safeguarding their built heritage: community collaboration through the proper coordination of the local government units with the national government. Another factor is information drive. Through education, the local people have been educated with the importance of their heritage for the present and future generations. And lastly, patience is another key factor. Heritage preservation is not a short process, it takes time and thorough study to completely fulfil and realize a heritage preservation plan. Aside from the lectures and tours that opened me with the cultures and traditions of Japan, I also learned from the different perspectives of the 25 delegates that were invited to the program. Sharing insights and perspectives from different people with different cultures gave me the idea on their plans and point of views regarding heritage preservation. Though the delegates have different standpoints, we do share a common view that, “heritage is equally as important as a nation’s identity.” Without heritage, a nation has no identity. Heritage is something that we must be proud of. It is something that distinct us from other nations. That is why we need to take care of our own heritage and it must be passed on to the future generations. Although technological advancement and modernity has taken us, we must not forget our history and we should learn from it. Gassho style houses from Ainokura village the Owara dance detail from a float in Yatsuo Museum group workshop about Sannomachi area of Takayama eaves detail from a temple in Kyoto Kanazawa streetscape at chaya district mountain view from Ainokura village pulling of the float at Kyoto’s Gion Festival Ramil B. Tibayan is a licensed Architect, practicing in the field of Construction Management. An advocate of Philippine built heritage, he is a member of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines and the Heritage Conservation Society.
FEATURE 11 Enjoying the sumptuous meal prepared by the ladies of Yamakoshi Village in suburban Niigata. The ladies came up with the idea of a restaurant to give gratitude to those who visit them and helped them recover after the earthquake in 1998. They are proud to say that they serve the best rice in Japan. JENESYS Program on Learning and Working Together Towards Disaster Prevention: Text and Photo by Catherine C. Abon A photo taken with the students of Maiko High School in Kobe. Maiko High School is the only school offering Disaster Management Course and these students are taking up the course. Learning under the rain. The JENESYS participants together with the members of the Japan Foundation and the residents of Takatari Community in Kobe walked around amidst the downpour. The group looked around to see the recovery efforts of the community after the great Kobe earthquake in 1995. A Good Beginning Philippines Asia is the most hazard stricken regions in the world. Most of the tropical cyclones originate in the Western North Pacific Ocean which eventually hit Asia, wreaking destruction as they pass. At the same time the tectonically active setting produce volcanoes and generate earthquakes that can potentially cause disasters. In terms of vulnerability, Asia also houses highly vulnerable regions. These hazards along with vulnerability and other factors produce disasters. Needless to say, most disasters happen in Asia. These disasters, among other things can greatly hamper the economic growth of the region. With these challenging conditions at hand, this JENESYS program focused on disaster prevention and people and involving representatives from different Asian countries with various professions is very timely and highly significant. We were destined to three cities in Japan—Tokyo, Kobe, and Niigata. We visited different government offices of these three cities, as well as other disaster-related institutions such as the Asian Disaster Reduction Center and Kobe fire department, a school that offers disaster course, as well as communities. Government Offices There are differences on the way the prefectural governments deal with disasters, but all of them are similarly furnished with technologically advanced methods and equipments. In Tokyo, we were given a discussion by the engineering department on how they implement the new building design and code to minimize the damage of an earthquake. The prefectural government office in Kobe City partially collapsed during the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in 1995. Now, fifteen years after the earthquake, it is standing majestically above the flower avenue and houses some relics and memorabilia that serve as reminder of the earthquake - showing hardly any traces of the devastation. Niigata, on the other hand, does not seem to have problems with natural hazards. However, a brief discussion with their vice-governor made me realize that they too suffer from natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes. Their prefectural government office houses the disaster management department that employs engineers and scientists specializing in new methods to prevent flooding and design earthquake proof buildings. Disaster Management Institutions The Asian Disaster Reduction Center in Kobe, having satellite images for monitoring typhoons and floods, is one of the most hightech disaster institutions I have ever been to. Their vast collection of photographs gives lasting impact and remains a timeless reminder of the earthquake. Since the volunteers are primarily those who survived the great earthquake, they relate their stories based from their own experiences and thus, serve as the living testament of the catastrophe. The Nagaoka office in Niigata that has a playground for the children showcasing disasters is very creative. They can have fun while learning about disasters. They even have a vending machine that can give early warning for earthquake vibrations and a hero against disaster which they call Bosaider! Unlike the previous offices, the one in Yamakoshi in Niigata do not have advanced equipments and their volunteers are relatively younger souls. It is more focused on people-centered methods and the volunteers are young people who are determined to live with the locals and help lift their spirits in the face of adversity. Although the communities that we visited face different natural hazards and that their methods are different in dealing with them, there is one striking common factor in all of them—collective effort. Discussions in communities in Kobe and Niigata demonstrate how individuals in these communities, took the initiative for their recovery and worked together as a group. Concluding Remarks This program did not only include learning from the Japanese experiences but also learning from the participants from other countries. The active discussions revealed that there is indeed variety of perception on disasters from different people. The challenges that we have encountered were also different. One of the most striking lessons I have learned in the JENESYS program is that, although technologically advanced materials and methods are extremely essential for disaster prevention and mitigation, community involvement also plays an important role in building disaster resilient communities. The overall learning and the active sharing of ideas during the discussions showed that there is no absolute formula in building disaster resilient communities. A certain method may be applicable to one or two communities but will be completely ineffective in another place. The diversity of communities such as culture, practices, history, as well as the people dynamics and relations should all be taken into account in formulating the appropriate method for the build-up of resiliency. The challenge of how to adapt these methods to our home countries still remains to be thought of and addressed carefully. Nevertheless, the vast and new ideas that we have learned from this program will be able to substantially help us surpass these challenges. Indeed, there is still much to learn when it comes to disasters: from hazard prevention, to recovery and resiliency. And this study tour did not only add to our knowledge, but more importantly inspired us to work more and harder towards building resiliency of communities to hazards. I am more than thankful for having the chance to be in this program. With these experiences, I become more inspired! Together, onwards to building disaster resilient society! Catherine C. Abon is a licensed Geologist and instructor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) at the University of the Philippines. She has been a volunteer to a number of Environmental Impact Missions and has been invited as speaker/resource person for Disaster Risk Reduction workshops/seminars.
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Page 3 and 4: Farewell / Welcome Greetings 3 Dear
Page 5 and 6: HIGHLIGHT 5 Photo courtesy of Toru
Page 7 and 8: 7 Photos courtesy of BBIEAF his wor
Page 9: FEATURE 9 Photo courtesy of DLSU Mr
Page 13 and 14: I realized that the common challeng
Page 15 and 16: People • Events • Places 15 Par

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