Looking back on third year.

Now that I`ve fully settled into the swing of things starting my fourth year in Japan, I thought what better oppurtunity to reflect on the past year. My third year was definitely the hardest by far, and brought a lot of challenges. 
I began the year in a really unhappy and frustrated place, and while I love Japan so much, aspects of the culture, particularly its treatment of women and children, really caught up with me. Even as I write this, I question whether I should bring it up, but without this challenge I wouldn`t have been nearly as passionate about some of the amazing oppurtunities I`ve had this year. 

In May, I attended WISE (Women`s Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment), a programme specially organised by the Japan Institue for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (JSIE). JSIE offered this programme in Kumamoto in the hopes of turning some of the challenges faced as a result of the 2016 earthquake into social business ideas. Have a little look if you`re interested here in English and Japanese.

Never in a million years did I think my idea would be welcomed with such open arms. It wasn`t specific to Kumamoto, nor was it something I thought able to be tackled in a social business scenario. I`m not particularly business minded, and thought that, along with it being the rather taboo subject of child abuse in Japan, meant that nobody would be interested in pursuing it.

I think my concerns resonated with a lot of people in the room, with three others joining me and working passionately together for two days. It was frankly exhausting and eye opening. I learnt about procedures I wasn`t aware of, and quickly realised that most of the published reports on the subject are very rarely available in English. That was something I thought quite telling really; I was shocked to hear about some things, but even my group members and others in attendance didn`t know them either.

I was grateful to have mentors available to help me translate my concerns, and in the end, it birthed the concept of an app used to detect the abuse in a more secure, discrete and effective way, compared to recent headlining news stories. It`s nice to see that currently working in an environment where the app could be implemented, along with my university and future career interests, there is a possibility for them to be combined in order to encourage change.

 I`m not entirely sure it will go anywhere, but I`m continuing to try. Later this month, I`m headed to Tokyo to pitch the idea to a social business investor who supports JSIE. Eventually, JSIE also want me to pitch the idea to an American investor. Making the app a profitable business prospect is way over my head, so I`ll need to get a lot of help on that front before I do! They are fully supportive of me, and it`s really refreshing to have something I`m so passionate about come back into my life in a positive light.

I`m much more content now, taking things in my stride and practicing daily to avoid things that will bother me, as much as it goes against my nature. I became Vice Prefectural Advisor in my city, in the hope that my more foreign *read as either Scouse/aggressive* approach to things can be of help to my fellows ALT`s, and a breath of fresh air in the Board of Education. I even got to have my first `business trip` to Tokyo to pick the newbies up, which was fun albeit sweaty, stressful and fleeting. Sounds way fancier than it was but I`m milking it. 

I lost many good friends this year with them returning back to their home countries, but that also made me appreciate the quality of those said friendships even more. Their final months were enjoyed through many an exciting trip; a touch rugby tournament in Tokushima leaving me fighting 6ft plus boys for leg space during a 20 hour round trip car journey, being a muse for a kimono fashion show, a boozy brunching beach filled birthday weekend, eating and buying my body weight in Korean goods during an impromptu trip to Seoul, summer festivals and trips to the nearby mountains, beaches and gorges.

I`m using my time from now to relax (within reason, I`m not one to often have a free weekend!) and take the time to appreciate all I`m learning. With the light at the end of this tunnel becoming ever nearer, I`m taking the time to do all the bucket list things I`ve wanted to do in my time here. The past three years have flown by, and despite the challenges, I`m proud of myself from sticking out the hard times and not letting them ruin my memories. 

I`ve always told myself that if I didn`t find myself growing during my time in Japan, then I`d leave, but I`m proud to say that I`m not only growing within myself, but I might just be making people I work or interact with slightly aware of how people here often underestimate young women. I know there are many things I can`t change alone, but to me, if I can make one student or person see my way of thinking for even just a second, then its all worth while.

My fourth year has already brought along an array of exciting experiences, and I`m excited for the journey to continue for a little while longer.