I’m currently staying in Tsukuba as the coordinator of a JICA agricultural training course. This six-week course focuses on strengthening the protection of new varieties, which are intellectual property in the agricultural sector. We welcome eight participants from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and Europe. The course mainly has activities on Tsukuba and Tokyo, and visits fields and research institutes in various locations, including the Chugoku region (Okayama and Hiroshima), and the Tohoku region (Morioka, Yamagata, and Fukushima). The participants will learn about Japan’s diverse natural environment and agriculture, as well as how to protect and cultivate the new varieties that result from them.

My primary role within the curriculum is interpreting and itinerary management. However, I also occasionally serve as a tour guide at the locations we visit as part of our cultural training. While this is a challenging job, it’s also rewarding, and I’m excited to begin today. Since this is an agricultural training course, we’ll not only visit rice fields and greenhouses, but also be doing a lot of hands-on training there. Therefore, especially in this hot season, it’s important to pay close attention to the participants’ health. To that end, I’m trying to stay in good health and moderate my daily routine.