My Visit to Northumbria, a Region Dotted with Old Castles

Hironori Harimoto

Governor's Policy Coordination Secretariat, Policy and Coordination Section, Osaka Prefectural Government
Sponcored by the Osaka-Tsurumi RC

Preface

My impressions of the northeast region of England

For me, this trip to the United Kingdom marked my first trip to Europe, and I didn't really have a clear idea in my mind of what our destination would be like before arriving there. All I knew was that the United Kingdom is similar to Japan in three ways: it is an island nation, the population is about the same, and it is a fairly complex nation.

But after arriving in England, I realized that my impressions were completely wrong. What I saw was a country of gently rolling hills spreading lazily before me, with a landscape dotted with towns and cities located on the flatlands. It was completely different than Japan, where flatlands are extremely limited and millions of people are crowded and crammed into a tiny space.

The main city in this region is Newcastle-upon-Tyne. But a 10-minute drive from the center of this large city will place you outside the city and in beautiful meadowlands and wheat fields.

Like Japan, the United Kingdom is one of the few nations in the world where people drive on the left side of the road, so it felt to me, while we were driving, that I was traveling not around the United Kingdom, but around Furano or Tokachi in Hokkaido!

Also, while in England, as the sun sank below the horizon, I saw sunsets a number of times that were more beautiful than anything I can see where I live in Japan. For someone like myself, who lives in a large metropolis like Osaka, just getting the chance to see such vast, natural beauty as I saw in the United Kingdom was enough to make me happy.

Economic conditions in northeastern England

Before leaving Japan, I read more than ten books about the United Kingdom, including some which dealt with my own specialty, local government administration. I did this because I thought that, in addition to fundamental knowledge about my field of expertise, if I gained a basic understanding of English manners, social customs, etc., it would enable me to learn (and directly take part in) more things when I got to England.

I studied in order to get a grasp of the overall economic situation in the United Kingdom as a whole. To be more specific, I learned about the policies and actions taken by Conservative Party Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her administration; things such as Britain's "Big Bang" deregulation and the privatization of major government-owned businesses such as the national railway. Due to the success of her policies, the United Kingdom recovered from the so-called "British disease" which had plagued Britain up through the 1980's, and today, the United Kingdom is experiencing tangible economic growth.

As a result of my studying about Thatcher's policies, during the presentation we gave at each of the Rotary clubs we visited, I was able to say during my part of the presentation about the Japanese economy, "Japan is still mired in an economic recession that has no end in sight, and there should be many things that I can learn during my time in the United Kingdom since your country has made such a turnaround through a variety of policies."

To be sure, this is true of the United Kingdom as a whole, but the region I visited in northeast England is not experiencing the same degree of economic turnaround. To be more specific, this region in England has the lowest GDP per person than any of the nine regions in England (only 80% of the average GDP, according to fiscal 1996 figures). Its unemployment rate of 8.6% is the highest in England (fiscal 1998 figures), industrial investment in the region is the lowest (from fiscal 1994 through 1996), and the average income of laborers in this region is the lowest in England (fiscal 1997 figures).

In addition, this region has the highest crime rate in England (fiscal 1995 figures), so it is facing a number of severe social and economic problems.

These facts often came up in my discussions with my host families and the administrators I talked with during my vocational study trips. For this reason, I think it is safe to say that the region we visited during our trip is, compared to the rest of Great Britain, a "special" region. Because of this, government organizations are carrying out a variety of programs and plans to deal with the problems, and the Rotarians there are aware of these problems and are actively working and serving to help improve, even in a small way, social conditions in the region.

In the past, northeast England was known for its high-grade coal, and there were many mines in the region. Ashington, our first stop on the GSE tour, was originally a coal town. This region, at one time, made its mark on history because of its contribution to the industrial revolution. This part of England was the first place in the world to provide passenger railway service, and the large cities, like Newcastle, were extremely prosperous at one time because of their ironworks, shipbuilding and other heavy industries.

Today, all the mines are closed down, and all the heavy industries have moved away. The government is aggressively pursuing a course aimed at converting this region back into an industrial region by, among other things, inviting foreign firms to invest in the region and build factories here.

There are a number of Japanese firms located in this region. In Sunderland, where we had our fourth homestay, there is a Nissan plant. In Gateshead, where we had our third and eighth homestays, there is a Komatsu factory. Also, there was a Fujitsu plant located in a town not far from where we stayed. In addition to Japanese firms, South Korean and German companies have also built a number of plants in the region.

As I mentioned before, this region is different from Osaka in that it is a large, flat plain. It is relatively easy for companies to procure sites for their factories, and I was quite envious of how easy it is for the local governments to invite industries to build there.

During my time in England, I saw very many large-scale plants and factories, but I was surprised to learn that this region had the lowest level of industrial investment in England, according to statistics available for fiscal 1994 through 1996.

Also, in Newcastle and Sunderland, I personally did not get the impression that it was unsafe to walk the streets alone during the day, but every home I stayed at had a home security system, and my hosts always left the lights on when they went out as a means of preventing burglary. In addition, many of the cars have devices that lock the steering wheel to disparage car theft. Such things gave me cause to believe that crime is, indeed, a problem.

Realizing Great Britain's Abundance

As I was writing this report, I learned that the fiscal 1998 Japanese GDP (nominal base) dropped compared to the previous year for the first time ever, and the per person GDP dropped from fourth to seventh among all the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) member nations. (The negative trend in Japan's per person GDP ranking is seen clearly from the following statistics: fiscal 1993/94 #1, 1995/96 #3, 1997 #4, 1998 #7).

However, compared to Great Britain, Japan is clearly higher in rank. A comparison of the major indices for Japan and Great Britain shows the following (fiscal 1997 figures): population is 59 million (46% that of Japan), land area is about 240,000 sq. km (65% that of Japan), and per person GDP is about $20,900 (55% that of Japan).

Comparison of Population, Land Area, GDP/Person between Great Britain and Japan

※ ( ) = % of Japanese figure

According to these fiscal 1997 figures, the per person GDP for Japan is about twice that of Great Britain. However, in reality, I had a completely different impression of things. Though northeast England is in no way an economically developed region, the impression I received while there was not in line with the GDP figure at all.

For example, the region has a very good highway network (toll-free, of course, which is not the case in Japan where all highways are toll-roads), the architecture in the towns still maintains, in many places, a Medieval Age feel, and there were beautiful flowers all around. Also, I didn't see trash along the streets, and there were vast expanses of open land for parks within the city limits.

The houses in the region were generally single-family homes, duplexes, or terraced houses (two-storey buildings with many homes connected in a row). All the homes had front and back yards, with flowers planted in the front yard gardens and grass in the back. Moreover, all the homes had a table and chairs set out for use during afternoon tea. The large homes had the feel of having a house built in the middle of a large garden (as compared to Japan, where we have very small gardens surrounding a house). In Japan, I live in a large apartment complex, a typical residence in Japan's larger cities. In northeast England, however, such buildings make up just a fraction of the public housing, and they are not popular at all.

Also, I saw many more people out on the streets in wheelchairs than I normally see in Japan. In England, all public facilities have barrier-free access, and almost all the sidewalks I saw were that way too. Wheelchair-bound people can freely go out on their own without any need for someone to push them. This is something that might seem to be only natural in a "mature," progressive society, but Japan is lagging far behind England in this regard. In Japan, even when there are sidewalks provided (many residential areas do not have any sidewalks), most have curbs and other barriers, and some of the sidewalks slant to one side. Sometimes the sidewalks end suddenly, and people must walk in the street. Barrier-free construction, etc. is carried out in a very haphazard way in Japan.

Compared to a number of years ago, most train stations in Japan have made considerable progress in making access barrier-free, but there are still many stations where those in wheelchairs must rely on station workers to carry them up steps, etc. I think this fact makes it harder for many people in wheelchairs to want to venture outside their homes. I felt very strongly that Japan needs to learn from England's example and create a completely barrier-free society.

Another thing I noticed during my trip was the large number of redevelopment projects in progress in the center-city areas of Newcastle, Sunderland and other larger cities. Commercial buildings and residences are being rebuilt, but looking at it from the standpoint of the breadth of the inner city and the the population of the surrounding areas, I got the impression that the government is pursuing redevelopment much more actively than here in Osaka.

Among the already completed facilities in downtown Newcastle is Eldon Square. Eldon Square is one of the most unique shopping centres in all of Europe. The old buildings were renovated and utilized and, now, department stores and shopping streets lined with shops are located in the former commercial buildings. I was amazed at the scale of things, and the maze-like layout of the area. The concept is completely different than what we have in Japan, where old buildings are simply demolished and more efficient ones built in their place, and I clearly felt the fundamental difference between British and Japanese culture.

Comparing Great Britain with Japan

Detailed Discussion #1

According to my talks with my host families, Great Britain is experiencing the same kinds of education-related problems we have in Japan, such as bullying and students who are not emotionally able to attend school. I also learned that British society is facing serious welfare and medical-care problems associated with the graying of their society, just like in Japan. They also informed me that government spending on solutions to these problems is decreasing rather than increasing.

But when I heard from Ms. Shoji and Ms. Honda about the things they saw and heard during their vocational study trips to schools, welfare, and medical care facilities, I got the impression that, compared to Japan, the British standard is much higher in regard to the number and quality of facilities and the systems as a whole.

After returning to Japan, I did some investigation to see if my impressions were accurate. First, from a financial standpoint and looking at overall spending on welfare and medical care systems and the benefits provided, the total spending by national and local governments on such programs comes to 27.2% of the national income. In Japan, however, it comes to just 17.2% of the national income. There is almost no difference in the percentage of the population that is 65 years old or older. In Great Britain, it is 15.8% and in Japan, it is 15.1%. Also, in regard to education-related government outlays, public financial expenditures from the total national income come to 7.2% in Great Britain and just 5.7% in Japan.

Looking at the percentage of public roads that are paved, in Great Britain it is 100%, while in Japan it is just 74.8%. The highway kilometreage per 10,000 registered automobiles comes to 1.38 km per 10,000 cars in Great Britain, and just 0.98 km here in Japan. In Great Britain, 86% of the population lives in a home that is connected to an underground sewage system, while the figure is just 64% in Japan. As far as public park space is concerned, in London, there is public park space of 25.3 sq. metres per person, but it is just 3.0 sq. metres per person in the 23 wards of Tokyo (and the national average in Japan is only 7.5 sq. metres).

It certainly appears that Japan has yet to reach the same level of infrastructure development as Great Britain. But when you compare the amount of money that is being spent by the government for public works projects, such as highways and sewage systems, it is clear that the government is spending quite a lot of money. Also, one could say that the ratio of infrastructure spending compared to government outlays for social welfare, medical care and education is less than that of Great Britain.

In addition, in regard to Japan's lagging behind Great Britain in infrastructure development and the possibility of catching up, Japan faces several disadvantages, namely the lay of the land, the cost of land, and the fact that Japan is prone to earthquakes. The majority of Great Britain consists of gently rolling plains, so when the government sets out to build roads, there is no need to build the large number of bridges and tunnels that are required in Japan. Also, the cost of purchasing land for public works projects is much lower than in Japan. Moreover, since there are no earthquakes in Great Britain, there is no need to build the expensive earthquake-proof bridges and buildings that are required in Japan. To put it another way, compared to Great Britain, Japan has relatively little fruit to show for the vast sums of money it spends on roads, tunnels and bridges.

Comparison of Ratio Between National Income and Social Welfare Benefits for Great Britain and Japan

(Ref.: Financial Data Book (1999, Treasury and Finance Association Foundation)

Comparison of % of Overall Population 65 years of Age or Older for Great Britain and Japan

(Ref.: Financial Data Book (1999, Treasury and Finance Association Foundation)

Comparison of Ratio Between National Income and Government Outlays for Education for Great Britain and Japan

(Ref.: Financial Data Book (1998, Japanese Ministry of Education)

Comparison of Infrastructure for Great Britain and Japan

1. % of Paved Public Roads

4. Amount of City Park Space per Person

(Ref.: Data for 1 through 4 taken from the Financial Data Book (1999, Treasury and Finance Association Foundation)

Detailed Discussion #2

However, I have doubts about the validity of judging the abundance and richness of our two nations merely by comparing the degree of government spending on infrastructure, social welfare, etc.

It isn't so much the amount being spent on welfare payments, education, roads, parks, and policemen to maintain public safety and order. What matters is the degree of benefit one receives and how much it costs (through taxes or direct payments by the beneficiary), and what portion of the population is bearing the brunt of those costs (i.e., predominantly by the upper income population, or lower income population). Depending upon these things, a person's sense of satisfaction will vary, I think.

Moreover, we also need to consider the richness and abundance of the heart; i.e., the abundance and wealth that we feel in our daily lives is not merely based upon material things. One cannot measure human kindness and generosity, or an inclination to help those in need, with numerical statistics. Aren't such things also important in determining whether one is truly living an abundant life?

I have come to realize that to determine whether a society is truly wealthy, in the end, one must base his conclusion upon whether or not the people living there are truly satisfied emotionally and spiritually.

The abundance I felt while I was in England was not so much material. Rather, I think it had to do with the how the natural environment is cherished, how they have endeavored to create a barrier-free society so the rights of the disabled are protected, how they provide education to those children who are unable to speak or understand English, and the emotional and spiritual degree of satisfaction felt by the citizens.

As a result of my GSE trip to England, I was given the chance to think deeply about what it really means to be "rich" and "well-off." Normally, we tend to look at economic and material factors, but I think we must all make generosity, considerateness, and warm-heartedness a part of our daily lives.

My Vocational Study

Local Autonomy in England

The theme of my vocational study was the local government finance in England. Before I left for England, I was able to get a grasp of the system of local government finance and the fundamental make-up of this financial system by reading a number of book on the subject. When I visited city offices and other government offices during my time in England, I was able to make use of this knowledge when talking to government officials about their work, the direction local government is going under the present Labor Party, etc., and these talks were very beneficial and profitable to me.

Compared to Japan, the administrative system in Great Britain centralizes power more, and the functions of the municipal and local governments are strictly limited. Compared to the budgets of local government offices and organizations here in Japan, similar-sized governments and organizations in Great Britain have budgets that are just one tenth of their Japanese counterparts. The ratio of total annual expenditures for local governments compared to the overall expenditures of both national and local governments comes to about 70% in Japan and less than 30% in Great Britain. In other words, in Japan, a very large proportion of the administrative programs and policies related to welfare, education, construction, etc. are paid for by local governments and government organizations. Conversely, in Great Britain, the activities carried out by local governments are limited, and many of the administrative programs are paid for directly by the central government.

Local and municipal governments in Great Britain do not have the necessary revenues to carry out their operations, so they depend on the central government for about 80% of their operating budget. In Japan, we receive about 30% of our operating budget from local taxes, and we often refer to our government as being "30% self-governing." In this regard, you could say that in Great Britain, local and municipal governments are "20% self-governing."

In Japan, by making their own independent policy decisions, local and municipal governments are working hard to get transfer of this stablerevenue from the central government, which makes up the majority of the money they have at their disposal to implement financially secure administrative and financial operations.

This money from the central government, and the added responsibilities that are passed on from the central government with it, is a vital part of the decentralization being called for by local and municipal governments in Japan.

However, I saw no such movement by local and municipal governments to gain more independence, in England. This may be due to the fact that local and municipal governments are restricted in what they are allowed to do, and it is of no concern to them whether the money comes from local taxes or national taxes. I tried to explain the move in Japan toward decentralization, and the need for it, to those I met at the various city offices, but they were not able to understand why we are moving in this direction in Japan.

The fundamental viewpoint and concept of the functions and roles of local and municipal governments is different in our two countries. Still, local and municipal governments in England have a high sense of awareness regarding their autonomy, and they are proud of the history and uniqueness of their region. I was surprised by the earnestness and effort they are putting into preserving the old-style city streets and working to beautify their cities.

Places I Visited for Vocational Study

While I was in England, I visited the following seven places during my vocational study trips: Durham County Council, Easington District Council, Middlesbrough Borough Council, Hambleton District Council, Derwentside District Council, Derwentside Industrial Development Agency, and Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council.

Each of our GSE team members headed for different vocational study sites when it was time for these trips. In my case, I spent the better part of one day traveling to and between the Derwentside District Council and Derwentside Industrial Development Agency, along with meeting with the people at these places. My other trips were all a whole day at one place, and the people there devoted a whole day to talking with me, showing me around the various departments and taking me by car to see certain facilities operated by the government.

I was shown around a number of very interesting places, but it is not possible for me (due to space limitations) to fully describe all I learned there. I will give just a short synopsis of those visits now.

During my trip to Easington District Council, I was taken to see Peterlee New Town and the Seaham Regeneration Area. The term "new town" originated in Great Britain. In Japan, we have a number of large "new towns," such as Tama New Town, Senri New Town and Senboku New Town. These developments, however, have only incorporated the residential aspect of British new towns.

British new towns are not merely constructed as residential areas. Rather, they are a merging of "residence," "work" and "natural environment." British new towns have residential areas, which still have many trees and other greenery, and industrial sites, surrounded by abundant natural beauty and forests.

However, despite the fact that British new towns were built with such high ideals, it doesn't mean that they are without problems today. Due to the shutting down of the coal mines near Peterlee New Town, many people are unemployed and living on welfare. Where there are many such people, social problems, such as a higher crime rate and juvenile delinquency, are causing much heartache and pain.

The Seaham Regeneration Area made use of the private finance initiative (PFI), which is being highly touted in Japan today, to help finance and construct this large-scale industrial estate.

PFI, like new towns, also originated in Great Britain, and it was very helpful for me to have the opportunity to get a first-hand look at Seaham (since Japan is trying to imitate Britain's PFI) during my trip to the Easington District Council. On the other hand, I was also made aware of Japan's lack of originality (granted, you could say we do well at improving on concepts others come up with), so I had mixed feelings during my time there.

I was also quite surprised to learn that the development and management of Peterlee New Town and the Seaham Regeneration Area was/is not carried out at the central government or county council level, but, rather, at the district (city) council level! In Japan, it is absolutely unthinkable that a city with a population of just 100,000 could carry out and coordinate such large-scale enterprises mainly by itself. As I mentioned earlier, in general, Great Britain has a strong centralized government, and local and municipal governments are restricted in what they are allowed to do. Even so, I was left with the impression that the work that local and municipal governments are allowed to undertake is being carried out by those who are truly professionals in their fields. While Japan, on the other hand, has local and municipal government workers who are able to handle, in a general way, almost anything that comes their way, I think one could say that local and municipal governments are doing nothing that helps to nurture and develop civil servants who are true experts in their respective fields.

Personnel System

There is, to be sure, a reason behind the difference in personnel development at the local and municipal government levels in Japan and Great Britain. That difference is hiring practices.

Things are changing now in Japan, but until recently, Japan had a life-time employment system. In my own case, I started working for the Osaka Prefectural Government fifteen years ago, and I was transferred from department to department every two or three years. As a result, I am generally acquainted with many aspects of administration, but, in Great Britain, such promotions and transfers would never take place. In private business, of course, British hiring practices are only natural, but British government offices recruit workers based on their ability, and there is much fluidity in hiring in Britain. If people want to get a promotion, they use their special knowledge and abilities as tools or "weapons" when they apply for positions of greater responsibility. Every one of the people who met with me at the county council and district council offices I visited had come to be in their present position after having worked at a number of different district and county council offices.

In this regard, it is possible for even small-scale district councils to have and keep excellent personnel with a high degree of expertise in their given fields, as long as they provide adequate salary and benefits. Things are very different here in Japan. I think there are many things that we in Japan can learn and apply as we make efforts to decentralize here. We can also learn much from the British employment system's way of motivating public officers and the way they manage their personnel.

So far, I have being concentrating on praising the local and municipal governments of Great Britain, but it is a little known fact that there is one aspect of Japanese local and municipal government that is superior to that in England. Let me briefly discuss the problem of how many civil servants are needed to keep the government running.

Here in Japan, the total number of government workers (national and local) per 1,000 people is 37, and 39 if you include Self-defense Force (Japan's armed forces) personnel. In Great Britain, however, those figures are 78 and 84, respectively. (Most major European countries have similar ratios.) So, in this regard, you could say that compared to the major nations of Europe, Japan's civil servants are more efficient.

Comparison of Number of Civil Servants per 1,000 People for Great Britain and Japan

※ "Civil servants" refers to those people who work for the national and local (municipal) governments, and government-owned enterprises. This number also includes special juridical personnel.

Recent Trends

In Great Britain, a national trust, which values old buildings and preserves valuable natural resources and ancient ruins, is quite popular. I think the British temperament is quite different, in this regard, compared to Japan, in that they don't take a liking to things just because they are new. In regard to administrative policy, however, the opposite it true, I think. They very boldly and unhesitatingly stop doing things one way and take a new approach. You might say, negatively, that their administrative policy changes too quickly and easily.

The present Labor Party government of Tony Blair is taking a course exactly opposite that taken by the previous Conservative Party, doing away with the centralization that had been carried out with such vigor by Thatcher's party. One example of such policy changes that we have heard about, even in Japan, is the establishment of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

Besides proceeding with the revival of the Greater London Authority, whose subdivisioning was started under Thatcher's Conservative government, the Labor government is working toward more decentralization by dividing Great Britain into 9 regions, and transferring a portion of the work that had been carried out by the central government in London to these regional governments.

But the Blair government has not stopped with such reforms of the government framework. It is also seeking to bring about new administrative reforms in all the nation's local and municipal governments. I think its approach or philosophy can be summed up in the slogan "Striving for the Best Value." I heard the words "Best Value" at every one of the government offices I visited for vocational study.

This slogan expresses the government's desire to help reform the awareness and consciousness of civil servants, and the goals of these reforms do not stop with administrative reforms aimed at meeting citizens' needs. The local and municipal governments are also working towards the following:

continuous improvement,
cost effectiveness,
development in partnership with local citizens and users, and
serving the public with staff who are well-trained and committed.

These goals are, in some ways, a bit vague, but compared to the approach taken by Thatcher's Conservative Party, in which local and municipal governments were essentially strong-armed into implementing reforms because the money they received from the central government was tied to these reforms, the Blair government's approach is quite different. The Labor Party is seeking to give local and municipal governments much more independence, and it was very interesting to see the contrasts between these two different approaches.

Because control of the British government switches back and forth between the Labor Party and Conservative Party, it is only natural that sweeping changes in policy and approach take place when the reins of government switch from one party to the other. Here in Japan, we have never experienced such great shifts in policy when a different ruling party comes to power, so the changes in direction so common in British politics may have seemed all the more dramatic to me.

Anyway, in Japan, the word "decentralization" is being batted around by the media, and this year the government has enacted laws related to the promotion of decentralization. The establishment of autonomous administrative and financial operations at the local and municipal government level is far different than Japan's rigid, "petrified" condition, in which we never see any real progress or development, and Prime Minister Blair's reforms seem very bold indeed.

Host Families and Rotary Clubs

As I mentioned earlier, each of the GSE team members were hosted by different families and Rotary clubs every three to four days. In the end, we stayed at a total of eight different homes during our time in England.

As expected, each of the eight homes I stayed at was different and had its own unique characteristics. But, they were all warm and friendly, for which I was very grateful.

Of the eight homes I stayed at, just one had children living there. The Dhugga family had three cute daughters (the oldest was sixteen). All the other families' children were grown up and living out on their own.

England is famous for the fact pets are treated as members of the family there, and I found out that this is, indeed, the case. Most of the families I stayed with had a dog, and I was impressed with how well-disciplined they were. Two dogs I grew familiar with, in particular, left an impression on me.

In Sunderland, at the home of Ernie and Ann Johnson, I met their "daughter," Polly. One day, when I decided to walk to the nearby mailbox to post a letter, Ernie let Polly tag along because she seemed attached to me. But when we got about 30 metres away from the house, Polly suddenly sat down and refused to go any further. She finally turned around and went home. When I got back, Polly started to whimper as if to say to Ernie and Anne that I had kidnapped her!

Also, in Stokesley, at the home of Ken and Wendy Whimster, I met their "son," Zog. Zog was just 9 months old, but his body was already large and strong. He was a large dog, with beautiful, black fur, and he was always wanting to play. When he "played" with me, he would come running and grab onto my sleeve. Since he was still young, he still acted like a puppy, despite his size, and sometimes he was a bit of a bother when he jumped all over me (it hurt and he slobbered all over my clothes). Ken and Wendy had their hands full everyday trying to discipline him!

At Ian and Pat Walker's home in Alnwick, I found that they had carp in a little pond in their yard. I hadn't expected anyone to be keeping carp, so I was surprised. According to Ian, raising carp is now quite popular in England.

During the three to four days we were hosted by a different Rotary club, everyone did so much to make us feel welcome. Also, in addition to the eight clubs who were in charge of taking care of us for three to four days, three other clubs (Berwick on Tweed, Gateshead East, and Barnard Castle) looked after us for a day.

Each of these clubs had a casual, home-party kind of atmosphere at their meetings, and we were able to enjoy a variety of activities. We had many opportunities to experience British culture and life-style by doing things we had known nothing about, such as clay shooting (trap shooting) and grass bowling, with our hosts.

Needless to say, all my host families, and the other Rotarians who looked after us, displayed a spirit of servanthood and warm-hearted considerateness, and worked unreservedly. I had never experienced such a thing before.

Also, Governor John Billany attended a number of our team's presentations at the various clubs. Mr. Billany is a homespun, easy-to-get-along-with man, and I was deeply touched by the fact that he took time out of his extremely busy schedule to attend those meetings. I respect him very much.

I want to take this opportunity to once again express my heartfelt gratitude to Governor Billany and all those in D-1030 who so graciously and warmly welcomed us and took care of us while we were in England.

Some Miscellaneous Thoughts

My Language Ability

I deeply regret the poorness of my English at the time of my visit to England, and I am doing more than just feeling bad about it. I am studying very hard now in preparation for my reunion with the D-1030 GSE team members who will be coming to Osaka in May.

Speaking from my own experience, I think a certain degree of proficiency is necessary. During our days of vocational study, each of the team members went on trips related to his or her specialty. In my case, my host families took me to the district council building in the morning, and then came back in the evening to pick me up. During that time, I would visit the various departments, etc. that the local Rotary clubs had arranged for me to visit, and talk with the officials there. Another person from the Rotary accompanied me during these trips on only two out of the six days, so I was on my own all day.

Also, after our group presentation was over at the various club meetings we attended, there was sometimes a time for questions and answers. It seemed to me that the Rotarians were concerned to make us feel welcome and probably felt it would be rude if we weren't asked many questions, so ask questions they did! But it was certainly hardest for those of us who were standing there before a large crowd having to listen to and answer the questions in a foreign language.

At any rate, under such conditions as these, honestly speaking, it was quite difficult having just a basic degree of proficiency in daily conversation. I thought that, in addition to knowing more words related to my field of specialty, I needed a higher degree of proficiency.

My language ability was the lowest of all the team members, but, at times, this made things much easier for the other members. For example, if someone said something to us in English, and my understanding of what was said was the same as that of my team members, then they could be sure that what they thought they had heard was correct!

When I meet the members of the D-1030 team in May, they will probably speak to me as quickly as they did when we were in England (about natural speed), so I am working hard right now so I will be able to keep up with everyone else.

British English

After arriving in England, I realized anew the fact that the type of English we are exposed to in Japan is basically American English. There are too many examples to count, but I certainly felt that there is a great difference in pronunciation. Of course, like in Japan, there are slight differences in pronunciation, etc. from region to region, but even as we traveled around just in D-1030, it was interesting to notice the slight differences in pronunciation and usage in that one region.

At a very basic level, I was able to see the differences in British and American pronunciation in words such as "tomato" and "vitamins." In Japan, we pronounce these words much the same as the British do, but when we learn English, we often are taught to say these words using American pronunciation. I don't know if it is correct to say this or not, but I felt like, "Oh, now I see. These words came to Japan from England." It made me feel a sense of closeness with England.

Personal Knowledge and Insight

Through my talks with British Rotarians and our team leader, Mr. Nakamura, I was made painfully aware of how little I know about many things. Those who are close to Mr. Nakamura know very well what a learned man he is.

Many times during discussions at Rotary club meetings and at other places, as I talked with people in various lines of work, I realized just how limited my knowledge is, how little I really know about what is happening right now around the world, and how I have no personal views about such matters. Since I had no knowledge about many current events, and knew nothing of their background, there was no way I could have an opinion about them.

Also, I was shocked to learn how shallow my knowledge of world history is (of course, I was most often asked about British history while in England). I decided then and there that I would restudy world history, which is part of general education in Japanese schools, after returning home. I am determined to increase my knowledge of world events, etc. by spending more time reading newspapers and books.

By the way, I learned while in England that British people, in general, know almost nothing about Japanese history. I don't know if I should be happy about this or not, but one of my host family members said to me, "You and the other team members are able to speak Japanese and English, and you know about British history. We are just lazy. When we go overseas, we assume others will speak English to us, so we don't learn a foreign language. And we know absolutely nothing about Japanese history."

The Information Age and the Work Place

My impression, as one who works for the Osaka Prefectural government and who visited government offices in England, is that the personal working space of the average civil servant in British county and district council offices is about two to three times that of their counterparts in Japan. Their desks are larger, and, overall, they have much more space to themselves. Also, every worker has his or her own personal computer and they are making the most of modern information technology.

Osaka Prefecture is one of the most backward of all the prefectures in Japan, when it comes to utilizing computers and information technology. At present, the ratio of workers to computers is about five or six workers for every personal computer. When I mentioned this fact in England, most people couldn't believe it. The government workers I met in England told me they couldn't understand how Japan, with computer makers like Fujitsu, NEC and Hitachi (all of which are well-known in England), could be so far behind British government offices in this regard.

An Earthquake-free Nation

I realized just how different construction is when you live in a country that does not have earthquakes. When I saw what their bridge abutments looked like compared to what we must build here in Japan, they almost looked like little more than ship masts!

Also, my third host, businessman Ravi Dhugga, took me to the site of a hotel that he is building. There, I saw how they were building supporting pillars and walls without using any kind of steel reinforcing bars in the concrete and blocks, and then simply laying steel plates on top of these pillars and walls for the floors! This type of construction is used for buildings several storeys high. I was so surprised to see how easy it is to build buildings in England, because I am used to seeing all the reinforcement and work that goes into buildings here in Japan.

Delicious Food

It appears that British food is not highly regarded outside England. When I asked some of my coworkers, who have been to England, what they thought about the food, almost all of them said it wasn't very good. Only one person, who had gone to England for a homestay, told me that the food made by the woman she lived with was always delicious, no matter what it was.

Looking back on it now, I think that is the key. The main places written up in travel books, and visited by Japanese tourists to England, are those restaurants located in London, and the food made there may be slightly different than traditional home-style cooking and the food prepared at local pubs.

My impression of British food, after living in England for about one month, is that it is delicious. Of course, British people do not have nearly as much to work with, ingredient-wise, as we Japanese do. England's northern location means that the variety of vegetables they are able to grow there is quite limited, but, still, the food I ate was quite good.

For breakfast, we had cereal or bread. I was surprised at the wide variety of cereals available, compared to what we have in Japan. I usually ate breakfast before leaving home in the morning, but when we had lunch-time Rotary meetings to attend, we ate at pubs or small hotels (as we did when we had dinner meetings). Often, we had beer, an appetizer, and the main dish, followed by coffee and dessert. The main dish was usually roast beef or some kind of meat pie, or some kind of fish dish of salmon or cod.

When I ate with my host family, the one who was the best cook (usually the wife) prepared a wonderful meal. The atmosphere was relaxed, and everything was very good.

For the British, the potato is the staff of life, as compared to rice here in Japan. Potatoes always made their appearance on our lunch and dinner plates, either baked, boiled, fried or as a croquette. Also, there are many kinds of beer in England, all of them good. I heard that in southern England, they sometimes serve beer warm, but where we were, the beer was always served cold.

I had heard that England was a nation of tea drinkers, but recently more and more people are drinking coffee. Actually, at the Rotary meetings, more people were served coffee than tea, and most of the people were drinking coffee. It was quite different than the image I had had of England before leaving Japan.

Grass Bowling

The Gateshead East Rotary Club gave us the opportunity to enjoy some grass bowling. The place where we were taken looked like a members-only club, so I think we were given very special treatment.

Grass bowling can be compared to curling on a golf green. The playing area is about 30 metres by 40 metres, and consists of beautifully manicured grass, such as is found on golf course greens. A point is chosen as the spot to be aimed at, and the competitors take turns rolling balls toward this spot. Points are scored at the end when it is determined whose ball is closest to the spot.

The "balls" are not actually round, but are elliptical in shape, making it impossible to roll them in a perfectly straight line.

It seems that the sport is rather popular, with national tournaments and all. Even though it was our first time to play, we had a wonderful time. Thank you to all who made this possible!

Durham Cathedral at Night

During our time in Great Britain, we saw many beautiful sights. All the places had their own ancient ruins and tourist spots, and the beauty of Edinburgh's and York's streets was breathtaking. Also, the natural beaches stretching along the coast of the North Sea and the pink heath flowers growing on the moor impressed me with a beauty that was very British.

I will never forget the night we took a boat ride on the River Wear, which runs through Durham, and stood on deck and marveled at the beauty of Durham Cathedral's night lights and heard the bells echoing in the night. The cold, night breeze blowing across the water was quite chilly, but it was the beauty of the cathedral that made us stand even straighter.

Winter Clothes in the Middle of the Summer

The formal clothes prepared for our team by D-2660 were winter clothes, made to match the climate in England, and we looked quite sharp in them. We had glen check slacks (the women glen check skirts), dark blue double-breasted suit coats, and grey and dark red neckties. The weather we encountered was colder than we had imagined for September and October, and we were very thankful for the warm clothes we had.

When we first arrived in England, it was much warmer than average, and had been so for a number of days, though. The daily highs were a bit over 20 degrees, and the local people were always commenting on how hot it was.

But in October, it got much colder. Even in London, which is generally 2 to 3 degrees warmer than D-1030 in northern England, the high was about 12 or 13 degrees when we were there at the end of our trip. At night and in the early morning, the temperatures hovered around the freezing point. With a coat on top of our Rotary suits, we felt just fine.

Leaving London, with such temperatures, at the beginning of October, we arrived back in Osaka and found that the temperature was still above 30 degrees! The heat here was dizzying. I thought that if any of the people we had just been with in England, who feel hot if it is above 20 degrees and are used to walking around in short-sleeve shirts when it is just 10 degrees, had come back with us to Osaka, they would have passed out from the heat!

I will never forget the day we had to wear our new suits for a photo session in the middle of August. It was SO hot that day, and we were all sweating profusely. That experience has become one of special memories now!

Thanks to the GSE Team to D-7080 in Canada

We had just two months from the time we were chosen until the time we left for England, and we received a great deal of help from the GSE team to Canada, and from their team leader, Mr. Katoh. I don't think our team would have been able to prepare adequately for all we had to do in such short time if we had not had the helpful advice and information we received from those who had actually had the experience of going on a GSE trip.

In particular, we had absolutely no idea what we had to do to put together our presentation, and we had just two months to get ready. I am sure that we would never have completed our preparations in time if we had not had the encouragement and help of the Canada GSE team members.

I want to again take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Canada team members, who were concerned for us and who offered a helping hand when we needed it most. Also, I would like to say thank you to Mr. Matsuoka, chairman of the GSE committee, for his help with English and the other things he did for us. And thank you, too, to everyone on the GSE committee, and all the other people related to the GSE program, who contributed to the success of our trip.

In Conclusion

Through the privilege I had of participating in the GSE trip, I was able to learn many things about the administrative and financial operations of local and municipal governments in Great Britain, and I was able to gain much new knowledge and understanding.

Also, I was able to live with a number of different families, get a feel for British society and life-style, share opinions with people on a variety of topics, and have the opportunity to communicate on a heart-to-heart level with British people. These things are precious, valuable assets to my life; even more so than what I learned during my vocational study trips.

I also learned many things during the two-month period of preparation prior to our departure. Through my interaction with various Rotarians and my team members, I made new discoveries, broadened my knowledge and insights, and experienced the pain of others. In this regard, I think I can say that my participation in the GSE program has been a very important turning point in my life.

As I put this report together and recall all the wonderful experiences I had in England, I intend to cherish and preserve the sense of peace and harmony that was built between me and all the new people I made friends with in Japan and England. Also, I intend to take the opportunity afforded me to expand my horizons in a variety of ways, and to put the things I've learned into practice in my daily life.

Again, thank you to everyone who helped make my GSE trip the life-changing experience that it was.