Environmental Management Division
Department of Environment, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Osaka Prefectural Government
Sponsored by the Osaka Kita Rotary Club
Introduction
I was invited by the Osaka Kita Rotary Club to represent them as a member of the GSE team which was sent by Osaka's R.I. D-2660 to R.I. D-7080, Ontario, Canada. Our trip lasted about one month.
Participating in the GSE program was a very wonderful experience for me as it helped to expand my outlook as a member of society. I would like, again, to express my thanks to the Osaka Kita Rotary Club and everyone in R.I.D-2660.
I am presently working in the Environmental Management Division of Osaka Prefecture, and my work involves managing the environment around Osaka. Canada, and Ontario in particular has its border along the Great Lakes of North America, and Canada has poured considerably effort into solving its environmental problems while still attaining industrial growth. Through my participation in this GSE program, I was able to see some of the many interesting ways in which Canada has approached the environmental problem in the areas of environmental technology and environmental policy.
In this report, I would like to summarize what I learned about the present condition of Canada's environmental problems and share my impressions of Ontario, Canada.
Preparing to depart for Canada
Our GSE team consisted of five members: Mr. Takashi Katoh (Yao R. C.), our team leader, Ms. Junko Higuchi (an employee of Osaka City), Ms. Noriko Kashima (a dental hygienist), Ms. Keiko Yoden (a pianist and a music teacher at a university), and myself. We began meeting together at the end of last year in preparation for our trip, and we devoted ourselves to developing good teamwork. In order to make sure we made the most of this opportunity to do a good job of PR for the city of Osaka, we also started gathering information to use in our presentations in Canada and began working together to put together these presentations.
Also, in March and April, the D-7080 GSE team from Ontario visited Japan, so we used that opportunity to deepen our friendship with their team members. We were able to ask about what things were like in Ontario, and this was not only helpful for our preparations but it also helped to build a very friendly relationship between both GSE teams. When they left Japan for home, we promised to meet each other soon in Canada, and team leader Kathi Smith and everyone else greeted us warmly upon our arrival in Canada and, despite their busy schedules, met with us a number of times.
My memory of receiving some loonies
Many people came to the airport to see us off on May 7, including GSE chair Shigeo Matsuoka. We left Kansai International Airport, made a brief stop in Detroit and landed in Toronto in the evening of the same day, Toronto time. Many people turned out to give us a warm welcome at the Toronto International Airport, including governor Ralph Adams, GSE chair Norma Gamble and coordinator Norman Vreuge.
At that time, governor Adams greeted me personally, saying, "You're Shu, right? Welcome to Canada!" I was deeply moved that he had learned everyone's name, face and occupation before our arrival. In addition, when it came time for someone to carry our luggage, he handed me two Canadian dollar coins (Loonies) and said, "You probably don't have any Canadian money since you've just arrived. Here, use this to tip the porter." He probably knew that we don't have the custom of tipping in Japan. As a result of this seemingly incidental action, I was able to feel the warm-hearted, wise and generous character of governor Adams. Because of the sense of peace and security I felt from the governor as he watched out for us all throughout our time in Canada, the slight uneasiness I had felt when first arriving at the airport disappeared, and my expectations for the program grew.
Moreover, the governor dropped by throughout our time in Canada, whenever something important was going on. He was always concerned about our condition, and, as a result, we were able to have a safe and comfortable trip. Everyone involved with the program, including the host families and GSE team members, was so kind, putting together our vocational study trips, looking after our health and organizing everything so well. Consequently, we were able to experience a truly meaningful program and do it in good health.
Our presentations
During our GSE program, we visited four cities. In addition to learning the history and culture of each place by visiting important places and visiting places related to each of our occupations, we also attended a number of Rotary meetings and gatherings, took part in charity walk, and helped out at a Rotary-sponsored marathon race. Through all these things, we worked to have meaningful cultural exchange and interchange with those with whom we came into contact.
In particular, we were given time at each meeting we attended to give a presentation about the history, culture, arts and distinctiveness of Osaka and Japan. To do this, I brought my laptop computer with me to use with part of our visual presentation, and we also used a video and other things during our individual presentations (each team member had to speak about a certain topic, in English of course!).
I was a bit worried about how much people would be able to understand because of my poor English, and I was a bit nervous at the start. When I said, "Osaka has a rather large population crammed into a small area, and its population density is about 440 times that of Ontario," some people chuckled. And when I mentioned the fact that both Osaka and Toronto are bidding to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, saying, "There are other candidate cities, but I think it will be either Osaka or Toronto," everyone applauded. I wasn't expecting such a great response, and I think everyone there had an enjoyable time throughout our presentations. They had a piano there, and with Ms. Yoden playing the piano, the other team members sang Japanese songs and helped everyone there to gain an understanding of Japanese culture.
Canadian climate
I think everyone has a similar image of Canada as a vast country that is
blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, and to be sure, this is the
impression I had when I got there, since I had never been out of Japan
before. Canada is about 26 times larger than Japan in land mass, and the
province of Ontario alone is about three times larger than Japan. That
means that Ontario is about 560 times larger than Osaka Prefecture.
On the other hand, the population of Canada is just 30 million, with about
11 million people living in Ontario. Osaka Prefecture, with a total population
of 8.8 million, has a population density 440 times higher than that of
Ontario.
To be sure, the places we visited on this trip (all of them cities around
Toronto) all had many people living there, but still, compared to Osaka,
it is a large place. As a result, there are many differences between the
two places in regard to city planning, living conditions, road conditions,
etc.
Also, the scale of the Great Lakes was simply mind-boggling. It was impossible
to see the far shore across the lakes, and it seemed like we were looking
at the ocean. In fact, I even went down to the lakeshore and tasted the
water to make sure it wasn't salty!
The weather during our trip in May was quite pleasant, and on clear days the temperature was about 30 degrees Centigrade. I thought that I had brought too many clothes at first, but one time the weather turned bad and the temperature during the day dropped to about 10 degrees. I was told that the temperature in the winter often drops to minus 20 degrees Celsius, but compared to Ottawa and Montreal, they got less snow there. This is probably due to a warming influence from the Great Lakes, they said.
Even though it was the first time for me to visit Ontario, I kind of felt like I had been there before. Maybe it was because everyone was so generous and made me feel at home, or maybe it was because the location reminded me somewhat of Hokkaido, a place I like very much. But of course, there is just no comparison between the two when it comes to the vastness of the landscape.
The Canadian people
Canada is known as a land of immigrants, and this is true. In addition to the original native inhabitants, there are many people from Europe who immigrated to Canada about 200 years ago, giving it the appearance of being a country. They told me that the original name of Toronto was York, and that Kitchener, which was settled by many German immigrants, was originally called Berlin. There are still many places that have retained the names they were given which are reminiscent of their settlers' home country. We even noticed a town called "London".
Also, I was able to see a group of people called the Mennonites, which
ended up being one of the most impressive parts of my whole trip to Canada.
For religious reasons, the Mennonites still maintain the same life-style
they had when they first immigrated to Canada in the 19th century from
the United States and Europe. They have strictly maintained the way of
life they had in the 19th century. Most live in the suburbs of Waterloo,
and they live without so-called necessities of life such as electricity,
gas and plumbing. They live a very simple, agriculture-based life, and
they get around not with cars, but with horses and buggies. I had seen
horse-drawn buggies along the side of the road several times in my life,
but this was the first time I had seen people doing it as part of their
daily lives and not as a sight-seeing venture. At first, the uniqueness
of it was striking, but I soon grew accustomed to seeing horses and buggies,
and this idyllic sight soon became a very natural, peaceful thing to me.
It appeared to me that those living around the Mennonites have respect
and admiration for their simple life-style and hard-working attitude, and
the solidarity they have ; the kind of solidarity which enables them to
work together to build a huge barn for a neighbor (which they call "barn
raising").
Canadians say this often, but Canada is a very young nation compared to Japan and the countries of Europe. However, thinking of modern-day Japan, is there really anything remaining in our daily lives that reflects our long history? As I watched the Mennonites, I thought that despite its short history, Canada is a truly magnanimous country.
The Canadian temperament is hospitable, friendly, generous, and intelligent, and it seemed to me that they are very accepting of different cultures and life-styles. I could not help thinking how wonderful it is that immigrants, the native inhabitants and Inuits, and even the religious people like the Mennonites could, despite their differences, join together into a nation and have respect for and pride in one another in their daily lives.
The same thing can be said about how Canadians deal with equality between the sexes (recently they have begun calling it the "gender problem"), the normalization of the physically handicapped. It seems that they all have the will and desire to create a society in which there is no discrimination based upon race, religion, gender, age or handicaps, and it also appears that this is something they view as only natural.
Not only was I personally treated well as someone from a small Asian nation, but the people showed great interest in Japan and Osaka, as well. For example, "The economy isn't so good in Japan right now, but what is it like normally?" "Why did the bubble economy collapse?" "I heard that things were really tough after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but how are things these days?" They also asked about Japanese food. "Sushi is famous, but what do people normally eat?" They were far more pro-Japanese than I had imagined, and they were constantly asking me questions so that they could know Japan better.
While we where in Canada, they would let us know when news of Japan was in the newspaper (honestly speaking, I didn't miss Japan even once while I was in Canada), and they were constantly showing interest in the things of Japan. This was a great help to me in helping me to feel at ease and to look ahead with expectation to my vocational study. I am so thankful to each and every person I met in Canada.
Canadian environmental policy
As part of my vocational study, I visited administrative institutions, the national research center (which was responsible for testing the pollution levels of the Great Lakes and contributing to the solution of the pollution problem), and places that are facing environmental problems, like the Toronto International Airport and waste treatment facilities. Also, in addition to these formal trips, I was able to discuss and glean much information about environmental problems from my talks with my host families and other Rotarians.
The Toronto International Airport presently has four runways, with two more under construction. Despite its great size, it has earned ISO 14001 accreditation (by fulfilling certain international environmental management standards) and is working hard to implement environmental policy. I was also surprised anew by the way in which people live in harmony with nature and by the discovery that the suburban areas around Toronto, which are rapidly becoming more and more urban, are striving deliberately to assure that their virgin forestland, with its animal and plant life, is preserved in the midst of this expansion.
In the yards of my host families, I could see many birds, squirrels, raccoons and other wildlife. This was not out in the wilds of this vast, wild country, but rather just outside Toronto with its 2 million people. You could say that this is the result of residential development and road construction planning that works hard to create an environment where humans and wildlife can live in harmony by taking the environmental impact into@account, surveying the plant and animal life and making sure that it is preserved.
I focused on the disposal and treatment of trash as one aspect of the environmental problems faced in our daily life. In Japan, about 90% of general domestic trash is incinerated, and with this approach come the serious problem of dioxin contamination.
In Canada, however, very little trash is burned. Most of it is buried.
In the suburbs, one can see many small "mountains" of buried
trash. These disposal sites are operated as government facilities, and
they are very thorough in their check for harmful and poisonous trash.
Many people come everyday to tour the facilities, and open communication
between these facilities and the local community is maintained. I noticed
that the waste disposal problem is viewed as a household problem as well
as a regional problem, and the government and citizens are working together
to solve it. As a result, there is a deep understanding of the environmental
problem, even among the average citizens, and people are actively involved
in recycling and efforts to reduce the amount of waste. Consequently, they
have been able to reduce the frequency of trash collection to just once
a
week.
In Japan, due to opposition from residents, it is extremely difficult to establish trash disposal and treatment sites. At this time when there is a great need for increased transparency in administrative policy and better communication between citizens and government, I felt that I had seen, in Canada's waste disposal policy, one example of the ideal towards which we must strive.
I also heard that at these treatment facilities, the methane gas that is generated is recycled and mixed with natural gas for use as domestic cooking gas, and the trash burial sites are converted into golf courses or ski slopes once they become filled to practical capacity. To be sure, the places that we visited in Ontario were predominantly flatlands, but I felt deeply that the Canadian's ideal, pliable way of thinking is what allowed them to come up with the concept of turning old trash dumps into golf courses and ski slopes.
When I was asked about the way we deal with our trash in Japan and told them that we burn almost all of it, everyone said, "Well, are you making use of the heat produced from this incineration as a means of producing electricity?" Unfortunately, I had to say that this is not the case. In Japan, less than one in five incineration facilities out of the approximately 1,000 facilities are set up to make use of the heat to produce electricity (in Osaka, the average is more than one in three). When they heard this, they always made a face that made it clear that they thought this was such as waste.
There are probably those who think that, because Japan is such a small nation and Canada such a large one that it can afford to bury its trash, but it is because Canada is so huge, wildly beautiful and blessed with natural resources that it is taking such care in how it treats its environment. It seems that the philosophy of never doing anything to squander its environment is something that is thoroughly ingrained in the national consciousness.
I would like to take the many things I learned during my study of Canadian environmental policy and my discussions with Canadian people and apply them as best as possible to the preservation of Osaka Prefecture's environment and the improvement of every resident's life-style.
Communication
One of the problems I had to overcome during my trip to Canada was the
problem of communicating in English. All the other team members went to
English conversation schools, etc. to brush up on their English before
the trip, but I left for Canada wondering just what would happen to me.
I greatly regretted the fact that I did not prepare better to communicate
in English. If I was able to overcome the language barrier and bring something
of worth back to Japan, it is due in full to the kindness of my host families
and every Canadian I met. They worked hard to use easy English and to understand
what I was trying to say in my poor English.
But they do have, to be sure, some expressions which are unique to their
area. For example, the person who took us around the Mennonite area often
said something like this. "They don't use hydro," or "There
are no hydro lines here." At first, I didn't understand what he meant
by the word "hydro," and I thought that since the prefix "hydro"
is often used in relation to water, the word meant plumbing or city water.
But I was wrong. This word means "electricity" or "electric
power" because the majority of Canada's power comes from hydroelectric
power plants. This word would probably not even be understood by those
from other English-speaking countries, but everyone in Canada understands
it. (Starting with the utilization of Niagara Falls' waterflow, Canada
has traditionally used hydroelectric power production, and over 60% of
its power comes from this type of power plant, making it the number one
hydroelectricity-generating nation in the world.)
Of course, I needed to learn English before going to Canada, but at my
homestays, I also realized how important it is to have a flexible attitude
as one tries to absorb and assimilate what others are trying to say.
And it wasn't just verbal things that gave me trouble. For example, the
units of currency, length, etc. that are used in everyday life are different
than in Japan, and this caused me considerable confusion. Especially in
relation to the air temperature, since they use both the Fahrenheit and
Centigrade systems in Canada. Whenever someone told me the temperature
in Fahrenheit, I had to try to calculate what it was in Centigrade. Since
I was not very good at that, people were kind enough to tell me what it
was in Centigrade if I asked them.
One important aspect of communication overseas is the use of nicknames. Learning the other person's name is a fundamental aspect of communication, but since I knew from experience that my name, "Shuichi," is difficult for some non-Japanese to pronounce, I mentioned in my self-introduction that people should call me "Shu." This worked out just fine, but since the pronunciation is the same as that for the word "shoe," and the imagery isn't so good, one time at the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club, I started having people call me "Shui." At this time "Star Wars" was the topic of conversation, so this name stuck (I didn't know until later that this is the name of one of the characters in the movie!).
My impressions of the cities I visited
1) Kitchener and Waterloo
The first two cities I visited were Kitchener and Waterloo, which,
though they appear to be just one city, are actually two separate cities.
They share the same scenery, and are quite friendly on an administrative
level. Some people even say that they will one day merge into one city.
There are still many building remaining in Kitchener that are over 100 years old, and they give the city a kind of old atmosphere. The region was formerly a beer and whiskey producing center, and in October they host the annual Oktoberfest during which people enjoy drinking and talking through the night. I will never forget the tastes of fresh Waterloo Dark of Brick brewery.
Also, the famous University of Waterloo, the center of academia in Canada, is located here. The university, which has an extremely beautiful campus, is Canada's leading science and engineering university, and it has recently gained recognition as an excellent computer science school as well.
My GSE trip got off to such a wonderful start in this area, thanks to the kindness of my host family, Mr. and Mrs. Yonke, and all the people I met there.
2) Mississauga
Mississauga, a bedtown located next to Toronto, has been experiencing
phenomenal growth in recent years as its population grows about 30% per
year.
I was very interested in the region's transportation system. The "GO(Government of Ontario) Train" system provides FREE parking for up to 1,000 cars at each of the stations along its route, and it is easy for commuters to drive to the station, park their cars and hop on the train to Toronto. This system has proven helpful in eliminating traffic jams on the roads between Toronto and its satellite towns. Everyday the parking lots around these stations seemed to be filled to capacity. This type of system is known as "park-and-ride," and it does not work well in Japan. The secret to its success in Canada may be the fact that parking there is free.
I think there are many things that the city of Osaka could learn from the problem-solving administrative policies instituted by this rapidly-growing city. I am grateful for the opportunity I was given to spend a week carefully observing the conditions there, and I am also thankful for the hospitality of my hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Coates, who told me to feel free to "do here just what you would do at home."
3) Oxford County
Oxford County is located in the western part of R.I. D-7080, and I
was able to visit all the cities in the county, particularly the city of
Woodstock. This area is the geographic center on the expressway that links
the cities of Detroit in the United States and Toronto. I visited many
farms and ranches while here. Canada is not just a manufacturing- and technology-based
nation. It is also an agricultural country, with the know-how to make it
a top agricultural and dairy farming nation, and it has achieved a good
balance between the two. It was while I was here that I visited Jakeman's
maple syrup company and was given a taste of Canadian syrup. After that,
I wanted to have maple syrup with my breakfast every day!
We attended a joint Rotary meeting while here, in which five clubs got together for the meeting. Governor Adams also attended, and it was here that we found the nicest stage prepared for our presentations. We had a rather hard schedule this week, often returning home in the middle of the night, but my host family, Francesca and Bob, always stayed up until I got home. It was unfortunate that we only had the opportunity to talk leisurely together during dinner one time during my time with them.
4) Burlington
Burlington, which is located on the shore of Lake Ontario, is conveniently
located near Toronto and the manufacturing area of Hamilton, and is also
near Canada's greatest tourist attraction, Niagara Falls. The scenery around
the lake and the lay of the houses along the streets make it a beautiful
city.
I was able to experience the grandeur of Niagara Falls and its mind-boggling natural beauty while there, and think I was able to understand a bit from that experience the feelings that flow in the hearts of Canadians as they sing their national anthem, "O Canada! Our home and native land. ... God keep our land glorious and free."
My host family in Burlington was Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay. Mr. Ramsay, who is a public employee just as I am, was able to teach me many things about Canadian administration and government, and he even took off from work in order to look after me, for which I am so grateful.
This was my last homestay of the trip, and it was here that the Rotary rented a golf clubhouse with a beautiful lakeside view for our farewell banquet. All the host families came from all over to be with us, and it was an experience I will never forget as long as I live.
Miscellaneous
1) Administrative system
Unlike Japan, Canada has "regions" or "counties"
between its provincial and city levels of government. The cities are part
of these regions, and unlike Japan's so-called counties, these regions
or counties have government office buildings like a city hall, where they
deal with taxes, enact ordinances and carry out government policies. From
what I could see, trash burial is carried out on a regional level.
Every city has a city council, which is similar to Japan's city assembly,
and these councils meet regularly. What is different is that the city councilors
are part-time officials, they meet several times a month, average citizens
are permitted to attend the meetings to express opinions, and the mayor
of the city is a member of the city council. Medium-size cities generally
have about 10 councilors.
2) Elections
While we were in Canada, Ontario held elections for provincial representatives.
Unlike Japan, there were no billboards advertising the different candidates,
and there were no noisy campaign cars driving around urging people to vote
for their candidate. It was a very quiet election atmosphere, although
after the balloting was completed, it was the same as Japan as TV stations
broadcast up-to-the-minute ballot counting results.
The most significant difference between Japan and Canada was the fact that their elections are held on weekdays. When I told people that we hold our elections on Sundays in Japan, they were very surprised. In Canada, weekdays are for participation in things pertaining to "society," including elections, while the weekend is time for doing things with one's family. I guess in Japan, weekdays are for "the company," and voting in elections is part of one's free time.
Also, balloting is done by hand, with people marking their ballots with an "X" for the people they are voting for. I heard that in one city, they use OCR paper for the ballot sheets, and tabulate the election results electronically.
3) Living conditions in Canada
On the whole, homes in Canada are larger (the building and the yard)
than in Japan, and detached houses are the norm, but I did see a number
of condominiums in Toronto and Mississauga. One interesting thing is that
some homes are something in between a truly detached house and a condominium
(called "townhouses"), where a number of homes are connected
by a very long roof. Each home has two or three floors, including a basement,
with a yard. Even this type of home is larger than what we have in Japan,
and every home has a barbecue set in the backyard for cookouts when guests
come.
All the detached houses and townhouses I saw, without exception, had basements where they had their water heaters and central heating system. I wonder if these are in the basement because it is easier this way to make it through the severe Canadian winters? Also, I was very surprised to see that every home has at least two or three baths and toilets.
One thing that is very different than in Japan is that Canadian homes do not have walls or hedgerows surrounding them. This does make driving safer since there are no blind corners to contend with, but I wonder how it affects the burglary rate. Also, I had imagined that people always walked around inside with their shoes on, but quite a few homes have the custom of taking off their shoes at the door and walking around the house in slippers.
4) Life-style
It is said that we Japanese work a lot, but so do Canadians. Many start
work around 7:00 in the morning, and if they do not have to work overtime,
work until about 4:00 in the afternoon. They have moved their holidays
to Mondays, so they have many 3-day holidays, which they call "Happy
Mondays." Also, I was very envious of the fact that almost everyone
takes a long summer vacation, something almost no Japanese man is able
to do.
Since they have daylight savings time in the summer, and the latitude is
high, it is still light at 9:00 pm. It is even possible to play a round
of golf after work! (And the cost for a round of gold is a mere $20.00
to $30.00)
In Canada, work time is for working, and recreation time is for recreation.
The two are clearly delineated, and it appears that Canadians have as their
creed the idea that family is number one and life is to be lived to the
full.
Maybe it is because we Japanese are growing more accustomed to eating Western-style
cooking, but in any case, I had absolutely no aversion to eating what was
placed before me. I ate a double portion of almost everything, even though
the amount of food served was much greater than in Japan. I imagine that
this was one point of difficulty for the Canadian team that visited Japan!
There isn't anything that one could actually call "Canadian cooking,"
but everything they served (meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, etc.) was always
very fresh, with no overpowering flavoring added. Honestly speaking, everything
was delicious, and I never longed for Japanese cooking even once while
I was in Canada. I am no expert on culinary matters, but to me it seemed
like Canadian cooking was kind of a blend of French, British and American
(if there is such a thing) cooking French delicateness, British simplicity
and American heartiness with each family having its own traditional, distinct
flavor.
I was kindly treated to a fine Japanese meal while I was in Canada too,
and it was quite authentic. Unexpectedly, people said that Japanese cooking
is healthy, and it is quite popular there, with people nonchalantly eating
sushi and sashimi. Also, many people are quite good at using chopsticks.
6) Sports
They are crazy about ice hockey. Canada's national hero, Wayne Gretzky,
who is now retired from hockey, came from this part of Canada, and children
learn to play hockey from a very young age. I saw ice hockey rinks all
over the place. While we were in Canada, the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs were
being played, and this year the Toronto Maple Leafs made it to the final
four. During that time, matches were being played every other day, and
adults and children alike were glued to their TV sets.
Also, Toronto has a Major League baseball club, the Toronto Bluejays, and the people of this region are proud of the fact that their team was the world champion for two years straight in the 1990's. The Toronto SkyDome, which at the time of its completion was the world's only dome with a roof that could be opened and closed, is located here. Unlike here in Japan, where we have fans cheering their teams on noisily with bells, drums and trumpets, one is able to enjoy a baseball game in Canada in peace and quiet. Cheering there is characteristically done by letting the fans know when to shout by playing certain music, and then everyone in the stadium screams "Charge!"
In Waterloo, I learned from a local newspaper that Japanese swimmer Suzu Chiba, who had not done well since the Atlanta Olympics, was training there in Ontario trying to make a comeback. Later, I saw that she swam to two consecutive Japanese records at a subsequent competition. I don't know if she will be able to continue her success or not, but every time I see her now, I think of my time in Canada.
7) Traffic conditions
Automobiles are the main mode of transportation in Canada, and Canada
has an excellent highway system. People drive on the right side of the
road there, and even when the light is red, it is possible to turn right
after coming to a stop and checking to make sure there are no cars coming.
In order to increase one's visibility, most drivers turn on their headlights,
even during the daylight hours.
As a rule, highways are toll-free, and on toll roads, the driver's license
plate is photographed at the entrance. Later, a bill comes by mail. I was
surprised to learn that this system, which Japan is just now finally starting
to research, is already fully functional in Canada.
Toyota has a factory in Cambridge, and I saw many Japanese cars while I was in Canada. In recent years, however, it appears that America's Big-3 automakers have been putting out good compact cars too.
Compared to Japan, and particularly to Osaka, drivers in Canada are very well-mannered and considerate, with virtually no cutting in or illegal parking. Also, people always come to a stop at stop signs. The speed limits are generally high, but pedestrians are always given the right of way on city streets, and I had a very good feeling about Canada's drivers.
License plates contain both numbers and letters, and drivers are able to personalize their license plates; for example, by having their sweetheart's name registered as their official license number.
Gasoline is quite inexpensive, selling for about 60 Canadian cents (about 50 yen) per liter, and there are almost no diesel passenger cars. They say that it snows quite a lot in Ontario during the winter, and I thought for sure I would see many 4-wheel drive vehicles on the road, but that wasn't the case. Does everyone have the skill to drive in that much snow with just a 2-wheel drive car? I'd like to visit Canada in the winter someday to find that answer to this question.
8) Law and order
Canada is a very safe place. Even when walking alone at night, I didn't
feel like I was in danger or have any uncomfortable feeling at all. And
it isn't because there are a large number of police officers patrolling
the streets. Rather, it seems to be that the young and the old are so gentle
and kind. I don't know if the police trust the citizens the same way I
do or not, but for some reason, I only saw a few police officers during
my entire month in Canada.
I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but I left my diary, in which I had been keeping a record of my entire trip, at a restaurant near Niagara Falls one day. I had more or less given up any hope of getting it back and was despairing over its loss, but thanks to the kindness of many different people, it was returned to me! As a result of this experience, my trust in, and gratitude toward, the Canadian people grew even deeper.
9) Information and communications
In Ontario, the manufacturing of computers and software is a major
business, and personal computers have come to be a part of the average
family's life with most homes having one. Most people also have e-mail,
and the Canadians were perfectly able to accommodate us regarding the computer-based
visual presentation we had prepared.
One time, while talking with a retired person about baseball, I said, "We have a team called the Hanshin Tigers where I live. They are often in last place, but this year they are playing well and are in second place. I haven't heard anything about them since I came to Japan, though ". He immediately said, "We should be able to check it out on the Internet, right?" This was one episode which showed that even the older people in Canada are right at home with computers and the international communications network.
Just as an aside, I didn't see even one teenager walking along the street talking on a cellular phone! (In Japan, it seems that almost everyone in high school and university has their own mobile phone, and you can see them talking on their phones everywhere.)
10) Teamwork
In order to accomplish all we did during our 1-month long GSE program,
teamwork among our GSE team was absolutely essential. Fortunately for us,
our team leader, Mr. Katoh, developed a strong sense of solidarity among
us and strove to help us work together so that we could learn many things
from this program.
The GSE program makes a strong impact on those who experience it. During the program, we saw both the good sides and the bad sides of everyone else, which is, in itself, an invaluable asset to each of us. After returning to Japan, I remember feeling a sense of emptiness when I realized that I no longer had to confirm with all the other team members what we would be doing the next day, when and where to meet, what to wear, and what our schedule would be.
Completing the program
Leaving Canada and leaving my host families, all those kind people, and the beautiful and easy-to-live-in cities was, for me, very unbearable. Everything was so wide open, so big, so gentle and comforting. I don't think I was the only one who was wishing that they could be allowed to stay there forever. Everything seemed like a dream. But after returning to Japan, I have received much mail from my new friends, and I know it wasn't just a dream! I can say that I really did leave my footprints in Canada. I believe that the pride I have in that accomplishment will prove to be a source of strength to me as I move on in life.
The GSE program is not just about learning about a different country's culture, history and society. Rather, it also provides an opportunity for us to discover anew our own country's culture, history and society. Also, it is a fabulous program that is contributing to international understanding and peace.
Lastly, I want to take this final opportunity to again express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this precious experience possible for me.
