My introduction to the Rotary G.S.E. Program came about purely by chance when my father was discussing my brother’s planned holiday to Japan with a family friend who is a member of Gateshead Rotary Club. The discussion prompted him to mention the Group Study Exchange, which this year would be with Japan, and would I be interested in applying.

The weekend following the team selection we were invited to attend the District Conference in Harrogate where we were to be introduced not only to each other, but also to the incoming team from Osaka. Helen Illingworth and I took the opportunity to travel down to Harrogate by car together and then took further steps towards “team bonding” when we were told that, due to an administration error, there was only one room free and would we be OK to share. Following the conference session we had lunch with the team from Osaka, and also spent the afternoon with them which was a great opportunity to discuss their experiences so far and to ask them about the region we would be visiting the following May.

Over the next 5 months the team met regularly to discuss presentation content, to paint costumes and also to discuss travel arrangements, insurance etc. We also spent an excellent and informative evening with Jim Suthering, the previous team leader to Japan 10 years ago, whose stories and recollections gave a much-needed injection of enthusiasm to the whole team.

In January we joined evening classes at Tynemouth College “Beginners Japanese” which helped us to master the day to day common courtesies such as “How do you do”,

“ My name is…” and “It’s very nice to meet you”. Later in the year, Marilyn Potts also arranged four weekend Japanese classes for us. These classes were particularly useful as they were structured not only to teach us about Japanese Language, but also to give us an insight into Japanese history and culture.

The final hurdle we had to overcome was finding a team uniform. The easy part was agreeing that we did not want to wear scarves, the difficult part was finding a suit that would fit Emma (who is 5ft10), Helen and myself (a mere 5ft1)!

Suddenly, and what seemed like all too soon, there we were at Newcastle International Airport embarking on a 14 hour journey to the other side of the world, our journey was about to start! Ian Walker, Jim Suthering and Terry Robson came to see us off and after checking in our very heavy luggage and posing for a few team photographs we were on our way!

We were given a warm welcome at Kansei International Airport by members of the GSE Committee including the Chairman, Shigeo Matsuoka, who would also be my first week host - and 2 members from the Japanese Exchange Team. The drive to the hotel by mini bus took about 50 minutes where a short lunch had been organised to brief us on the programme in general. Our first 2 days were spent at the Hotel New Otani which gave us time to get over our jet lag and explore a little of Osaka.

During our stay in Osaka, we were each hosted by 4 families. This was a relief to discover, as the Japanese team had been hosted by 8 families in England and found that not only did they not have sufficient time to get to know their hosts but they also spent a lot of their time packing and unpacking! Each Saturday we spent a night back at the Hotel New Otani, this proved an excellent chance to relax and to discuss our various experiences during the week.

My host families were extremely kind and open and welcomed me into their families with open arms. I have made some wonderful friendships in Japan, and, aside from keeping in touch via letters and e-mail hope to visit them again in the future or indeed welcome them into my home and family should they have the opportunity to visit North East England.

Prior to my visit I had worried about Japanese food, expecting to eat nothing but raw fish for a month! In fact the Japanese diet is much more varied and we were able to enjoy many types of fish (both raw and cooked), meat dishes, noodles, vegetables etc. In the main I enjoyed the food, and thanks to my hosts was able to return to England with many recipes and “essential” ingredients.

We were provided with a very full and excellently organised program and I was very impressed by the fact that the host families had also been briefed very well on the daily schedules and meeting points. We were accompanied to the meeting points at the start of the day, and at the end of the day our hosts would be waiting for us.

The city of Osaka is predominantly an industrial city where much of Japan’s Exportation and Importation is carried out. Built up from a port, the city is now extending the land out into the sea by creating man made islands. Two of the main islands to mention are the Kansai International Airport, currently 1 main runway, but development of a 2^nd runway is planned, and the Maishima Sports Island, where much construction (stadiums, hotels etc.) is underway to help in Osaka’s bid to host the Olympics in 2008.

As I imagined before my visit, there are many modern skyscraper offices and hotels that dominate the skyline. The underground and trains are extremely busy, particularly in rush hour, although this does not seem to reduce the volume of traffic on the streets above. Cars and bicycles in their hundreds speed along the four lane roads and incredibly narrow side streets lined with tiny shops and dozens of illuminated street signs. The bicycles also speed along the pathways forcing the pedestrians to move out of the way, quickly! The cars are parked anywhere and everywhere where parking is not permitted and many traffic wardens can be seen writing out tickets. One interpreter commented that Osaka people are famous in Japan for breaking rules - parking, speeding etc. We replied that we had noticed this on our first day when we went for a walk in the grounds of Osaka castle and saw people fishing about 1 metre from a “no fishing” sign!

In contrast to the city though the countryside is extremely peaceful with mountains covered in greenery (not like the rugged rocky landscape in England) and temples with fabulous gardens and ponds where you could sit all day absorbing the pure silence. This said, I was surprised to find that some of the temples we visited are located in the centre of the city, such as the Temmangu Shrine. I remember wondering why my host and I were walking through the main shopping centre when my programme had shown that we were due to visit a temple. As we turned off into a side street I was surprised to see the gates to the Shrine only 50 metres ahead of us, yet once in the grounds we seemed totally cut off from the noise and hustle bustle of the city.

My favourite temple was undoubtedly the SANJUSANGENDO also known as the Hall of 33 bays, which is the longest wooden structure in the world at 118m and contains a staggering 1001 statues of Kannon (Buddhist Deity). It was completed in 1164, but it burnt down 85 years later and both the hall and the statues had to be reconstructed. In fact, many of the temples we visited had been rebuilt at some time, as most are made of wood and hence very susceptible to fire.

We also visited many electronic manufacturers such as Sharp, Panasonic and Sanyo, both manufacturing sites and research and development laboratories. On one of my vocational days I was given an excellent tour of the Memorial and Technology Hall at Sharp where I discovered that the name was taken from their first invention (the “Eversharp” pencil, retractable pencil). We then went on to view their LCD (liquid Crystal Display) manufacturing lines where cleanliness is of the utmost importance and conditions pretty difficult, staff are covered in a dust proof suits from head to foot and work 12 hour shifts at a constant temperature of 24 degrees. The facilities for their spare time however, are very impressive including accommodation for them and their family, a golf driving range, several restaurants, karaoke bars and a barbers.

Tea ceremonies formed a regular part of the agenda, and by the end of our 4 weeks stay the team had become quite familiar with the “art” of tea drinking - although we were still unable to kneel for more than 10 minutes without getting cramp, pins and needles or losing all feeling in our feet!!

There are of course many other experiences that I will never forget. A trip to Awaji Island crossing the world’s longest suspension bridge, the Akashi-Kaikyo Ohashi; the views from the observatory at the Osaka World Trade Centre; the famous Whale-Shark at the Kaiyukan Aquarium; drinking tea at the home of a tea professor; riding on a “stand-up” roller coaster; travelling on the Shinkansen or “bullet train”. The list could go on and on.

Of course, visiting Japan as a GSE member opened doors for us and allowed us to experience things that most tourists could not. Visiting the Mayor at the Osaka City Hall and having a tour of the City Counsel Assembly Halls; a private performance of traditional Japanese dance; a personal tour of the Biwako Opera House including a visit to the rehearsal room where rehearsals were actually taking place; Meeting the director of the Osaka University Hospital and having a tour of some of the facilities, including standing on the helicopter pad on the roof of the hospital; climbing to the top of a 5 tier pagoda at the Shitenno-ji Temple. Again the list goes on.

One trip that cannot go unmentioned was our trip to Hiroshima. The museum’s purpose is a positive one. It does not lay blame, but instead is designed as a memorial and a constant reminder to everyone of the horror and destruction caused by nuclear weapons. To this day, every time a nuclear weapon is trialled, the Mayor of Hiroshima sends a letter to the Mayor of the city carrying out the trial, to remind them of the horror that occurred at 8.15am on the 5^th August 1945. Only one building, the A-Dome - remains standing. It has been left untouched, and even the rubble and debris remain inside and around its ruined walls.

The positive note from Hiroshima was the overwhelming sense of peace for the future. Some school students visiting the museum invited us to exchange peace messages with them. They handed us a piece of card, which had their own message on the top half, and we in turn wrote our message on the bottom half. The card was then cut in half and we each kept the other’s message.

We made 11 team presentations during our stay, 9 of which were to Rotary Clubs and all of which were well received. In contrast to England, the Rotary clubs in Japan generally have a larger membership (between about 60 and 350 Rotarians per club). The meetings are opened with the “Rotary Song” and the Japanese National Anthem, and whilst we were visiting, the British National Anthem was also played. Again we experienced great hospitality from the clubs, and members were genuinely interested in our region. I myself was invited to 3 additional evening Rotary Club meetings, where I was invited to make short informal speeches about my experiences and impressions of Japan.

Our penultimate day was spent on an Osaka Bay Cruise with many of our hosts, followed by a farewell party at Nishinomiya Marina entitled “GOOD-BYE and WELCOME BACK!”. I had many mixed emotions for despite looking forward to going home and seeing my family, I did not want to leave behind the wonderful friends I had made during our stay.

The GSE Programme is a wonderful and very worthwhile programme for any young professional to take part in and I would whole-heartedly recommend it to others. Through living with host families you are given a rare opportunity to experience the real culture and lifestyle of your host country as opposed to visiting as a tourist. It is an opportunity to open your mind to new ways of thinking and to meet new people and learn from them.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the organisation of the exchange, without whom the trip would not have been such a great success. In particular I would like to mention: -

• Ian Walker (District 1030 Co-ordinator)
• The Rotary Club of Gateshead for their sponsorship and support
• Sid Atkinson (Gateshead RC) for the initial suggestion and continuing support
• Marilyn Potts for the Japanese Classes
• MKL for allowing me a month away from the office
• All of my host families in Osaka for their hospitality
• Shigeo Matsuoka (District 2660 Co-ordinator) and the District 2660 G.S.E. Committee for an excellent programme
• Last but not least, I would like to thank my fellow team members, Emma, Helen, Andrew and Howard for their friendship and support throughout the trip.

The G.S.E. Programme is already an excellent programme, I hope these suggestions can help make it even better: -

• From discussions with past G.S.E. team members I think a minimum stay of 1 week with host families should be set as standard to allow sufficient time to “get to know” your families.
• Having been so well hosted by the Japanese GSE team, I think the outgoing team should have more involvement in the programme for the incoming team – even if only for an informal night out or to take them souvenir shopping etc.
• Our team benefited from a meeting with the GSE Committee half way through our stay to discuss the programme for the final week. Input from the team was welcomed and amendments were made where necessary.
• Where the vocation of any member is not clearly understood by the hosting district, more information should be requested in order to ensure relevant vocational visits are arranged.
• It would be useful to have a central store of slides on District 1030, which could be used for future G.S.E. presentations.
• It would be helpful to find a manufacturer who could supply uniforms - trousers and/or skirts and jackets - as finding a uniform for a mixed team proved quite a difficult task.
• I think more publicity is required for the programme itself to allow more people to find out about the programme and take part. Could circulars be sent to firms in the district to help encourage companies to put candidates forward?