MIRAI Program Personal Experiences
2023/12/8
This November, I had the unique opportunity to go to Japan and participate in the MIRAI program organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). As a young professional in the field of sustainability, I applied to the MIRAI Environment and Green program to learn more about Japan‘s approach to environmental challenges. The week-long program in Tokyo was filled with insightful visits, bringing together vibrant minds from all over Europe and Japanese counterparts at top institutions.
As a participant in the Environment and Green group, I gained valuable insights into Japan‘s journey toward carbon neutrality in 2050 whilst participating in the program. It was eye-opening to hear first hand about the efforts of the Japanese government and private sector to cut emissions in some of the most challenging arenas, such as heavy transport and aviation. Highlights of the program include our visit to a cutting-edge biofuel plant operated by Japanese company Euglena, which turns biomass such as algae and used cooking oil into commercial jet fuel. We also visited the New Energy and Industry Technology Development Organization of Japan where we learned about the government‘s hydrogen strategy, and our visit to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI) gave us a holistic overview of Japan‘s broader environmental policy, including on sustainable finance. We were deeply honoured to get the opportunity to engage with Mr. Shinichi Kihara, Director General for International Policy on Carbon Neutrality at METI, during our visit.
Beyond our technical visits and engagement with students at Waseda University on environmental challenges and solutions, we had the opportunity to experience Japanese culture through various cultural exchanges. Highlights include our visit to the vibrant district of Asakusa where we saw the iconic Asakusa temple and the tea ceremony we had with a traditional tea master in the garden of Tokyo National Museum in a teahouse that‘s over 280 years old. During the weekend, we ventured out of Tokyo to the roots of Mt. Fuji where we immersed ourselves in a captivating lecture on its deep cultural significance. Reflecting upon the week-long MIRAI program, it’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for this opportunity; for the knowledge and memories made and for the kindness and hospitality of our Japanese hosts at the institutions we visited. It was truly awe-inspiring to stay in Japan and experience the culture in person; the aesthetic and philosophical values, respect, cleanliness and discipline that are embedded in everyday life in Japan is definitely something I could get used to.
As a participant in the Environment and Green group, I gained valuable insights into Japan‘s journey toward carbon neutrality in 2050 whilst participating in the program. It was eye-opening to hear first hand about the efforts of the Japanese government and private sector to cut emissions in some of the most challenging arenas, such as heavy transport and aviation. Highlights of the program include our visit to a cutting-edge biofuel plant operated by Japanese company Euglena, which turns biomass such as algae and used cooking oil into commercial jet fuel. We also visited the New Energy and Industry Technology Development Organization of Japan where we learned about the government‘s hydrogen strategy, and our visit to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI) gave us a holistic overview of Japan‘s broader environmental policy, including on sustainable finance. We were deeply honoured to get the opportunity to engage with Mr. Shinichi Kihara, Director General for International Policy on Carbon Neutrality at METI, during our visit.
Beyond our technical visits and engagement with students at Waseda University on environmental challenges and solutions, we had the opportunity to experience Japanese culture through various cultural exchanges. Highlights include our visit to the vibrant district of Asakusa where we saw the iconic Asakusa temple and the tea ceremony we had with a traditional tea master in the garden of Tokyo National Museum in a teahouse that‘s over 280 years old. During the weekend, we ventured out of Tokyo to the roots of Mt. Fuji where we immersed ourselves in a captivating lecture on its deep cultural significance. Reflecting upon the week-long MIRAI program, it’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for this opportunity; for the knowledge and memories made and for the kindness and hospitality of our Japanese hosts at the institutions we visited. It was truly awe-inspiring to stay in Japan and experience the culture in person; the aesthetic and philosophical values, respect, cleanliness and discipline that are embedded in everyday life in Japan is definitely something I could get used to.