GLFP 9期生 Field Tripを実施しました（水俣・熊本）/ GLFP 9th Cohort visited Minamata and Kumamoto.
2023.03.22
2023年2月7日～10日の3泊4日でGLFP Field Tripを実施し、９期生17名および教職員で熊本県水俣市と熊本市を訪れました。今回のField Tripは「環境、人権、経済」と「多文化共生」をテーマに、水俣市では水俣病の背景を通じ環境・人権・経済の在り方を考え、熊本市では熊本市の多文化共生政策を通じ、多文化共生の意味とその中で自分には何が出来るのかを考える機会を持つことを目的として実施しました。
For four days and three nights from February 7th through the 10th, 2023, on GLFP field trip, 17 of GLFP 9th Cohort, faculty and staff visited Minamata City and Kumamoto City in Kumamoto Prefecture.
The purpose of this field trip was to provide the students with valuable opportunities to focus on the themes of “Environment, Human rights, and Economy”, and “Multiculturalism”, respectively, in each city. In Minamata City, they examined a sustainable relationship between the environment, human rights, and economy by learning about the background of Minamata disease; in Kumamoto City, they deepened their understanding of multiculturalism to consider what they can do in line with the policy guidelines, leading to the realization of a multicultural society of Kumamoto City.
1日目は飛行機で羽田空港から熊本を目指し出発しましたが、あいにくの天候不良により熊本空港に着陸できずそのまま羽田空港へ引き返すという出だしから想定外のハプニング…。
しかし、9期生はそのようなハプニングも冷静に受け止め皆で励まし合いながら熊本入りを目指します。夕方の振替便にて無事熊本空港に到着し、宿泊先の水俣市に到着したのは夜9時を過ぎた頃。残念ながら当初予定していた1日目のスケジュールは全てキャンセルとなり、予想外の長旅に少し疲れも見えましたが、水俣市への移動中の車内では元気な笑顔を見せてくれました。
Although we departed from Haneda Airport for Kumamoto by airplane as planned on the first day, unfortunately, due to unfavorable weather conditions, we were unable to land at Kumamoto Airport, and forced to return to Haneda Airport that was totally unpredictable. In the meantime, the students calmly accepted such a terrible situation by encouraging each other to reach out to the destination. That brought rays of hope to us. Finally, we were able to land safely at Kumamoto Airport via an alternative evening flight of the airline, arriving at the hotel in Minamata City past 9:00 p.m. To our disappointment, the scheduled activities for the first day had to be cancelled. After the unexpectedly long trip, the students looked a little tired. However, despite the unfortunate incident, they showed their cheerful smiles on the bus travelling to Minamata City.
2日目以降は予定通りのスケジュールで進めることができ、2日目の午前は環境保全を大切に考える水俣市で主に使用済み家電の回収と解体を行っている会社を訪問し、解体作業の説明を受けながら工場内を見学しました。次の訪問先、国立水俣病総合研究センターでは研究内容の紹介や海外の環境問題に対し行っている国際貢献に関する講義を受け、同センター内にある水俣病患者さんのためのリハビリ室を見学し、実際に使用されている運動機能支援型装置の体験やリハビリ内容についての説明を受けました。高台に位置する同センター周辺から望む水俣湾の景色は大変美しく、9期生もその眺めを写真におさめたり、十分に堪能した様子が見受けられました。午後はその美しい水俣湾を世の中に広めるための活動に取り組む地元の方から多くの動画や写真とともに現在水俣湾で見られる様々な海の生物についてお話を聞きました。水俣を訪れる前はその歴史的背景から、水俣湾にここまで多様な生物が生息しているとは想像していなかったと正直な感想を述べた9期生たちも、水俣の人々の長年にわたる努力や講師が語る今後の夢に深く感銘を受けた様子でした。夕方、水俣を後にし、熊本市までは九州新幹線で移動しました。
From the second day onward, as per the original schedule, on the morning of the second day, we visited a dismantling company that focuses on the collection and dismantling of used home appliances in Minamata City, which is working to create an environmentally friendly and sustainable community and toured the factory while receiving an explanation of the dismantling process.
At the next stop, the National Institute for Minamata Disease, we were introduced to the research content and received a lecture on the institute’s international contribution to addressing global environmental problems. The tour included a visit to the rehabilitation room for Minamata Disease patients at the institute, where we experienced the motor function-assisted device actually used and received explanations about how to rehabilitate.
The sweeping view of Minamata Bay from the institute's elevated location was so beautiful that the students seemed to enjoy it to the fullest, taking pictures, and so on. In the afternoon, we heard from local people who act as truth-tellers working to promote the splendor of the fertile Minamata Bay to the world, about the diverse sea creatures that can be seen in Minamata Bay today, along with the valuable materials including many videos and photos.
Although the students honestly commented, “We had never imagined that such a various range of organisms could inhabit Minamata Bay, given its tragic historical background before visiting Minamata.”, they were deeply impressed by Minamata residents' environmental restoration efforts over the years as well as the dreams or aspirations for the future of Minamata expressed by the lecturer. In the evening, we left Minamata and took the Kyushu Shinkansen to Kumamoto City.
3日目の午前は、4つのグループに分かれ地元ガイドによる案内のもと、熊本城を見学しました。2016年4月に発生した熊本地震の被害の爪痕が残る中、今後30年にわたり続く復旧工事の説明や熊本城の歴史について英語で説明を受けました。午後は熊本市国際交流会館にて熊本地震時から熊本に在住している4名の外国人住民（熊本大学の教員および熊本イスラミックセンターのメンバー）から、地震発生時に言語や文化の違いによって直面した様々な問題などの説明を受けた後、小グループに分かれ、4名を交え多文化共生についてのグループディスカッションを行いました。自分たちの国ではない日本で災害に見舞われたことや、緊急事態をどのように乗り越えたのかについて9期生は大変興味を持った様子で、様々な質問や意見が飛び交う非常に活気のあるディスカッションとなりました。
On the morning of the third day, the students were divided into four groups, and visited Kumamoto Castle under the guidance of local guides. Amidst the still-unhealed scars from the damage to Kumamoto Castle caused by the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016, we were briefed in English on the restoration work requiring over the next 30 years and the history of the iconic Kumamoto Castle.
In the afternoon, at the Kumamoto City International Center, four foreign residents (Kumamoto University faculty members and Kumamoto Islamic Center members), who have been living in Kumamoto since the earthquake explained the various problems and difficulties, they faced due to linguistic and cultural differences at the time of the earthquake, followed by the discussion in each small group about multiculturalism with the four foreign residents.
The students appeared to be very interested in the actual experiences with disasters in Japan, a country not their own for the foreign residents, and how they overcame emergency situations, leading to a very lively discussion with a variety of questions and opinions.
最終日となる4日目は午前中に阿蘇地方を訪れ、午後には帰京の途につきました。
On the fourth and final day, we made a half-day excursion to the Aso region in the morning and returned to Tokyo in the afternoon.
4日間を通じ、普段キャンパス内や本、インターネットの情報だけでは見聞きできない現地に行ってこその経験ができ、多くの人々との出会いに恵まれる良い機会となりました。
コロナ禍以降、およそ3年ぶりのField Trip実施となりましたが、行く先々で大変温かく迎えていただき、思い出に残るとても良いField Tripになりました。
The four days brought about a great opportunity for the students to have hands-on and first-hand experiences that cannot usually be seen or heard on campus, in books, or on the Internet, and precious encounters with many people.
This field trip, the first in three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was very worthwhile and memorable, with a warm welcome at every destination.