From the age of 6 to 12, I went to school in Houston, Texas in the United States. The custom of helping those in need is deeply rooted in American culture, and even elementary schools often donate food and clothes and participate in fundraising activities organized by NPOs and other such organizations. Through exposure to these activities, the idea of becoming someone who helps to achieve world peace began to take hold in my mind, and after returning to Japan that desire remained strong. My initial plan was to become a nurse so I could help others around me by making them healthier, so I decided to enroll at the Okayama University Medical School’s Faculty of Health Sciences and study nursing.
 I wanted to work overseas in the future as a citizen of Japan, so after enrolling at the university I began actively participating in events at the L-café which provides a really great space right on campus for people to expand their international acquaintanceships and exchanges. In my fourth year I applied to live in the International Student Shared House and lived there for half a year. While living with exchange-student roommates from France, Thailand and Myanmar, I experienced culture, customs, dietary habits and other facets of life that were totally different than what I, as a Japanese person, was used to. Although my time in the Shared House was short, I was able to learn, while still living right here in Japan, the importance of getting to know people and accepting them for who they are. At the same time, the act of letting others get to know me made me think about what my own Japanese identity really meant. I’m still searching for a definite answer to that question, but I do think that Japanese people’s focus on peace, and their ability to maintain good relationships with a diverse array of people from many different countries, are strong points.
 After graduating from Okayama University, I began working as a nurse in urology at the Okayama University Hospital, and about two years later I changed careers and joined the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, who sent me to New York to work as a representative. I felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get some real experience for the sake of my original dream of working overseas as a nurse, so I decided to take the job. I still work in that position, which gave me the chance I had been looking for to make use of my proficient English language skills while doing work that contributes to greater world peace.
 My position involves a wide range of different tasks, including organizing itineraries for Japanese government ministers visiting the United States and accompanying them during their visits, keeping minutes at meetings, translating, and making preparations and arrangements for press conferences. I’ve served at a lot of different conferences, meetings and events, but the one that really made an impression on me was the 2019 United Nations General Assembly because I was able to personally see and experience the activities of the UN, an organization that strives to protect peace and safety throughout international society. I also saw up-close the ways in which leaders from each country interacted and got along with each other. It was a unique experience that only this job could have offered me.
 In addition, working in New York has given me many opportunities to meet and connect with other Japanese company personnel posted here, artists who came from Japan to study their craft, chefs working at Michelin Guide–rated restaurants, and many other people from Japan, all of whom share one trait: a clear goal for their future. To achieve their goals, they keep moving forward and never fear failure, building up experience which crystallizes into an unshakable confidence inside of them. Seeing these kinds of people really inspires me— they didn’t come here with the vague idea of “doing something overseas,” and they have shown me how important it is to have specific goals and plans for what you want to do with your life. However, before any of that, the simple act of just taking the plunge and going abroad is vital. The wider world may seem like a big, faraway place, but in reality it’s right within your reach.

As of February 2021