During the JET study tour, I learned a great deal about my new home, Fukushima, and the great people that reside here. Together, with my fellow Fukushima ALT’s, we experienced everything from daily farm life to historic温泉hotels. From sake breweries to a famous Japanese castle. And even food processing warehouses and a power plants. But the most memorable elements of the tour involved the people of Fukushima.
Everywhere we went, I noticed traditional aspects of Japanese pride coupled with humility. But I also noticed a powerful resilience. During a tour of a food inspection facility, I discovered the great efforts the people of Fukushima went to in order to preserve the vitality of their home. To me, the levels of inspection seemed extraordinary compared to many of the experiences I am familiar with in my country. I learned that everyday consumer products are thoroughly examined so that even minute levels of contamination are discovered. Products fails if they are found to possess even 1/10th the level of radiation allowed by many larger or equally developed countries including, Australia, England, and America. I was personally shocked at their painstaking efforts. But at the same time, I felt comforted to know that measures were being taken to preserve the peace of mind and quality of life for people consuming Fukushima products. Prior to this tour, I hadn’t even considered that the food at the market would be anything less than safe. However, I now realize that the producers in Fukushima struggle to defend their reputation against the stigma of radiation contamination everyday. Their commitment to their homes and their perseverance in the face of adversity is truly admirable. I was also able to witness further endeavors to improve Fukushima’s fortune during an explanation of a certain company’s desire to expand efforts towards renewable energy.
After the calamity of 2011, many people believed it would be more advantageous to move away and distance themselves from Fukushima. In spite of this, others decided to stay and help revitalize the area. The Aizu Electric Company was founded after the great 2011 catastrophe and is composed of people from various backgrounds. The founding partners of the company led different lives before the earthquake and tsunami, but now share a common goal of providing clean and renewable energy for and from within Fukushima. In this way, they are able to keep profits inside the prefecture, as well as providing for the electricity needs of the people. The company representative informed us of the company’s goals going forward and their efforts to re-energize the prefecture from within by harnessing natural energy sources such as, biomass, hydrodynamics, and most prevalently, the sun. He told of their shared feelings for a brighter future after the disaster. Honestly, the presentation was a bit long winded and certain aspects seemed slightly redundant, but I really respect the courage of these people who assumed responsibility for the future of their long-established home. The sightseeing opportunities allowed us to experience the more traditional areas and components of Fukushima that help make it a desirable tourist destination.
The hot spring hotel and three tier sake brewery stand out as the most memorable and extravagant sightseeing involvements. The tour of the sake brewery taught me more than I ever would have learned otherwise about the creation of sake, it’s varying levels of purity, and the careful process by which the rice needs to be handled in order to maintain flavor. We even learned a bit of local history, although I struggle to recall the names or ranks for the VIP’s who patronized the establishment. The sake tasting was an enlightening exposure to the different types of sake available. The traditionally-styled hotel stood as a refreshing reminder of Japanese culture. Even though some of the surrounding areas had obviously been affected, the hotel remained pristine and made me feel like I was part of history for brief moments in time.
The Fukushima prefecture, as well as the people living in it, is steadily recovering. I sincerely hope that one day more the world recognizes the valiant efforts being made to safegaurd any and everyone against threats both real and imagined. 
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