A Volunteer Misadventure in Japan
by Mike Kelly
March 2000
"I still feel bad about the trip .... but it certainly was an adventure."
I 'd like to tell you about my trip to Japan!
It all started back in the spring of 1999, when I had just finished college and decided to go visit someplace new and exciting. But I didn't want to go anywhere boring or usual and I didn't want to pay a lot.
So I decided on a volunteer trip. After many hours on the 'Net I finally found an organization that I thought was trustworthy. (Council on Educational Exchange, www.ciee.org). After choosing the trip that I thought would be interesting I got ready for my awaiting adventure. The project was located in Akabane-cho (Akabane Town) Japan, which is south of Tokyo on the Pacific Ocean side. The project was an environmental one, dealing with the Loggerhead sea turtles that were having trouble laying their eggs on the beach due to all the trash.
After a very long flight and train ride I was picked up by two men and taken back the house where the volunteers were living. I was greeted by 15 locals who all seemed very nice. I also met the rest of the volunteers ( I was the only male): one each from England, France, Germany, Turkey and North Korea. A good mix of cultures. So after the usual schmoozing by the locals who wanted to show their gratitude, we settled down to the nitty gritty of what were to do there.
Turns out it wasn't really all that it was supposed to be. We were expected to pick up trash off the beach for six hours a day even thought there was no mention of this in the project description. (The brochure had said something about picking up turtles eggs and moving them, which we never did, and other miscellaneous stuff, but it hadn't said anything about trash).
Not wanting to offend, we decided to comply, but it was rather hard work since there was so much trash. The locals insisted that trash cans would not work if placed on the beach! Eventually I and a couple of other volunteers (mostly westerners) got sick of this tedious and pointless chore. But still we continued--even after I found broken glass and rusty nails on the beach. Again, there was no mention of this in the brochure.
I finally stopped when I found a syringe.
The British, Turkish and French girls and I were infuriated when the locals insisted that we continue to pick up the trash. After many attempts to reason with these people, negotiations broke down. The British and Turkish girls and I decided to pack up and hitchhike out of there. I may be paranoid but I didn't feel safe there anymore. There was too much tension to be comfortable.
So in the middle of the night we three having no idea where to go, grabbed our gear and started walking. Luckily we found a nice man who drove us to the nearest town, then we met another very nice couple who drove us to the nearest city and arranged for us to stay in a hotel for cheap. I didn't feel well for almost the whole trip, but after we left I felt a little better.
The next day I arranged for a flight back to the States that very afternoon. I still feel bad about the trip--It was supposed to be special but it certainly was an adventure. I still keep in contact with the girl from Britain, whom I may see again.
I recommend to anyone who is planning such a trip that they thoroughly look into the organization they are going with and hope all goes well. The organization I went through is a very large one and they even refunded my money. But they weren't really much help at all. I am still very eager to travel though, as I am preparing for my car drive this summer across the U.S. to San Francisco, where I plan to live. I am very excited and look forward to my many other trips in the future!