Our last meeting with with JICA: Japanese International Cooperation Agency. JICA is a governmental funded agency which is responsible for the technical cooperation of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs.
They are an agency that gives technical cooperation, gives O.D.A. loans (concessionary loans), grand aid, have cooperation through citizen participation (volunteers) and help in disaster relief.
Technical cooperation: In countries that are developing and have a need for human resources development and help with the formulation of administrative systems, JICA can dispatch experts, provisions of necessary equipment and training of personnel. Cooperation plans are tailored to the needs that are addressed.
ODA Loans: These loans help support developing countries that are above a certain income level by providing low-interest, long term and concessional funds (in Japanese Yen) to help finance their development efforts.Most of these loans are used to help create large scale infrastructure like railways and bridges.
Grant Aid: These funds are dispersed to developing countries which have low income levels without the obligation of repayment. These funds are mostly used to help build hospitals, schools, water supply facilities and much needed roads.
Disaster Relief: During a disaster occurrence, JICA dispatches Japan Disaster Relief teams in response to requests from government affect by these situations. JICA has teams of doctors on stand by 24 hours a day and medical and recovery equipment always packed and ready to go at Narita International airport.
Cooperation through citizen Participation: These are ordinary citizen with some expertise in certain field that volunteer their time to JICA. Sometimes they are dispatches overseas to certain areas that JICA needs them to be to help out with certain projects.
JICA is also about education. They get involved with trying to boost the level of education to children around the world. Their activities include teacher trainings and development of training systems, establishing school management and eduction governance, strengthening core vocational training institutions of each country by improving the curricula, creation of research exchange network between universities and expansion of core universities of each country/region by providing teacher training, materials, and equipment. This agency does allot of great things for those people and countries that are in need or need help.
After our visit to JICA, we were practically finish with the program and had a free half day. So a group of us jumped on the train and headed over to Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum (House of Ramen). That's right, the people that brought you Ramen noodles has a museum and eatery in Japan.
The first floor was a gift shop and had a the history of the company on displayed on the walls.
To get to try the noodles, we ended up walking down four flights of stairs. Each turn had some weird cut-out that you could take pictures with.
At the bottom, there was a very large room that was to make you feel like you were back in the 1950s Japan in the center of town. The atmosphere was very interesting and really relaxing. I enjoying having my noodles in that setting.
After the House of Ramen, we headed back to the Yokohama Station and jumped on a Bullet Train and headed for Mount Fuji. We figured, "Since we're here, why not."
As we got closer and closer to Mount Fuji, it got cloudier and cloudier. This is a shot of Mt. Fuji from the station before get got there. You can barely see it.
I'm glad that I took that picture because when we arrived at the station that was closest to Mt. Fuji, this is what we were able to see. Believe it or not, Mt. Fuji is there in the mist.
After trying to see Mt. Fuji, we headed back to the hotel. For one last hurrah, we found a rooftop patio.
And with good friends on a great educational trip, we toasted one last one for Japan.
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