akitahaiku: 11月 2025

Haiku Travelogue

“80 years after World War II” (2)

by Hidenori Hiruta

A Narrow Road to Peace

Non-governmental UNESCO Associations

焼野原平和を祈る民の声

yake-nohara heiwa o sakebu tami no koe

The burnt fields

crying for peace

all over Sendai

The Birthplace of the non-governmental UNESCO Movement

UNESCO Constitution

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.”

My Views on the Contemporary Periods

Hideo Kanamori, Advisor, Akita UNESCO Association

I was a university student in the late 1940s, but the world’s first non-governmental UNESCO movement was already taking place in Sendai. At the time, Japan, as a defeated nation, was not yet permitted to join the United Nations, and was not even allowed to officially join UNESCO as a country.

At the time, Japan was finally recovering from the economic exhaustion of the postwar period and was working tirelessly towards building a new democratic nation. Meanwhile, alongside the labor movement, the student movement, which was a vanguard of the times, was experiencing extremely intense currents, centered around the left-leaning student council. In Sendai, the birthplace of the non-governmental UNESCO movement, the Sendai UNESCO Student Association was established by students from four universities in the city, led by Tohoku University.

I entered Tohoku University in 1951 and joined the Association that summer. However, the energetic seniors who had been instrumental in the Association’s founding days had already left, and the large group that originally numbered several hundred had dwindled to around 50. However, there were a dozen or so enthusiastic regulars who would gather and engage in discussions into the night. I still get excited thinking about it.

Half a century has passed since then. Despite the hopes of our ancestors, the 20^th century has been called the century of war, and even in the 21^st century, regional conflicts have not ceased, and terrorism and nuclear threats continue to cause anxiety around the world. I sincerely believe that now is the time to realize the “culture of peace” that UNESCO aspires to.

Akita UNESCO Association

The people of Akita Prefecture also agreed with the aims of the world's first non-governmental UNESCO campaign, which began in Sendai in 1947, and the Akita UNESCO Association was established in Akita in 1948.

Since then, the association has aimed to achieve coexistence among people beyond national boundaries through local activities and international networks as well as coexistence with nature.

Hidenori’s UNESCO Activities

1982

Language Assistant at English Conversation Class

Conversation Skills

The Akita UNESCO Association's English conversation class was started in 1977. They have aimed to improve conversational skills in English, the world's common language, in order to promote smooth coexistence among people from many countries.

Hidenori Hiruta helped the members learn English conversation skills as a language assistant.

Cross-cultural Understanding

For people from different cultures and countries to live together peacefully, it is essential to understand and respect each other's cultures, customs, and values. Understanding each other's religions is also important.

Members had the opportunity to listen to a prominent Christian speak about coexistence. They demonstrated the results of their daily English conversation studies through active question and answer sessions, deepening their understanding of Christian culture and values.

1993 – 1995

Member of the Research Committee

Preface

Akita UNESCO Association

Chairperson 　Kanamori Hideo

Fifty years ago, with the end of the war, a non-governmental UNESCO campaign began with the philosophy, "The defences of peace must be constructed in the minds of men!"

In the half century since then, Japan's economic development has been remarkable, and its position in the international community has improved significantly. At the same time, however, Japan's responsibility and role to contribute to the world has also increased.

In the past, it was rare to come into contact with foreigners in rural areas, but now the number of foreign residents in Japan exceeds 1% of the total population. This is truly the arrival of an age of citizen-participation internationalization, and it is time to seriously consider the coexistence of humankind throughout the community.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Education, we were given the opportunity to conduct a survey and research into activities for international understanding. It has become commonplace for foreigners to live in various parts of Akita, and new challenges have arisen as to how we can live in harmony with these newcomers. Therefore, our association decided to use this opportunity to investigate the current state of exchange and consider solutions to what is hindering smooth exchange between foreigners and Japanese people. With this in mind, we chose the theme "Proposals for an Age of Globalization - Know-how for Promoting International Exchange."

The compilation of this survey owes a great deal to the enthusiasm of members, including Research Committee Chairperson Akira Kitagawa, and especially to the efforts of Mr. Hidenori Hiruta. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to all those involved in various fields who provided us with valuable materials and information.

Publication date: March 31, 1995

2005 – 2008

Teaching at UNESCO School

En Akoh was a Chinese international student. He studied Japanese language and culture at Meioh High School.

After school, he joined the table tennis club. One of his hobbies was to cook dumplings.

Hiruta Hidenori advised En Akoh to enter a Japanese speech contest.

The theme was "What I am proud of about my country." He gave a speech about the greatness and deliciousness of Chinese dumplings.

With the help of JAPAN-CHINA FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION of Akita Prefecture, En Akoh learned Japanese and prepared for the Japanese speech contest.

In late January 2008, a group from the 2007-08 ACCU International Educational Exchange Project's "Korean Teachers Invitation Program"　visited Akita Prefecture. Organized by the Akita Prefectural Board of Education, they visited Meioh High School, a UNESCO Associated School, and deepened their exchanges through class observations and other activities. They also had the opportunity to visit the homes of Meioh High School teachers and staff, experiencing Japanese family life.

Note: Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)

Hiruta Hidenori welcomed the leaders of the visiting group, Mr. San-etsu Lee (Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO) and Mr. Seoung-Su Hong (high school English teacher), to his home. He showed them around Akita City and took them to the Akita UNESCO Association's "Miswritten Postcard Collection Campaign," deepening their relationship.