Thursday, March 9, 2000

New export to Japan - volunteerism

George Gongora/Caller-Times

Japanese visitors Harumi Yamamoto (left) and Anri Uchino are learning about volunteer programs in Corpus Christi.

BEING thy brother's keeper has for generations moved many Americans to sign up as volunteers, whether it be to create after-school mentorship programs or stock up food pantries. No matter what needs the volunteer work addresses, the reward is the same: seeing the community enriched.
   Today, that concept is of great interest in Japan, said Anri Uchino, 21, an English literature student at Japan's Kanagawa University.
   Aging population
   It is now underneath the microscope because of economics and demographics in Japan, including an aging population requiring a radical new approach in an era where young Japanese men and women are increasingly mobile and extended families are no longer the norm. Japan has the world's longest life expectancy, on average 85 for women and 80 for men.
   "We've been in a terrible recession and nonprofit organizations are something we're really interested in," said Uchino, who along with Harumi Yamamoto, 51, has been touring Corpus Christi's nonprofit agencies this week as part of their participation in the U.S.-Japan Volunteerism Internship Exchange Program. The two are representatives from Corpus Christi's sister city of Yokosuka, Japan.
   Search for ideas
   Yamamoto, a coordinator of the Yokosuka International Association, a city-funded foreign exchange program, said she is anxious to implement ideas gleaned from Corpus Christi.
   Yamamoto said many Japanese say they have no time to volunteer because many face one- or two-hour daily commutes. Some schools also still operate on a six-day week.
   "Another difference is, how is it that a volunteer can do the same job as a paid employee and not get paid?" she asked.
   But eventually these concepts will be commonplace in Japan, both women predicted.
   "Japan has recently infused enormous amounts of money into establishing volunteer centers there, and now they're waiting for the concept to catch on fire," said Drue J. Combs, a past Corpus Christi participant in the exchange program. "Anri and Harumi, therefore, are missionaries of sorts who will take what they learn from us about operating nonprofits back to Japan."
  
  
 

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