USUI Honoka

College of Sustainability and Tourism

Program

Field Study

Key Information

Program Location/Partner University	Okinawa
Year of Participation	August, 2025
Program Length	Approx. 1 week

Program: (ST) People's Lives and Community Development in the Yanbaru Area in Northern Okinawa Main Island
Instructor: YOTSUMOTO Yukio

Reasons for Participating in the Program

I knew that APU offers field study courses, and I had long wanted to take part in one. I believed that there are unique insights and feelings that can only be gained by actually visiting a place, listening to people, and seeing things firsthand. I am interested in community development, so I joined the program hoping to deepen my learning by hearing from local residents and observing the local environment. During the trip, I was able to experience farm stays, learn about the current situation in the Yanbaru region, and interact with people in Higashi Village. It was an extremely valuable experience for me.

How the Program Helped You Grow

Okinawa is widely known as a tourist destination, and the Yanbaru area was registered as a World Natural Heritage site in 2021. While this brings certain benefits to the local people, I learned that not everyone fully agrees with it. Some young residents also feel a sense of discomfort as the towns they grew up in begin to change. These are things that cannot be fully understood through imagination alone. By visiting the area and listening to the voices of the people living there, I was able to learn about new perspectives and understand the current situation more deeply. I realized the importance of looking beyond the surface and exploring the underlying issues as well. Moving forward, I want to keep this in mind—imagining what lies beneath the surface and identifying the essence of the problems—as I continue to deepen my learning.

Message for Students Interested in The Program

While there is a great deal of knowledge that can be gained through on-campus lectures, there is also a lot that can only be learned by actually visiting a place and seeing the local environment and daily life for yourself. By observing these things firsthand, you can discover issues and emotions that you might not notice otherwise. For this reason, don’t you think participating in an APU field study could be a meaningful challenge - one that helps you deepen your learning and gives you opportunities to apply what you learn in future studies? I also recommend it because it allows you to build strong connections with both seniors and juniors, regardless of grade level.