Open Your Eyes | JAPAN Forward

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JAPAN Forward has launched "Ignite," a series to share the voices of students in Japan in English. How do they see refugees and migrants, and poverty at home that's hiding in plain sight? Individually and collectively, the next generations have a new take on social responsibility, and they're opening our eyes as they shape our global future.

This 20th essay introduces another winning work of the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) high school student English essay contest. Aoi Waki encountered illegal immigrants as a student when her family was stationed in Thailand. Now, she wants us to see and communicate with those around us and consider their needs from a different angle. We can all learn from her insights. Let's listen.

Twentieth in the Series, 'Ignite'

Aoi Waki, Winner of the 2024 IIBC Special Award for her English Language Essay

Japan is a developed country that I thought was free from most of the world's problems. The posters I see on the train asking for donations always talk about hunger in Africa or some other country that is 1,000 miles away. So even if I knew these problems existed, they did not feel real because of how distant they seemed. But it is all around us. People just do not realize it because they do not look closely. [And] I used to be one of those people until I met my Malaysian friends.

I lived in Thailand, and during that time, I would go to cram school. Whenever I arrived, there was always a group of students who looked out of place ー they had snacks and sat by the lounge while I waited. They had no books, pencils, or even a bag. On top of that, they wore ragged clothes instead of uniforms.

I kept asking about them, so one day the cram school staff introduced them. It turns out the kids who were always eating snacks were not students at the school. They were undocumented Malaysian immigrants. Because they were "illegal", they could not enroll in local schools or receive government support.

The cram school owner let them rest in the lounge and gave snacks out of goodwill. Just like me, they were children, and just like me, they were foreigners. For the longest time, we shared the same space, but it felt like we were worlds apart.

Opening My Eyes

When we were first introduced to each other, they were very cautious. Their eyes looked at me like I was a threat. They only interacted with themselves and the cram school staff. [And] I think they felt unsafe, so they showed no emotion, even when the cram school staff gave them treats. I never imagined I would meet people whose problems often only existed in the TV to me.

Suddenly, the unreal world issues proved they existed in the world where I lived. The big gap between how we lived overwhelmed me. Everything I took for granted ー food, education, housing, a complete family, even clean clothes ー they were out of reach for them.

I wanted to help them in my own way. At first, I thought about giving them clothes because their clothes looked worn down. But they told me in English: "cannot wear clean shirt." I learned that wearing imported Japanese clothes makes them look suspicious to border control police in Thailand. This could lead to their deportation.

Learning to Communicate

I then noticed how they struggled to communicate, so I started teaching them English. In Bangkok, most people can understand English, so this was a useful skill. I taught them simple phrases and nouns they can use to communicate verbally.

Each lesson, they learned new words and phrases. And with each lesson, I could see them change. They were not fluent, but I could see their confidence and sense of accomplishment increase as they used the words they learned. They started laughing more and showing a wider range of emotions to outsiders like me.

Most importantly, I could also see that they felt safer around the outside world and showed curiosity about it. They started asking me more questions. That was a big change because they now wanted to know about the outside world and how others lived their lives.

My Malaysian friends, with their struggles, lived a few hundred meters from my house, but I didn't realize until I met them that there are social problems that are closer to me than I thought. I just had to ask questions, look closely, and pay attention to small things around me.

Finding the Need Next to Me

When I came back to Japan, I made sure to remember that. Social problems are not in a foreign continent as most posters would have me believe. For example, close to my school is a children's cafeteria where they serve meals to food-insecure children. Because I actively looked for it, I was able to volunteer in that cafeteria. This is one example, but I am sure there is more I can do around me, and if I keep my eyes open, I can recognize the people struggling right next to me.

About the Author

Aoi Waki was a second-year student at Otsuma Nakano Junior and Senior High School when she contributed this essay in 2024. Upon winning the IIBC Special Essay Award, she shared these remarks:

"I am truly honored to receive this special award.

"During the five years I spent in Thailand, I deeply experienced the meaning of diversity. In this essay, I write about my encounters with Malaysian children, which have influenced me to this day.

"Because these experiences are not common in everyday life, I tried to put my experiences into words and structure them in a way that would make them easier to imagine. I am extremely happy that I was able to convey my feelings to so many people through this essay.

"Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to the teachers who guided me and to the judges."