STEP Public Health Perspectives: Japan
Loading...
Date
2017-11-15
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
My STEP project was an education abroad program that allowed students to participate in a field study of the public health systems in Japan. Through this program, I had the chance to visit Japanese health centers, take part in lab activities that tested parasites in Japanese fish, sit in on lectures at Japanese universities and health centers, and visit notable cultural or disaster sites. The trip began with classroom presentations and discussions in Japan. We then went to the Honjo Disaster Prevention Learning Center where we got to experience simulations of some of the high-intensity earthquakes that have struck Japan. Next, we visited the Minamata disease museum and the Itai-Itai disease museum. These museums serve as a reminder of the terrible effects that pollution has on both the environment and the populations that rely on polluted water or air sources for life. We also visited the Hiroshima memorial and were able to sit in on a presentation by a woman whose mother was a survivor of the bomb. Finally, we heard a Red Cross worker giver her account of the 2011 tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan. This program allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the public health systems and initiatives in Japan, and it personalized many of the public health disasters that have occurred there.
Description
STEP Category: Education Abroad
Keywords
Education Abroad, Japan, Public Health, STEP