Profile: In search of awareness

Emi Okada
Accountant, Lutheran Church of Japan, Tokyo.

Emi realizes that Japan is in a unique situation; the isolation of being surrounded by ocean means they have no neighboring countries vying for their water. 'Japan has plenty of water,' she explains, 'and although the public is advised not to use water from wells for drinking, other water sources are very clean and drinkable.'

As far as water problems go she says that 'some rivers in Tokyo have had to be cleaned up and are now back to an acceptable quality, however Japan’s main water related problems are natural disasters such as floods in the typhoon season and tsunamis which are caused by earthquakes.'

Before arriving in Phnom Penh, Emi was a little apprehensive about how she would be received. She shared with me that traveling in Asia is very uncomfortable for the Japanese; she was concerned about the way that Japan had treated its Asian neighbors in the past and was afraid of possible animosity because of this. She has been relieved and happy to see that participants at the consultation have received her graciously and with open arms.

She enters this consultation hoping to learn more about water issues which the Asia region and the world are facing in the hope of returning home to inform and educate the Lutheran church in Japan.