Kaori Nishiyama in Japan
In this new blog series, I’d like to ask four questions to people from different countries, backgrounds, professions, and genders who have all one thing in common: volunteering. I hope you’ll get inspired by their journeys and take the leap into volunteering.
Notice: The positions, views and information contained published here are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent my views or opinions.
Kaori Nishiyama is a Japanese national living in Tokyo. She is a world traveller, and relishes immersing herself in different cultures and having a discourse with local people. She attained a master's degree in Demography at Georgetown University in the United States in 1997. From that point onwards, she began touring the world. She lived in Zinder, Niger; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Phnom Penh in Cambodia. After settling back in Tokyo in 2014, she began work as an event organizer at the PMI Japan Chapter. She garners a lot of joy from coordinating events with lots of volunteers of the chapter. Some of her volunteer work has included giving directions to tourists on the Ginza and Ueno streets, being involved in the annual Tokyo marathon and most recently, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Before the coronavirus pandemic, she took off overseas every year. Currently, she sharpens her English at home, hoping to use the language when world travelling becomes possible again.
How did you begin to volunteer?
I applied for a language volunteer for Youth Hostel Tokyo a long, long time ago. I wanted to get opportunities to speak English.
Why did you continue volunteering?
I had a great experience as a language volunteer for Youth Hostel Tokyo. I made lots of friends with my colleagues, and I began to enjoy holding events with fellow volunteers. Also, I had opportunities to speak English. If I had not worked as a volunteer, I would not have gained the chance at all.
How has volunteering helped you in your career?
First, I was able to go to a graduate school through the referral of Youth Hostel Tokyo. I manage to demonstrate my leadership in the real world to some universities with the organization’s recommendation letters. If I had not been working for the organization as a volunteer, I wouldn't have been accepted.
Second, volunteering gives you a good positive image as a corporate citizen. Because of this, I believe my boss and colleagues in my job regard me as a positive person and good communicator who is willing to contribute to society.
Would you encourage other people to take up volunteering, and if so, why?
I would recommend volunteering. Nowadays, many of us live in a smaller, more isolated world due to the coronavirus pandemic. We don't tend to talk much with strangers or meet many new people. At least I don't. Volunteering is an ideal way to break your routine and have an out of the ordinary experience. When you are engaged in voluntary work, you often have to communicate with strangers and collaborate with other volunteers. By the time the day is over, I am sure you will have a strong sense of achievement and have pride that you have contributed something to your community.
Fewer volunteering opportunities are available these days because face-to-face interactions should be restricted, still though there are some. I would recommend looking for opportunities that align with your interests.
