I think the biggest difference I’ve noticed between volunteering in America and volunteering in Japan is definitely the sense of responsibility that each volunteer has towards the group.  I think that sometimes, in America, especially within the college community, people just choose to join volunteer groups at random, coming and going at will.  However, at Nico Toma, it seems that most of the volunteers at Nico Toma have had personal experiences related to the Kyoto University pediatrics ward.  In any case, it is clear that, while the atmosphere may be very cheerful and light, they are all very devoted to this particular group.  Though this may just be a result of the nature of the volunteer group, I feel that Japanese volunteers are much more dedicated to their tasks.

I’ve also noticed that the volunteers at Nico Toma are very particular about small details.  Each detail of the project at hand is discussed by the group, down to the color and thickness of the pipe cleaners used to make the handles for the tiny bags that will hold candy to be distributed at the children’s art exhibition.  While in America, these details might be overlooked and considered irrelevant, I found it refreshing and fun to work on simple things so thoroughly, since our hard work made the final products something that we could all be proud of.  Furthermore, I found it interesting that this level of attention to detail was a given in any project, be it pricing used goods for the bazaar, or coloring next month’s calendar, or hanging up seasonal decorations in the children’s ward.

Overall, while I may not have necessarily been accepted as a fully fledged member of the group, I did enjoy my time at Nico Toma as much for the insight into Japanese culture as for the empathy for and awareness of these children’s situations that I feel I’ve gained, even if only a little.  At the risk of sounding cheesy, I hope that I was able to help these children even if it was in a small, indirect way.  Thank you, Nico Toma!

My recent weeks at NikoToma have gone more smoothly than the weeks preceding them I think.  Perhaps that can be attributed to me getting over the initial disappointment I harbored about not being able to play with children.  I was under the impression that we [the volunteers] would be doing activities with children every week, but I quickly learned that wasn’t the case.  However, as one of my teachers commented, it is volunteer work after all, and more often than not, volunteers have to do rather less-than-pleasant tasks, so「仕方がない」.  If we did not do those small, tedious tasks—using toothpicks to pick up microscopic cutouts of animals and painstakingly glue them to bite-sized paper handbags; making sure to find a “balance” when arranging goody bags, lest the aesthetics of the candy be ruined, even though the kids are just going rip it open in crazed excitement —who would?

At this point, I know it seems like I’m actually belittling the program with sarcasm, but I’m not.  I’ve grown to genuinely appreciate (if not enjoy) the things we do at NikoToma, whatever they may be, because I know we are providing the volunteer group with help that it needs.  Besides that, it just so happens that all of (or almost all of) the students in KCJS from Boston University participate in this CIP, and this has instilled a certain amount of pride in me about being a part of it.  And that’s enough to make me happy about going.

This semester I continued to volunteer at NicoNico Tomato which has been both relaxing and a learning experience. Every week I would help out with whatever activity or task needed to be accomplished and always had the opportunity to communicate with others and actually use what I learned.

Last semester I had noticed how detail oriented and truly devoted they are towards helping the children. I continued to see that same drive when they brainstorm various activities that should be held for each day of the week, which the head of NicoNico Tomato usually facilitates. Although one may think that the Japanese would be passive about voicing their opinion, that is not the case in these discussions. Other volunteers would constantly chime in or pitch another solution. Because I have been volunteering for the past seven months, I have noticed various interesting cultural differences, and similarities, in speech and communication. For example, when the volunteers are all talking amongst each other they would casually use various proverbs. Recently they used one to illustrate how the weather is constantly fluctuating between being cold or hot. However, the types of proverbs used differ by generation—in both U.S. and Japanese cultures.

Furthermore, I noticed the difference between the choices of words used by various generations. For example, the older generations would use more direct and blunt words versus the younger generation who would put it more softly and less directly, such as the use of 「いらない」versus 「大丈夫」. When tea is being served and someone politely refuses, most usually use いらない while I use大丈夫. In comparison to the U.S., people speak more directly to others which would be more aligned with the older generations.

While there are cultural differences in speech and communication, similarities can also be drawn between the two countries as well. I have truly enjoyed my time volunteering at NicoNico Tomato.

Volunteering with NicoNico Tomato in the pediatrics department at Kyoto University Hospital has been a great experience thus far, both in the context of Japanese culture, as well as volunteer work.  Although we do different things every week and I never know what to expect, the other volunteers are all very warm and welcoming, and so working with them at Nico Toma [what we call NicoNico Tomato] is a relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

Nico Toma makes a huge effort to brighten up the pediatrics department in the little ways it can, from seasonal decorations to holiday cards, to posting photos of the children to arts and craft activities – it’s a very craft-focused group overall.

In the midst of coloring and cutting paper alongside the other Japanese volunteers, volunteering at Nico Toma has also been an interesting and rewarding cultural experience.  From sharing in afternoon tea-time to just observing how hard everybody works, Nico Toma has a relaxing atmosphere to just casually interact with Japanese people.

As far as cultural observations, the energy and detail Nico Toma volunteers put into their many crafts is very impressive.  At times it can be frustrating to adhere to how meticulous they are about minute details, but I also appreciate their efforts to always do the best job possible, in whatever it is they are doing.

However, something that has been made clearer to me by working at Nico Toma is the Japanese’s love for plastic wrapping and presentation.  For a special bazaar event, Nico Toma set up a small market-type event for children at the hospital and their parents to buy toys and other small gifts.  As we prepared for it the previous week, I noticed how much plastic is used.  Any accessory or small item was packaged in a clear plastic.  While I recognize that presentation is important, many of the goods wrapped would be fine unwrapped.  This isn’t inherently bad, but I thought the level of plastic usage was a bit ironic given Japan’s mentality to reduce waste.

Nonetheless, Nico Toma has been a very fun experience.  I always look forward to volunteering every week, and although a lot of the volunteer work is helping with crafts and other events for the hospital, there are opportunities to interact with the children as well.  From helping the children with an afternoon calligraphy activity to chatting with the other weekly volunteers while gluing and cutting construction paper, I’ve found Nico Toma to be a great community of volunteers who are committed to doing what they can to brighten up the hospital.