How Curiosity, Study Abroad, and the Silk Road Shaped My Journey 

Written by Michiyo Ikemoto, Director of Operations

What’s Your Aspiration?

Why?
There is a famous quote that asks:

　　　　　“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

My life’s aspiration is to connect Japan with the world and to create meaningful connections between countries and people.
As I write this article for CIEE Kyoto, I realize that I may already be living my dream.
When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by the stories of the Silk Road. Have you ever heard of it? That fascination became the driving force behind who I am and what I do today.

Let me briefly introduce myself.
My name is Michiyo Ikemoto, and I was born and raised in Osaka. I have a background in Kendo, a traditional Japanese martial art. My first study abroad experience took place when I was 15 years old. During summer vacation, I convinced my parents to let me visit our sister school in Melbourne, Australia.

I still remember stepping into the winter air, feeling the cold on my skin, and running to buy a wool scarf. I remember seeing water flow in the opposite direction and realizing, for the first time, just how big our planet really is. At fifteen, I felt the size of the Earth.
Later, while I was in college, I was fortunate to join a delegation to Korea. During a homestay in Busan, I learned that my host family's son was serving in the military. Suddenly, the division between North and South Korea was no longer just something I had read about. It was real. It affected real people and real families.

For those of us who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, seeing truly was believing.
When I was a student, there was no internet. We wrote letters by airmail and waited days, sometimes weeks, for a reply. We gathered information from books, newspapers, and conversations with people. I was always curious about what existed beyond the horizon and across the oceans.

Japan has a unique history. For many generations, Japanese was naturally the language spoken around us, and learning a foreign language was not always common. Yet I loved languages. I would write new vocabulary words in notebooks and memorize them diligently.
My curiosity about the world continued to grow.

In 1998, I studied abroad in Xi’an, China, the starting point of the Silk Road. Before I left, many people warned me about going. Information about China was limited at the time, and people often formed opinions based on assumptions rather than experience.
What I discovered was something very different.
The people I met throughout my journey were kind, very different kindness that of in Japan. I found this a different culture. Through those experiences, I learned the importance of seeing the world with my own eyes and developing my own perspective. Those experiences became the foundation of who I am.

In Japanese, we say sebone (背骨), meaning “backbone.” Those experiences became my backbone.
My study abroad experiences eventually led me to work in China, Japan, and the United States. Looking back, I am grateful for every step of the journey having worked in the automobile industry for 11 years, worked on M&A, I have been fortunate to experiencing international business. However, technologies are rise and falls. It is  impermanence. Companies I worked for no longer exist..., when I looked back myself for being a bridge to the world, I thought I want to create opportunity for young people so I am here at CIEE. And CIEE Kyoto, you will have plenty of opportunities to learn about intangible cultural heritage.
Although my heart still feels 22 years old. As I grow older, I hope to share what I have learned in natural and meaningful ways. So, let me ask you again:

What is your aspiration in life?
 

Please trust your intuition and follow your heart!  

We are now living surrounded by technology and countless electronic devices, but one thing technology can never replace is the experience of being somewhere in person.
Kyoto is waiting for you to discover. 
I would love to hear about your aspirations and the dreams that inspire you when you come to Kyoto. Please come see me in person.
My aspiration eventually led me to Nara, home to the final destination of the Silk Road in Japan!

Lastly, let me share some picture of Wakakusayama Hill - one of my favorite places in the city.

Perhaps, while looking across the landscape, you will find yourself thinking about your own aspirations and where they might lead you.

With my sunny love,

Michiyo