Reflections on a 2019 study tour “Hawaiian Traditional Culture Experience and Environmental Leadership Training”                            
Thanks to the cooperation and advice from colleagues and friends in Japan and Hawaii, a study tour “Hawaiian Traditional Culture Experience and Environmental Leadership Training” was successfully held with 17 students from 20 to 27 March, 2019. My motivation to lead the tour was to teach Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through field activities and show the cultural and environmental richness of Hawaii to students.

In general, people see Hawaii as a tourist destination. However, during my time living in Hawaii, I found the people have a variety of richness including coexistence with nature, respect for their own roots in terms of both ancestors and community, and mental space to accept themselves and others.

During the study tour, we visited may locations. At Pearl Harbor National Museum, students discussed how peace education could contribute to future peace with the staff and made presentations about the topic. One of the interesting presentations considered if the U.S. would host a memorial museum to exhibit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and if Japan would have a museum to introduce the attack of Pearl Harbor, it might help us to understand each other's position and war tragedy more.

 We also studied about environmental issues, Japanese-Hawaiian history and current life, Native Hawaiians' traditions and culture, and leadership as it is related to SDGs both directly and indirectly. In addition to the fruitful learning and fun experience, we brought Aloha spirits (Akahai = kindness, Lōkahi = harmony, Olu'olu = sincerity, Ha'aha'a=humbleness, Ahonui = patience) back to Japan.

I thank all the students who respected the rules we agreed on before the trip, cared for each other, valued teamwork, and created a good atmosphere. The tour was real leadership training. Students learned more about themselves and what they valued, gained vision for the future, and learned to make decisions. The fruits of the trip were in the students returning to Japan with broadened horizons and an appreciation for their team to work together to think about how to improve global issues.

Yukiko Abe/ Associate Professor, Tokyo Woman's Christian University