On our second day at Azabu University, we got the opportunity to dissect two fish and look for parasites. We also watched a video of a case study. In the case study, a woman had eaten sushi and ingested a living parasite from the fish. This happened because the fish was not prepared in a way that would kill the parasite. The woman had to go to the hospital to have the parasite removed because it was stuck in her digestive tract and was trying to get out. The parasite’s escape efforts caused the woman severe pain and posed a risk of a deadly infection. We learned that fish needs to be cooked at a high enough temperature or frozen cool enough to kill any possible parasites before it should be served to anyone. With fish being such a staple in the Japanese diet, it is very important for people who prepare food to know this. Having standards on food preparation keeps the public free of parasites and parasitic infections that can cause severe harm to individuals.

We were split into groups of two and each set of partners opened two types of fish to look for small parasites that were encased in little circles. We cut the fish down the abdomen all the way down to about an inch before we reached the tail. Then we peeled up the skin and tissue to reveal the fish’s organs. We also cut off the flesh that the bones were in and searched for parasites in the part that was left on the fish and what we removed. When we dissected the parasites out of the fish, we took them out of the circular casing, and they were shaped like long skinny worms. The fish also had another type of parasite that looked like a grain of rice. We found most of the parasites embedded in the organs of the fish. There were particularly a lot of parasites near the stomachs of the fish. As we removed the worm parasites, we placed them in saline. In the saline, the parasites wiggled around frantically for a while and then they would slow down.

Next, we did an experiment on the worm parasites to see under what conditions they could live the longest. We put one parasite in small dishes of saline, soy sauce, wasabi, and whisky and took note of how long it took each parasite to die. We could tell when they died because they would stop moving around. Whisky killed the parasites the fastest and saline killed them the slowest. I was surprised that the fish lived for so long in soy sauce. It was the second most hospitable environment after saline.

I liked doing this dissection and experiment because it was a very hands-on activity and it allowed me to consider the research that goes into making sure our food is safe to eat. This relates to public health because scientists had to experiment with methods to figure out what would most effectively kill parasites so that people could consume fish without fear or a high probability of becoming ill. Food is an integral part of health, but it can end up being quite dangerous for us if the right precautions are not made. I am grateful to have learned more about the ways scientific research is keeping the public safe through this dissection experience.

Soon after my arrival in Japan, I noticed that the trash cans here are very different from the ones in the United States. Trash cans are not as commonly available as they are at home and the trash is sorted into categories like combustibles, bottles, cans, and paper. Whenever I wanted to throw something away, I had to think about the next step for that piece of trash. Based on what each piece of trash was made from, there were different things that could happen to it as part of the trash removal process. When I first arrived in Japan, I thought having the public sort their trash in public trash cans was a tedious extra step. I was also surprised that the public was willing to do so. Americans are so accustomed to throwing everything away together and so impatient that I was doubtful that this type of system would work or be well accepted in the United States. It was surprising to me that trash removal systems demonstrated some of the geographical differences between the United States and Japan. Japan’s limited geographical space was clearly demonstrated in the trash removal process.

During our tour of the Suginami Incineration Plant, I learned that accurately sorting trash and efficiently getting rid of it is an essential part of Japan’s sanitation. Unlike the United States, Japan does not have a lot of empty space it can use for landfills, so trash removal is very important. At the Suginami Incineration Plant, trash trucks brought in combustible trash and emptied it into the big pit pictured above. There is an air curtain at the door the trucks enter to keep the smell of trash from exiting and there is also air circulation that keeps the area inside where the trucks empty the trash from smelling terrible due to the trash. This allowed the workers to exit their trucks and release their trash into the pit without having to deal with the smell of trash. The trash in the pit is mixed and then picked up by the giant yellow claw. After that, the claw drops the trash in a hole and the trash goes to be incinerated. It takes about two hours for the incinerator to completely burn the trash inside of it. The smoke and emissions from burning the trash go through giant white filters so that harmful chemicals from burning do not enter the environment around the plant. Additionally, the pressure created during the incineration process created enough electricity to power the plant and for the plant to sell.

This experience showed how community participation plays a big role in the cleanliness of Japan. Citizens must accurately sort their trash because if trash is inaccurately sorted and the wrong type of trash goes through the incineration process, it could damage the machinery and cause a pause in the process so repairs can be made. This would make trash pick-up pause and residents would have to store their trash for longer. The plant makes sure the residents are educated on how to sort their trash. One way they do this is by hosting tours and allowing residents to play the trash organization game. In the game, players are given images of articles of trash and must decide if they are in the right section or not. I liked seeing how everyone in the community works together to keep their community clean and the responsibility does not only fall on the government and trash companies.

Our visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was one of the most eye-opening and memorable experiences of the program. The main building featured exhibits that were divided into two sections. The first one was titled “Hiroshima on August 6” and it was made up of the “Devastation on August 6” and “Damage from Radiation” exhibits. It started out showing images of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb had been dropped and had a projector video showing the areas of the city that were most affected by the bomb. Hiroshima looked like a dried-up wasteland with only the shells of a few buildings surviving.

The second section of the museum was titled “Victims and Survivors” and it contained the “Cries of the Soul” and “To Live” exhibits. Additionally, there was a gallery at the end where people could write reflections from the museum in a notebook and decompress from the heavy subject matter while looking out at the beautiful Peace Memorial Park. I thought that was a unique touch to the museum that took the emotional and mental wellness of museum visitors into account. This area prompted great reflection for visitors. 

I am glad I got to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial
Park because it helped me gain a better understanding of what happened when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. I knew about the bomb, but I did not know much about how it affected the people near the explosion. I learned the horrible details of what an atomic bomb can do to the human body and the ways people suffered from the bomb for a long time after it was dropped. Artwork was used to show how people were so badly burned by the atomic bomb that their skin was hanging from their bodies and their faces depicted pure agony. There were also pictures of real victims in the museum. Some of these images were graphic and depicted the burns and injuries suffered by victims. At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, I also learned that there were many smaller bombs dropped on other areas of Japan and that atomic bomb tests had taken place before the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was dropped. All of which caused harm.

The exhibits that had the biggest impression on me were the ones that told the stories of children. There were displays that showed the burnt clothing children were wearing when the atomic bomb was dropped. Seeing their clothing and the locations where the fabric was burned away made the pain they went through more easily imaginable. There were also children who suffered from the radiation the atomic bomb exposed them to as well. A girl named Sadako developed cancer because of the atomic bomb, and she tried to fold 1,000 paper cranes so that her wish to be healthy would be granted. Some of the cranes she folded were on display. 

It was extremely disappointing that those who were so innocent had to be victims of the atomic bomb. I thought about how the children and many other citizens who were harmed or killed by the atomic bomb had nothing to do with the war, yet they still suffered for it. There were even Americans who died from the bomb dropped by their own country. This experience taught me that violence and war have no limits. The realizations and knowledge I gained from visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum made me appreciate the museum’s takeaway message and hope to never have atomic bombs dropped again.