Everardo Sanchez - Japan

This last summer I had the incredible honor and privilege to volunteer and live under the Japan Cat Network (JCN) in Kyoto. During my time there, I was able to indulge in the beautiful and historically rich city and got to meet so many amazing people at the JCN, throughout Kyoto, and even some parts of Japan. 

My clinical experience at the JCN involved caring for the cats at the cat café and at the rescue house. Due to the JCN being a no-kill and non-profit organization, they had a limited resources that they tried to allocate as effectively as possible. The coordinator in charge of cat care, explained to me that they tried to provide the cats with the very best care and nutrition possible to avoid the cats from becoming sick, to prevent unwanted veterinary visits that would be poor welfare for the cats, and financially straining on the program. Thus, they employed a very rigorous cleaning, feeding, and enrichment schedule that had all of the volunteers helping and it seemed to reduce the chance for infection or illness of the cats while ensuring that they were properly enriched. Being able to see and work under this system first-hand and see the benefits of it, greatly changed my perspective of preventative medicine. It showed me that although relieving pets from existing ailments is important, preventing these ailments from occurring in the first place through increased awareness and better communication with clients is equally as important as well.

Besides the clinical aspect of the trip, I was also able to experience a lot of unique and rich cultural experiences that are truly unforgettable. One interesting aspect of my trip is that I was able to talk to many different people from France, since the Kyoto branch of the JCN had a partnership in France that allowed French citizens that volunteered with the JCN to obtain work Visas and thus stay for extended periods of time. By the time I arrived, there were about 5 French volunteers who were all very different but were all great to spend time with. Some other interesting volunteers I interacted with was a couple from New Zealand, a group of 3 people from Germany, a group of students from the University of London, one girl from Spain, and another girl from Mexico City. Being able to spend most of my time with people from such unique origins and backgrounds was truly very interesting, and although our stories were all so different, I found it fascinating how the need for helping shelter animals would be so universally answered from people all over the world. 

Although the people at the JCN were probably enough to provide me with an amply diverse cultural experience, I feel that my time exploring the city of Kyoto, and my trips to Tokyo and Osaka, were probably some of the most life-changing memories I created. I unfortunately, did not have a strong grasp of the Japanese language during my trip, but thanks to having consumed a lot of Japanese media throughout my life, I had a somewhat rudimentary grasp of Japanese culture and the language. This allowed me to come in knowing some of the many strict social rules that exist in Japan such as not talking on the train or not eating in public; however, I soon learned of many other rules that I was less aware of. One example includes standing on specific sides while walking or riding escalators to allow for people in a rush to be able to run and move faster. I quickly became aware of some of the most important rules and immediately implemented them. 

Traveling through Japan was truly a joy! I was able to visit so many memorable locations, including some famous shrines, temples, museums, and restaurants. I did, however, enjoy stepping out of the mostly tourist centered areas, and traveling to some of the more rural parts of Japan, where I feel I was able to capture a glimpse of what normal life felt like in Japan.