Have you ever wondered how what it’s like being a journalist? Takuya Asakura, the Deputy Director General of the Kobe Bureau from the Asahi Shinbun, visited St. Mary’s on Friday, February 5th. Student Journalists from Seisen International School and the International School of Sacred Heart (ISSH) also joined the presentation. After the presentation, journalists from all three schools started working on the first collaborative feature article(coming soon!) and had a chance to ask for advice as well. He shared valuable insights into being a journalist, and students also got to ask questions.
Mr. Asakura mainly writes feature articles on issues involving foreigners in Japan, such as refugees, immigrants, and foreign workers. He explained that he was always interested in traveling overseas and learning about other countries. He graduated from Doshisha University, a prestigious university in Kyoto Prefecture. After graduating, he joined the Japan Times(Japan’s English newspaper) in 1999 and worked there for 3 years before joining the Asahi Shinbun, the second biggest newspaper company in the world. He talked about how he writes articles and how he reaches out to people. When asked why he wanted to be a journalist, he explained that “I was interested in the issue of poverty. I wanted to help people in need,” he said. He attended public school and realized that some students live in poverty, and he wanted to amplify the voices of the unheard. He also explained that he wanted a unique job, instead of a job where sit in an office all day. “You always do something new every day. You meet new topics and people”. He said that he enjoys this job since he does something new and different every day.
Overall, Mr.Asakura’s visit inspired and encouraged everyone to write more articles, and gave insightful advice to everyone in the room. It was also the first day where The Diplomat collaborated with student journalists from other schools, opening the doors to even more interesting stories.
