Citizen Collaboration Beyond National Borders
The Republic of Korea (ROK, South Korea) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) were divided as a result of Japanese colonial rule. Japan is a neighbor of the DPRK but has no diplomatic relations and is rapidly building up its military power while propagating the idea of the DPRK as a “threat” at times such as missile launches. Social conditions excluding Koreans have not improved and hate crimes against Korean schools are getting worse. In light of these issues and the situation on the Korean Peninsula being greatly influenced by politics, we, as a member of the East Asian community, are trying to build a foundation for a peaceful society. We aim to remove discrimination and division through face-to-face exchanges and dialogue not on a national level but on a person-to-person one.
Activities in 2023
The Friends of Northeast Asia Plus (Tomodachi-ten Plus)
An online art exhibition, “My Exciting Experience” was held from November 1 to December 10 featuring children’s drawings from DPRK, ROK, China (Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture), Japan, and by Korean children living in Japan. At the time of the opening of the exhibition, new works from Pyongyang had not been received, so past works were introduced, but the latest works arrived in late November and were added to the display. In an online event “Now is the time to reflect on peace,” the reporter Watanabe from Kyodo News Seoul Bureau talked about the diplomatic strategy of the Yun administration in ROK. In a face-to-face event at Tomodachi-ten, we had a chance to report on the art exhibition held in Los Angeles and reminisce with friends who had graduated from Tomodachi-ten.
Many friends gathered at the venue of Tomodachi-ten
The East Asian University Students Peace Forum (University Students Forum)
Introductory fieldwork with a walking tour of Korea town started in Tokyo in May and Osaka in June. In July, we invited Mr. Saaler Sven as a guest speaker from Germany and learned about Germany’s postwar experiences and challenges. Although the Japan-DPRK university student exchange did not take place in 2023, we were able to resume training in ROK in August for the first time in four years. By visiting the site of the North-South division and listening to the stories of Korean people, the participants learned about the reality of the division and the atmosphere of the southern side of the Korean Peninsula, which was not possible to get through information given by mass media. In March, we conducted fieldwork in Kyoto organized by students.
The open study session at the University Students Forum invited Mr. Saaler Sven as a guest speaker from Germany
Results & Challenges
Toward a movement to expand and follow-up
Although our projects will be affected by political and social situations, we will do as much as we can. One of the ongoing problems of Tomodachi-ten is the low participation rate of Japanese children, so we will approach new communities where children gather and try expanding our network. A problem with the University Students Forum is that many students participated in the Forum stop activities and go abroad to Korea or Taiwan for study. On the other hand, there are students who remain active, for example, by participating in training programs in ROK. Significant changes can be seen in such students. A follow-up system is required to ensure that participants keep up their activities.
Participants in the Korea training program learning from individual perspectives
Activity Plan for 2024
Maintaining a platform for meeting and exchange
While collecting information on Korea’s moves toward reopening the border, we will prepare for the possibility of visiting Pyongyang for the first time in five years. Tomodachi-ten will continue to hold an art exhibition displaying artwork and messages collected from various locations. We will hold art workshops at school children’s clubs and other places to introduce Tomodachi-ten and expand children’s participation. The University Students Forum will promote a program to learn about the history of Japanese colonial rule, the division of North and South Korea, and our connection to the Korean Peninsula, through the study of the “Jeju 4.3”, a series of incidents centering on the massacre of the villagers of Jeju Island between 1948 and 1954. We will provide follow-up to new participants with the help of the Forum’s alumni and graduate students.
At the office of Okedongmu, our Korean partner organization
Fieldwork leads to new discoveries even in familiar places
Tomodachi-ten venue
Voices and Messages
Tomodachi-ten brought me new perspectives
Omojiro Yui, Second-year student, Doshisha University
I became interested in DPRK in my third year of high school when I participated as a volunteer in Tomodachi-ten in Osaka. I am studying in the Asia-Pacific course at the Faculty of Global and Regional Studies at the University and to be honest, I had not included DPRK when I thought of East Asia. I think my participation in Tomodachi-ten was significant in that I came to include DPRK in East Asia. I was also surprised to hear from Okedongmu, the Korean partner organization of JVC, that children who heard the story of the past North-South interaction commented that they could feel each other’s feelings and that their hands were warm. I would like to visit various places in Japan and learn the facts of the past and present.
My exciting experience
Soyeon (from Pyongyang)
A drawing received for Tomodachi-ten
Munsu Water Park is always filled with happy laughter and songs of love. I would like to draw the children playing and having fun in such a happy place.
