Supporting the agricultural economy in my hometown of Kumamoto

My hobby is photography, and I photographed many local farming villages when I was an undergrad. That’s when I became interested in preserving Japan’s agricultural environments. The reason I entered KGU’s graduate program was because Professor Yamauchi is doing research here on agricultural policy. In the future, I’m hoping to become a researcher and to find a job that will help support farming in Kumamoto.
Agricultural policy involves finding ways to increase food self-sufficiency and evaluating the benefits of agriculture on the economy. It also involves environmental conservation through preserving biodiversity in farming villages. Through Professor Yamauchi’s classes, I’ve learned about the cultures and traditions that are so important in these farming communities. In contrast to my undergrad classes where there were many students, some of my graduate classes are one-on-one with my professor. These classes offer a chance for real communication and exchange of ideas with my professors. I need to discover pertinent issues by myself, and I’ve therefore started to read a lot. In the near future, I’m planning on heading out to do field work and collect more data. Because you choose what field you want to research in graduate school, the most important thing here is being strongly motivated. If you’re highly motivated, your professors will also help you a lot more in your research.