Kitakyushu
International
Techno-cooperative
Association

NEWS
No.25
2018
October

P.2 A Message from the President
P.3 FY2017 Operation Results / FY2018 Operation Plan
P.4 JICA Training Courses in FY2017
P.5 Highlight of Training Courses
P.8 Recent Activities for Overseas Development Cooperation
P.10 International Friendship Program
P.11 Hello! from ex-colleague of KITA
P.12 Technical Introduction of Composting

Participants with Course leader and coordinator(At the JICA Kyushu Center Entrance)
Anisa-san giving a speech at theclosing ceremony“ Operation and Maintenance of Sewerage System (B) ”Course
The purpose of this course is to train engineers for maintaining and managing sewerage facilities.
Since some of the participants were new to the sewerage project, we carried out lectures about sewerageplanning theory including pipe/drain and treatment facility design overviews as well.
Please see page 5 for details.

Kitakyushu International Techno-cooperative Association

A Message from the President

In Promoting
FY2018 Business Plan
Hideki FURUNO, President
The world order is being impacted by US President Trump’s doctrine of America First, and heads of state are scrambling todeal with that. Japan seems to have done relatively well at averting friction in its relationship with the US, but it did have to spend
a lot of time making adjustments regarding matters such as the TPP issue. It has also been a year in which Japan has been
scrambling to deal with national defense issues as a result of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and missiles. In addition, Japanwas faced with various situations, including a National Diet stalled by the management of official documents concerning
domestic permit and license procedures. The problem of international terrorism means that the world remains tense.
The ongoing global situation means that, as an organization
with strong overseas connections, KITA must remain vigilant,
and the past year has been one where our business was put
under a strain by both the economy and public orderconcerns.
Given this situation of societal turbulence, KITA’s resultsfor FY2017 were worse than had been estimated. We didour best to achieve the tasks planned for FY2017, however
the training business that is our mainstay was impacted byfactors such as JICA, on whom we are very dependent,
having difficulty in deciding on training courses, eventhough we devoted a lot of energy to actively proposing
courses. In addition, although we endeavored to move
forward with the FY2017 challenges in our technicalcooperation business, national policy changes meant that
the Ministry of the Environment can no longer contract us.
Factors such as these made a decrease in our businessrevenue inevitable.
The circumstances described above meant that, in termsof revenue, KITA had its worst results ever in FY2017.
However, it was also a year in which we prepared for the
future with the policies below designed to enhance KITA.
＜Training business＞
1. Further promoting the establishment of KITA Training
brand
2. Intent follow-up on participants’ training outcome
and grasping local needs
Many course leaders intently follow up on participants’training outcomes after they have returned to their
homelands. We want them to continue to do so as this not
only helps to boost KITA’s global presence, but also makes amajor contribution to increasing the number of Japanophiles
around the world. These follow-ups are of significance for the
future.
＜Technical cooperation business＞
1. Assisting global expansion of small to medium-sizedcompanies
2. Technical instruction, technical assistance3. Consigned training
4. Consulting business
5. Operating Kitakyushu Maintenance Engineering
Society
Focusing on themes such as the above, we are building theframework of KITA’s technical cooperation business.
In particular, we expect the consulting business to become
one of KITA’s key attractions in the near future.

2

KITA NEWS No.25

With regard to FY2018, although we have been able to put
together a budget that will put us slightly in the black bymobilizing all possible measures given that KITA’s business ishighly dependent on the situation at JICA, we can assume
that the situation will remain far from rosy in FY2018.
To start with, in our training business I have decided that
we will continue seeking to brand our training, andspecifically tackle the themes listed below, with “Reliable
implementation, from the grasp of local needs to follow-up
on outcomes” as our main theme.
1. Further enrich the content of our training courses
2. Create structures aimed at receiving orders for new
training course
3. Build win-win relationships between the countries
that participate in training courses and thecompanies that collaborate in them
It is still unclear at the moment whether the situation
regarding JICA’s training decisions will improve, so weneed to be careful about plans for KITA’s future in our
Master Plan. It is difficult to maintain our current master
plan, and the situation also makes it hard to see thedirection needed in our rolling plan, so I have decided tosuspend the master plan for our training business for one
year. During that period we will coordinate closely with
JICA and make every effort to launch a rolling master planas soon as possible.
Also, in our technical assistance business we will further
intensify the same themes as in FY2017, including continued
expansion of our consulting business by boosting ourtechnical cooperation brand, and taking action to strengthen
links with Kitakyushu organizations (including the Kitakyushu
Asian Center for Low Carbon Society).
KITA as a whole will follow the three business guidelines
below.
1. Enhance and improve project capabilities with theaim of establishing the KITA brand2. Further promote the streamlining of project
management
3. Establish ourselves as a public interest incorporated
foundation, and ensure transparency, fairness anddisclosure
I humbly ask for your continued support and cooperation.

FY2017 Operation Results / FY2018 Operation Plan
Ⅰ. FY2017 Results
Although we implemented the three guidelines below, an unexpected decision about training courses at JICA
caused problems. KITA’s business revenue depends heavily on JICA and we ended up even further in the red than
had been anticipated due to this unforeseen trouble. However, we were able to deal well with almost all the
future-oriented challenges listed below.
1. Enhance and improve project capabilities with theaim of establishing the KITA brand
1) Training brand: Reliable implementation, from thegrasp of local needs to follow-up on outcomes2) Technical cooperation brand: Continuing projects
intended for the public benefit and pioneering the
global expansion of small to medium-sized
Kitakyushu companies
2. Further promote the streamlining of project
management
1) Clarifying the respective roles of organizations andoperations, and boosting coordination between
organizations

2) Promoting effective use of the IT infrastructure andimproving its functions
3. Establish ourselves as a public interest
incorporated foundation, and ensuretransparency, fairness and disclosure1) Scrupulously protecting information and providing
full disclosure
2) Preparation of the relevant documents for external
audits by the Cabinet Office and Kitakyushu
municipal government3) Securing daily manners as a public interest
incorporated foundation

Ⅱ. FY2018 PlanJICA will continue to face problems in FY2018, and this will have a big impact on KITA. Nevertheless, KITA willmuster all its strength to tackle the themes listed below, and will attempt to claw its way back into the black in
FY2018.
1. Enhance and improve project capabilities with theaim of establishing the KITA brand
1) Training brand: Reliable implementation, from thegrasp of local needs to follow-up on outcomes(1) Further enrich the content of our training courses
a. Accurately grasp the participants’ needs andprovide sound solutions
b. Respond to increasing diversification andspecialization, and further develop andupgrade training sites(2) Create structures aimed at receiving orders for
new training courses
a. Improve follow-up on participants after they
have completed their training course, and get
an accurate grasp of local needs
b. Identify new training needs and continue topromote the diagnosis of training issues
2) Technical cooperation brand: Continuing projects
intended for the public benefit and pioneering the
global expansion of small to medium-sized
Kitakyushu companies(1) Continue to implement projects intended for the
public benefit(2) Pioneer the global expansion of small to
medium-sized Kitakyushu companies and study
profit-making business(3) Coordinate with the Asian Center for Low
Carbon Society(4) Enhance our maintenance training projects:
utilize the Kitakyushu Maintenance Engineering
Society (KME)
2. Further promote the streamlining of project
management
1) Clarifying the respective roles of organizations andoperations, and boosting coordination between
organizations
2) Promoting effective use of the IT infrastructure andimproving its functions
3. Establish ourselves as a public interest
incorporated foundation, and ensure transparency,
fairness and disclosure1) Scrupulously protecting information and providing
full disclosure
2) Preparation of the relevant documents for external
audits by the Cabinet Office and Kitakyushu
municipal government3) Securing daily manners as a public interest
incorporated foundation

KITA NEWS No.25

3

Highlights of KITA training courses
JICA training courses in FY2017№

Title of training course

Training term

CourseLeaderParticipants

ⅠEnvironment Management
1

Advancement of Solid Waste Management Technologies (Advance, Technique) (A)

Jul.09,2017 - Sep.09,2017

Sashiwa92

Advancement of Solid Waste Management Technologies (Advance, Technique) (B)

Oct.15,2017 - Dec.16,2017

Haraguchi

93Management of Composting Project (A)Oct.29,2017 - Dec.02,2017

Sashiwa

8

4Management of Composting Project (B)Aug.20,2017 - Sep.22,2017

K. Kido

11

8

ⅡWater Resources & Water Treatment
1

Operation and Maintenance of Sewerage System (B)Jan.09,2018 - Feb.24,2018

Sueta

2

Water Environment Administration

Jul.09,2017 - Aug.30,2017

A. Kido

7

3

Sewerage Administration Vietnam

Sep.03,2017 - Sep.20,2017

S.Ogata104Integrated Water Resources Management (B)Jan.14,2018 - Feb.15,2018

S.Ogata

7

5On-Site Wastewater Treatment System

Aug.27,2017 - Sep.22,2017

Haraguchi

9Ⅲ｠Production Technology & Local Industry Activation
1

Small and Medium Enterprises / Local Industry Promotion for Latin America (A)Jan.16,2018 - Feb.17,2018

Kitamura

92

Small and Medium Enterprises / Local Industry Promotion for Latin America (B)Jun.06,2017 - Jul.07,2017

K. Kawasaki

13

3

Developed Market Oriented Export Promotion Strategy / Marketing Strategy (B)Aug.19,2017 - Sep.23,2017

Nakashima

94

Developed Market Oriented Export Promotion Strategy / Marketing Strategy (E)Jan.27,2018 - Mar.03,2018

Watanabe85Developed Market Oriented Export Promotion Strategy / Marketing Strategy（Ｃ）

Sep.03,2017 - Oct.07,2017

Io

10

6

Enhancement of Training Management in Vocational Training Institutes (C)Oct.01,2017 - Nov.03,2017

Aritake97Know-how of MONOZUKURI at Japanese Manufacturing Site

Oct.22,2017 - Dec.07,2017

Torikai

11

8

Capacity Development for Entrepreneurs and MSMEs Activation in African Countries

May 13,2017 - Jun.17,2017

Nakashima

89

Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion

Jun 25,2017 - Jul.20,2017

Miki

6

10

"Japanese Food" Business Promotion

Nov.05,2017 - Nov.30,2017

Miki

6

Ⅳ｠Saving Energy & Renewable Energy
1

Promotion of Energy Eﬃciency and Conservation (A)Jul.02,2017 - Aug.05,2017

Kawaguchi

92Promotion of Energy Eﬃciency and Conservation (B)Oct.31,2017 - Dec.16,2017

Ueyama8

3

Renewable Energy in Grid -Mainly on Photovoltaic- (A)Jul.02,2017 - Aug.11,2017

Fujii

9

4

Renewable Energy in Grid -Mainly on Photovoltaic- (B)Mar.04,2018 - Apr.21,2018

Ueyama8

5Energy Eﬃciency and Conservation in Commercial and Residential Sector (A)Aug.20,2017 - Oct.07,2017

Ueyama8

6

Energy Eﬃciency and Conservation in Commercial and Residential Sector (B)Jan.21,2018 - Mar.10,2018

Kawaguchi

87High Eﬃcient and Clean Thermal Power - for Executives (A)Aug.20,2017 - Sep.09,2017

Kubota6

8High Eﬃcient and Clean Thermal Power - for Executives (B)Jan.28,2018 - Feb.17,2018

Fujii

9

9

Knowledge Co-Creation Program (Young Leaders) for Central Asian_Caucasus Countries/Renewable Energy Course

Nov.26,2017 - Dec.13,2017

Kubota21

10Knowledge Co-Creation Program (Young Leaders) for African Countries /Renewable Energy Course

Jul.23,2017 - Aug.09,2017

Kasama14

11

Drilling Management

Jul.05,2017 - Aug.10,2017

Takasaki

7

12

Advancement of Municipal Solid Waste Management Technologies

Jun.18,2017 - Jul.01,2017

Haraguchi

14

Ⅴ｠Health Care, Urban Development & Others
1

Food Safety Administration

Oct.01,2017 - Nov.01,2017

Nakahara

102Urban Management for Sustainable Urban Development (A)Oct.15,2017 - Oct.28,2017

Kitamura

7

3

Urban Management for Sustainable Urban Development (B)Jan.14,2018 - Jan.27,2018

Takasaki

8

Number of countries and participants by area
EuropeMiddle East

(12 participants from 3 countries)(13 participants from 4 countries)

Oceania(20 participants from 10 countries)

Central & South America(100 participants from 26 countries)

Asia(79 participants from 19 countries)

FY 2017313 participants
94 countries

AfricaIn FY2017, 313 participants from94 countries joined JICA training
courses. Central & South America
area sent the most, 100 participants(31.9 ％ of total)(89 participants from 32 countries）

4

KITA NEWS No.25

Highlights of KITA Training Courses
We expect the promotion of the sewerage system project !
“ Operation and Maintenance of Sewerage System (B) ”
Hajime SUETA, Course Leader
The purpose of this course is to train engineers formaintaining and managing sewerage facilities. Since some ofthe participants were new to the sewerage project, we
carried out lectures about sewerage planning theor y
including pipe/drain and treatment facility design overviews
as well.
In this training program, we had eight participants from
Albania, Brazil, Cambodia, Liberia, Papua New Guinea,
S a m o a , S o u t h S u d a n , a n d Tu n i s i a . A l t h o u g h t h ecircumstances of the sewerage system in the country of theparticipants are different and some of the content of thelectures were not necessary for each individual, all theparticipants were enthusiastic in all lectures and tours.
They had so many questions in the lectures and tours that it

was difficult to tell the end of the training sometimes. When aparticipant asked a question about Biochemical Oxygen
D e m a n d ( B O D) , w e a s k e d a p a r t i c i p a n t w h o w a s
knowledgeable about BOD to become a temporary lecturer
and everyone discussed BOD. The entire class was very
lively with questions and answers actively being exchanged.
The participants in the class were eager and active tolearn, fun, and had excellent teamwork. It made me verysatisfied with the training program. From now, eachparticipant will apply the basic knowledge they gained in thet raining program in t heir ow n coun t r y. I expect t he
par ticipants to play a leading role for the promotion ofsewerage projects.

Practice of suspended solids (SS) analysis

Commemorative photo in a sewage treatment facility in Nantan City

＝Speech of thanks at the closing ceremony＝■Representative

Anisa-san from Albania■Closing Ceremony

Feb. 23, 2018

■Course period

Jan.09, − Feb.24, 2018

Sometimes in such cases it is not necessary to use a pieceof paper because the most beautiful words, that come out
from your heart, are those of the moment but I do not want toforget any of who were part of this course.
So on the occasion of completing of this training course, I
have the pleasure and in the name of the group I would like toexpress my gratitude and thanks to all of you and I believe all
those who took part in this training agree with me.
1. At first we thank the Japanese Government that funded
JICA who made this training possible.
2. We thank Mr. Imoto, Director, Training Program Division of
JICA Kyushu and Mr. Terada, Vice President of KITA, thatrealized this project in the best possible way.
3 . O f course this would not be possible wi thou t thecontribution and commitment of the Course leader
Sueta-san and our coordinator Mafumi –san, our thanks
also go to them!
4. Another thanks go for the Japanese people who with theirculture, simplicity, ingenuity and their desire for the work
told us that this is the best way to achieve something.
I would like such events to be continued and to return to agood tradition in the future.
I would like my country to be an organizer and hospitable
place for such events someday.
I wish you all the best and good luck for the next years.

The closing ceremony

KITA NEWS No.25

5

Highlights of KITA Training Courses
Branding and Creating the Sixth Industry to Vitalize Local Industries“ Small and Medium Enterprises / Local Industry Promotion for Latin America (A) ”
Takashi KITAMURA, Course Leader
We conducted a training course with the theme of vitalizing
small and medium enterprises in connection with agriculture,
forestry and fisheries industries as well as local industries in
Latin American regions. The participants came from a wide
range of countries from the Dominican Republic in the
Caribbean Sea in the north to Paraguay in the south.
When the participants visited Hoshino Village to learn about
the history of Gyokuro (refined green tea) in Yame and the Aso
region which has become one of the world’s agricultural
heritage areas, they experienced a heavy snowfall. For theparticipants who had not seen snow, snow covering themountains and grass fields must have been an unforgettable
memory.
The keys of vitalization of the primary industry in Japan are
creation of the sixth industry in which the producers also
process and sell their products and the direct sales of the
products. The participants learned about these things throughvisiting Oyama Agricultural Cooperative Association andMichi-no-Eki (roadside station) Munakata that have beensuccessful in such direct sales.
In addition, branding and promotion of exports are also
impor tant perspectives. In this training course, theparticipants learned about the assistance for branding of“Amaou” strawberries and “Yumetsukushi” rice by Fukuoka
Prefecture as well as the assistance by the National
Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) on
research projects. I hope the participants will bring what theylearned back to their home countries and use it in public
administration and NPO activities as references.
Aso covered with snow:
In Kusasenri

Participants receiving a lecturein NARO

Care for Students, Basis of Education and Training“ Enhancement of Training Management in Vocational Training Institutes (C) ”
Iwao ARITAKE, Course Leader
The targets of this training course were "administrators andinstructors of vocational training institutions”. The purposesof the training course were to improve the required skills forraising the level of operations and management of vocational
training facilities, to set training curriculum based on themarket needs, and to carr y out vocational training incollaboration with the industry. I spent one month with nine
par ticipants from Angola, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico,
Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Paraguay. They were all
extremely bright and cheerful so they were very welcomed by
the people and instructors in all the institutions they visited,which made the training courses there fruitful.
The main purpose of the project is to make the participants
understood the history of vocational training in Japan,
systems that have been cultivated in the history, education inschools and organizations before people start to work, andthe reality of “training in companies” which is the greatest
feature of vocational training in Japan. As the participants
began to understand the main purpose little by little during
this course, they star ted to have specific ideas about
res trictions of their own countr y and environmental

6

KITA NEWS No.25

dilemmas. They received advice from their instructors andcreated action plans for making improvements in suchenvironment s. I feel that these activities gave themconfidence to implement the action plans, which is the mostimportant, after they return to their home country.
I think they came to understand another important thing,that is, “to develop students with care”.
Smiling with theirgraduation certificates

Gifts given by Mr. Nakano
from OVTA(Bookmarks made by children in a
handicapped people’s facility)

Introduction of former participants■ Yemen

Taisuke FUJII, Course Leader

Former Participant

Mr. HASAN A. S. Abdullah

Training Course

Renewable Energy in Grid - Mainly on Photovoltaic (A)Course Period

Jul.02 – Aug.11, 2017

The participants in Renewable Energy in Grid - Mainly on Photovoltaic (A)course in 2017 were a diverse group of nine participants from nine countries.
Mr. Hasan and the other participants all have their respective challenges totackle, and I am impressed by the great zeal with which they engaged in thelectures, field trips and practical training. The tight training schedule took us
Socotra islandfrom Kitakyushu to Tokyo and then back to Kitakyushu, and the participants
tackled the training as a team, sharing information and enthusiastically asking the lecturers questions.
In Mr. Hasan’s homeland Yemen, the electric power supply currently depends largely on oil and gas, but they are
suffering from supply shortages. The electric power infrastructure supports people’s daily lives, but its facilities andequipment are also having problems. A solar power generation project has been announced that will be implemented
with the University of Aden and Socotra island, a famous tourist attraction in Yemen. The project is intended to spreadthe use of solar power generation with a focus on the future. Located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula,
Yemen has great potential for solar power generation. I hope that the political stability be restored so that Mr. Hasan’s
project can be realized before too long.

■ Brazil

Yoshio MIKI, Course Leader

Former Participant

Mr. Caio Minami Yokota

Training Course

Japanese Food Business Promotion

Course Period

Nov.13 – 29, 2017

I am al w ay s del igh t ed t o r ecei ve me s s age s f r o mparticipants. They are a major factor in motivating me to keep
moving forward, and really are a great joy for me as a course
leader. I am in charge of participants who are of Japanesedescent. Since 2007 I have been able to hold this course threetimes and interact with 54 participants. I do this because I
personally have a very high regard for participants who are of
who invited friends round asJapanese descent. Nikkeijin (non-Japanese of Japanese Yokota-san,soon as he returned to Brazil and demonstrated
descent) have inherited the Japanese spirit, and I am deeply his Japanese cooking skills
moved by the way they earnestly engage with all their might in their life in a foreign land.
Yokota-san was a cheerful and inspiring presence during the training. Apparently he still invites friends round fordinner every week now that he is back in Brazil, and I think that his personality endears him to everyone. This photoshows the scene at a Sukiyaki dinner. Don’t you think that the ingredients are incredibly beautifully arranged? Usinga little ingenuity with the ingredients and taking care to arrange the food so that it is visually attractive is theessence of Japanese cuisine, isn’t it? Yokota-san has thoroughly mastered the art of Japanese cooking, and I hopethat he will soon have his own shop and get married.

KITA NEWS No.25

7

Recent Activities for Overseas Development Cooperation
FY2017 Overseas Activities Results
Tomoharu ASAHARA, Director of the Technical Cooperation Division
In F Y2017, the Technical Cooperation Division conducted a wide range of technical cooperation with countries inSoutheast Asia as shown in the table below.
▶ Technical guidance on improving compost manufacturing capacity … (1)▶ Assistance for overseas business exchanges for companies in Kitakyushu City … (2)▶ Assistance for a training program visiting Japan for corporate managers in Hai Phong City, Vietnam … (3)▶ Assistance for overseas business development by companies in Kitakyushu City ~ assistance for the feasibility
study of JICA projects … (4), (6)▶ Grassroots technical cooperation relating to the improvement of waste management capability … (5)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

Country
VietnamVietnamVietnam (Host country)
The Philippines
The Philippines
Malaysia

Contents of survey, cooperation, guidance, etc.
Consideration and assistance relating to the expansion of compost production and business creation in Hai Phong City
Assistance for business exchanges with companies in the southern Vietnam
Assistance for training courses visiting Japan in Japanese-style Management School for corporate managers in Vietnam
Assistance for preparatory surveys and consideration of business creation relating to waste-to-energy in Davao City
Assistance for the improvement of waste management capability in Davao City (Grassroots technical cooperation)
Assistance in feasibility study of the composting of food waste and the establishment of a recycling loop in Malaysia

In particular, "Preparatory survey and consideration of business creation relating to waste-to-energy in Davao City, thePhilippines" has a synergistic effect with the "grassroots technical cooperation project" undertaken in parallel, which has led
to the signing of an exchange note of "Japan’s Grant Aid for waste-to-energy" to Philippines.
In addition, a new grassroots technical cooperation project for Phnom Penh, Cambodia has been adopted, which will keep
us busy in FY2018 as well.

Expanding Business - Business Exchange in the Southern Region of Vietnam
Kitakyushu City and Southern Vietnam Economic Exchange Project
Toshikatsu MIYATA, Executive Technical Advisor
Continuing from last year, KITA gave assistance to thebusiness exchange project with the southern region ofVietnam for the second time in January 2018. This time,
three landscaping companies and four manufacturing
companies participated in the project because Japanesegarden has been booming in Vietnam in recent years.
On the first day, the participants visited a local office ofa Japanese bank and a law firm, etc. to receive lectures
about economic trends in the local area and legal issues
that the par ticipants should be aware of. Then, they
visited local companies in relevant business fields (13companies in total) and had business negotiations.
In the manufacturing sector, many of the companies wevisited have introduced the latest machines made inJapan or have been strengthening their quality control
systems, inducing vigorous business negotiations. In thelandscaping sector, the participants visited a Japanesegarden in a large-scale residential area as well as at heme park of Japanese gardens in t he ci t y. T hey
exchanged opinions about trees and stones used there
and collected information including the circumstances ofthe local landscaping business.

8

KITA NEWS No.25

During the visit this time, we actually felt a booming
economy in Vietnam, particularly a surprising economic
grow th and the expansion of purchasing power in thesouthern region around Ho Chi Minh City. I felt that thebusiness will expand into the sales and service sectors in
the future, beyond the range of conventional entrusted
manufacturing and parts procurement.
Participants had active businessnegotiations in casting, automatedmachines, molding, andenvironment-related companies.

Participants visited a theme parkof Japanese gardens,
RIN RIN PARK. They exchanged
information about trees, stones, andcircumstances of the landscaping business.

Recent Activities for Overseas Development Cooperation
Second-phase Started for Assistance in the Composting of Urban Waste
in Hai Phong City, Vietnam
Koji TAKAKURA, Executive Technical Advisor
Regarding the assistance for the composting of urban
waste in Hai Phong City on which KITA and Kitakyushu
Asian Center for Low Carbon Society have been working,the activities advanced from phase 1 to phase 2 after the
project was reported in KITA News No.47 (July 2017),
aiming to increase the amount of receivable organic
waste from 20 to 40t per day to 100t per day.
In order to achieve the above, not only the technicalmat ter s at t he compos t cen ter, bu t also separate
collection of organic waste that can be used as highquali t y compos t is required . T he separ a t e was t ecollection was formerly applied to only 26 markets and 23
restaurants or hotels in the city, but it was expanded to 30
markets, 100 restaurants or hotels, food manufacturing
factories, and septic tank sludge. Furthermore, two areas
were selected as the model areas where such separate
waste collection in general households was to be started.
In addition, there are plans to prepare a testing andeducational farm for cultivating vegetables and flowers
using compos t , hold an internat ional exhibi t ion toadver tise the activit y to citizens, and use waste ascompost for organic farming by establishing a close
relationship with the Agriculture Bureau. Through these
activities, we have been working on the formation of amarket of compost in addition to simply consuming thecompost in home parks and green spaces.
Our goal is to form an organic waste recycling system in
Hi Phong City.

Training Program in Japan for the Project Assisted by the Ministryof Environment "Preparatory Survey and Consideration for
Business Creation Relating to Waste-to-Energy Project in Davao City”
Yasumitsu KONDO, Executive Technical Advisor
We have been working with Nippon Steel & Sumikin
Engineering Co., Ltd. and the City of Kitakyushu, etc. for four
years, aiming to introduce a waste-to-energy (WtE) facility
in Davao City, the Philippines. The project was finallyadopted in March 2017.
For the establishment of WtE facility, understanding ofmunicipal employees, citizens and NGO about WtE facilities
and dioxin measures, etc. is required as well as grasping theamount of waste. For this reason, we planned a training
program in Japan which enabled the participants to learn
waste management in Kitakyushu City.
T he cur r icu l u m i ncl u de d l ec t ur e s ab o u t w as t emanagement in Kitakyushu City and tours to WtE facilities
and recycling facilities. Ms. Sarah, the Mayor of Davao City
and NGO staff, etc. participated in the first training programi n 2 0 1 7, a l s o f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f c o n c l u d i n g t h e“Environmental Sister City Agreement” with Kitakyushu
City. The second training program was implemented in
February 2018, and the vice deputy mayor and city council
members participated in the training program.
The participants told us that the WtE facility was strictly

controlled and Kitakyushu City was clean and hygienic. The
most impressive thing I remembered in this training programis that the Mayor, Ms. Sarah was highly interested in the city
planning in the future, and that I could feel her purecharacter. The WtE facility construction project started in
March 2018.
Waste-to-energy facility(1st training program)

Garbage station(2nd training program)

KITA NEWS No.25

9

KITA International Friendship Program
A Trip to the Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History & Human History
Tatsuhiko TAKAI, Director, General Affairs Section
Member s o f F I VA ( * 1) organized a t r ip t o t he
Kitakyushu Museum of Natural Histor y & Human
His tor y for par t icipant s in t he F ood Safet y
Administration course on October 21, 2017.
Te n c o u r s e p a r t i c i p a n t s a n d f i v e s t u d e n t s
gat hered jus t af ter 11 a.m. in t he JIC A Ky ushu
lobby. T he plan was f or t he par t icipan t s t oexperience kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) firstso the group headed for a kaiten-zushi restaurant in
the Higashida area.
I t was s t ill a li t t le early for lunch, bu t t herestaurant was already bustling with families andstudents. It was the first time that the participants
had visi ted a kai ten-zushi res t auran t and t hey
seemed a li t t le surprised by t he scene. T he
par ticipant s had been divided into four groups
beforehand and each group sat at their own table.
The participants and students immediately opened
up to one another in lively conversation as they
followed each other ’s lead and picked out sushi
f r o m t h e s e l ec t i o n g o i n g ar o u n d o r p l ace d aseparate order. They also enjoyed competing to see
which group had the highest pile of plates (though
unfortunately several of the participants observe
dietar y restrictions so it was not exactly a close
contest).
After we had finished our lunch, we made our way
to the Kitak yushu Museum of Natural Histor y &Human Histor y. The museum had a lot of visitors
t ha t af t er noon, in spi t e o f t he f ac t t ha t i t hads t ar ted to rain qui te heavil y, and I was a li t t leworried that the participants would get lost in thecrowded museum. None of the par ticipants had
ever been to a museum like t his w i t h dinosaur
fossils and displays about the natural histor y ofancien t t imes. T hey took lot s of photos andbombarded the students with questions, so I thinkt hat t hey reall y enjoyed t his day of f from t heirtraining.
T he K i tak yushu Museum of Natural His tor y &Human History had not been included in the KITA
international friendship program before because it
is so close to where we are, but the par ticipants

10

KITA NEWS No.25

rated i t ver y highl y so I would like to t ake t his
opportunity to thank the students who took the leadin planning this trip.

*1 FIVA
F ukuoka In t er na t ional Volun t eer A s socia t ion . A n
international exchange project at Regional Symbiosis
Education Center, The University of Kitakyushu.
With“Walk, enjoy, learn. International exchanges in
Kitakyushu”as its slogan, FIVA plans and runs events tofamiliarize overseas visitors with Kitakyushu via cultural
exchanges that will teach them about Japanese culture
and the history of Kitakyushu.

At the kaiten-zushi restaurant

At the Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History & Human History

Hello！

from ex-colleague of KITA

Leading an Uneventful Quiet Life

Mr. Junji Kawasaki[Period of enrollment 2002 ‒ 2016]

It has been two years now since I left KITA. I feel my age now and am leading a quiet life
surrounded by the blessings of the natural world.
I was mainly in charge of environmental courses during my time at KITA. I discussed
Japan’s environmental challenges and their countermeasures with environmental officers
from many different countries who had been invited to Japan (the participants in mycourses) and we learned a lot together. Even now happy memories of times spent with theparticipants flit through my mind, and I sometimes open my files of photographs and wallow
in those memories. At the same time, with the way that society is changing so rapidly in
Mr. Kawasaki is in good
health andrecent years, I sometimes wonder about the lives former participants are leading back in
leading an active life
their homelands.
My daily life is spent with my wife of many years. We take care of our health, and I spend my days doing things
like growing a few vegetables and tending our fruit trees.
It’s an uneventful life, but it makes me so happy that Japan, which a few decades ago was troubled by polluted
air and water, has restored its blue skies and clear water. I consider myself blessed to be living in this clean
environment now.

Moved to a Village in Chiba

Dr. Ken-ichi Fujimoto[Period of enrollment 2004 ‒ 2015]

People are living longer, and we are said to have entered the era of “100-year lifetimes”. However, some people
perceive longevity negatively. It is thought that the cause of this negative thinking is the gap between healthy life
expectancy (for a male in Japan: about 71 years old) and average life span (for a male in Japan: about 81 years old). The
maintenance of a healthy life expectancy is very important for each individual. I think that efforts on both the physicalside and intellectual aspects are necessary for the maintenance of a healthy life
expectancy.
A senior-friendly area ranking was published by Nikkei Inc. Amongst 767
areas in Japan, our Kitakyushu City was ranked in the 21st place. In otherwords, the senior citizens who live in Kitakyushu City have useful support
measures. Making use of my geographical advantage, I have exercised in themunicipal gymnasium and participated in a culture circle. Through suchactivities, I tried to maintain my health.
Because I am approaching the end of my life, I decided to move to themetropolitan area where our children’s families and younger sisters’ families
live. Our new address is “Chosei”-Village, Chiba Prefecture. “Chosei” is a very
lucky place name, because the Japanese meaning of “Chosei” is longevity,
However, in the ranking mentioned above it is placed 764th, so the village is notthought to be a gentle environment for senior citizens. Therefore, it seems to bedifficult to use municipal facilities to maintain our health. Fortunately, as I could
borrow a large area of farmland, I intend to maintain my health by engaging in
In a field
agriculture, which needs not only physical strength but also intellectual activity.

KITA NEWS No.25

11

Composting Food Waste PartⅠng
C o m p o s tiyglo
Te c h n oKoji TAKAKURA, Executive Technical Advisor

his time, composting technology is considered

T through the “Takakura-style compost” that is

spreading mainly in Asia and Latin America.
A s t he condi t ions f or in t r oducing appr opr ia t ecomposting, three conditions are particularly important,such as “air (oxygen), water content and microorganisms(bacteria)”.
1. Air (oxygen): As shown in Figure 1, composting ispossible regardless of existence or non-existence ofoxygen. However, aerobic environment can restrain a riskof corruption.
In addition, aerobic decomposition generates a lot of
biological activit y energy, that is, ATP (adenosine
triphosphate). For example in glucose, the ATP generation
amount of aerobic composting is as much as 19 times
h i g h e r t han t ha t o f anae r o b ic co m p o s t i n g . A s
microorganisms are active when the ATP content is high, atime required for decomposition of organic matters is
shortened.
2. Water content: A range of water content suitable forcomposting is 40 to 60%, and excessive water content
increases the risk of corruption.
The oxygen concentration in the air is 21% while theoxygen concentration in water is only 0.0008%. Therefore,
when the compost has an excessive water content and thespace is filled with water, the conditions immediately turnanaerobic, increasing the risk of corruption. Many failuresin food waste composting occur because the watercontent is not adjusted properly even when the watercontent of food waste is 80% or higher.
3. Microorganisms (bacteria): Relationship between
composting and microorganisms can be classified into
three phases as shown in Figure 2.
Characteristic microorganisms in each phase have been
known and dominant species change depending on to thedecomposition status. In other words, it is considered that
arrangement of required microorganisms in advance canlead to a smooth shift.
In the first phase, microorganisms related to the local
fermented food (yogurt, etc.) are effective.

NEWS

No.25 October 2018
K itakyushu
I nternational
T echno-cooperative
A ssociation

Actinomycete in the second phase is a white fungus
under leaf soil, which can collect bacteria and filamentous
fungus (mold) at the same time. A dirt-like smell in a forest
is created by actinomycete, which is a fungus familiar tous.
Basidiomycete in the third phase means a "mushroom",which can also be collected in a fores t . T hecommercially-available hard tip of mushroom can also beused.
We cultivate these familiar microorganisms to create afermenting bed and mix organic waste for composting.
The fermenting bed can be created conveniently using
chaff (habitat of microorganisms) and rice bran (nutrition
for microorganisms). Alternatives in local areas can also
be used depending on the intended purposes.
- Next issue will report on the practice. -Figure 1. Amount of oxygen supply and composting

Figure 2. Relationship between composting and microorganisms

All correspondence should be addressed to Secretariat of KITA:
International Village Center, 1-1-1 Hirano, Yahatahigashi-ku, Kitakyushu City, JAPAN, 805-0062

TEL: +81-93-662-7171 FAX: +81-93-662-7177
E-mail: info@kita.or.jp Web site: http://www.kita.or.jp/english● Web site in English includes KITA’s outline, recent activities and journals published previously.

TEL of Other Divisions of KITA are as follows:

Training Division
TEL: +81-93-662-7173

Technical Cooperation Division
TEL: +81-93-662-7174