Hiromi KAWAMURA (PR Secretary and Senior Director of International Relations, Tokyo Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games)

Indulging in reading wherever and whenever she could

“Reading is like eating. Just like receiving nutrition from food, knowledge is gained through reading. So read whatever books you want to get a balanced reading diet.” On this advice from her grandfather, Ms. Kawamura has been caught up in reading since she was a junior high school student. She got into reading so much that one morning, she told her mother that she had read all night without sleep.

She entered the School of Human Studies out of an interest in learning

At her high school, which was an experimental school, students studied all subjects in social studies (History, Geography, Ethics, Politics & Economics) and science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology) while in school. There were many compulsory courses, so the semester final exams were held for 10 days, but she laughed, “It was fun to learn a lot.” The fun of “learning” motivated her to enter the School of Human Studies. “It was the first school of interdisciplinary studies in Japan that combined the humanities and natural sciences. This would allow me to learn multiple fields, so I felt that it would be interesting purely from a learning standpoint.”

At Columbia University’s graduate school, which she enrolled in ten years after graduating from Osaka University, she was required to take courses of Kant philosophy and macroeconomics, which she had already studied in liberal arts courses at the School of Human Studies. “I often feel that what I had learned at the School of Human Sciences served me well after I entered the work force as well as during graduate school.”

Scholarship that she could learn only at the School of Human Sciences arose her interest

One of the more impressive courses at the School of Human Studies was “Clinical Thanatology and Geriatric Behavioral Science.” As a part of the course, she took part in training in the hospice of the Yodogawa Christian Hospital and learned psychological support in end-of-life care. Looking back, Ms. Kawamura says, “At the time, it was suggested that Japan was on the road to be a super-aging society, so social interest in the new field of geriatric behavioral science was also high. I also had opportunities to interact with individuals from outside of the university . I was drawn to an academic discipline that one could only study at the School of Human Sciences.”

A shocking experience while studying abroad as a high school student

After graduating from university, she worked on international relations projects, such as starting the public-private study abroad support system “Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative.” This drive could be traced back to the summer study abroad program in the USA that she participated in during her first year of high school. At camp, she made friends with a female volunteer helping out the international students. “I thought she was around my age, but surprisingly, she was a 4th grader (laughs). I was surprised at her independence even at such a young age. I felt that there were a lot of things that I still didn’t know, and that I would never know if I didn't look, speak, touch, and experience them for myself.” This experience gave her the "urge to work in a job that would connect Japan and the rest of the world.”

Having valuable experiences enriches your life

To current students at OU, she speaks about the importance of having valuable experiences. “It’s okay if you still don't know what you want to do what you want to be. You don’t need to rush. But any information that you can find on the internet becomes stale the moment you access it, so I want you to cherish the experiences that only you could have and the people only you could meet.  Once you put what you felt and how you were influenced by such experiences into words, it will shape your own life and lead you to your dreams. I want you to have many of these kinds of experiences.

On the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, she said, “I want many people to enjoy Tokyo 2020 through volunteering or cultural event planning so that they can have a sense of fulfillment. 2020 is not the goal. I want to put myself into a behind-the-scenes role with consideration of what will remain after the Olympics, i.e. the Olympic Legacy. I hope OU students will get involved in some form,” Ms. Kawamura said with a smile.

• Hiromi KAWAMURA

After graduating from the School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Hiromi KAWAMURA entered the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (now: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) in 1998. After working in the Financial Affairs Division and the Special Support Education Division, she completed the master course of the School of Public Policy (now: School of International Public Affairs) at Columbia University. After returning to Japan, she was involved in registering the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range as a world Heritage Site in the Agency for Cultural Affairs. She was also in charge of international affairs in the International Program Department of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the International Affairs Division of the Minister’s Secretariat as well as development of global human resources in the elementary and secondary education. She started the study abroad promotion campaign “Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative” and is the Chief Development Officer for “Tobitate! Study Abroad Program for high school students.” She has also been involved in “Super Global High Schools,” which develop global leaders, from its conception. She was on loan to the IOC in 2015 and returned to Japan in April 2017. In August 2017, the title of PR Secretary was added to her current position of Senior Director of International Relations, Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG).

Agency Information

• Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG)
(Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 8F, 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo)

The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) was established by Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and The Tokyo Metropolitan Government as a general incorporated foundation in 2014, and in 2015 it became a public utility foundation. This committee, together with related organizations, as a leader of the nationwide participation drive for Tokyo 2020, has carried out projects related to preparation and management of the games. The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 24 ~ August 9, 2020, while the Paralympics will be held from August 25 ~ September 6, 2020.

Note: This article was originally published in 2017.