I can still vividly remember the first day I landed in the Marshall Islands, about 20 years ago. The smell of the perfume with a unique tropical allure, and the moist air covering my skin, which appealed to my senses, stirred up images of a foreign land that was totally different from Japan. But somehow, even though I visited the same places and was exposed to the same stimuli, I gradually come to feel something completely different. It is a joy to be away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but at the same time, it is a feeling of returning to a nostalgic home where close friends are waiting for me. Many repeat visitors from Japan to the Pacific Islands experience this change in feeling, and it is this "home away from home" feeling that is one of the most attractive aspects of being the island countries. Whenever I have returned to Japan and faced various challenges, an important measure of my values has been the relationship between Japan and the Pacific Island Countries. Japan is one of the world's largest economies, and the Pacific Islands have always been on the periphery of the international market, so it is not surprising that there are many differences. There were times when I regretted that I had regarded Japanese business values as absolute and had totally ignored the lifestyle and customs of the islanders. On the other hand, there were times when I was so concerned with the islanders' sense of values that I was unable to help them understand the strict standard of the market in Japan and other developed countries. However, over the years I have learnt from my island friends that if we treat each other with trust, we can overcome these differences. Of course, there are many Pacific businessmen give up when we tell them how strict the quality control is in the Japanese market. On the other hand, there were certainly challengers who were motivated to take on the challenges of a difficult market and succeeded in developing their own ingenuity. Pacific Islands Centre (PIC), now celebrating its 25th anniversary, has been an honest supporter of these challengers. It is not only through the efforts of PIC that we have been able to promote stronger relations between the two regions. Since the end of World War II, Japan has actively supported young challengers from the island countries through public-private partnerships. Since there is a historical connection that goes back to before the war, Japanese political, business and government leaders welcomed the leaders of the newly founded island countries to Japan and pledged their support for nation building through ODA and other means. We accepted many young people from the island countries as foreign students and trainees, and passed on our expertise in various fields. These young people have since grown to become leaders in their respective countries, and are now working as bridges between Japan and their home countries. The 21st century. In an increasingly globalized world, Japan and the Pacific Islands are no longer accentuating their differences, but rather sharing the same challenges and working together to become equal partners in the future. The number of issues that need to be addressed across the region is increasing, from climate change to microplastics and other forms of marine pollution, to natural disasters on an increasingly large scale. Cooperation between Japan and the Pacific Islands is essential. It seems that people who focus on quantitative data, such as population, and are obsessed with existing values cannot fully appreciate the attractiveness of this region, as they cannot see the potential for business. What is encouraging, however, is that many of the Japanese currently working in the two regions are young, in their 40s or younger. One businessman has worked with local companies to develop local products and connected them to a market that attracts people who prefer organic products. One young leader has been working with government tourism bureaus to raise the profile of the island nations by skillfully using social networking sites and successfully communicating the attractions of each country in many mass media. As these examples show, the Pacific Islands are the last frontier where young people can exercise their new ideas and challenging spirit. Ｉwas a young man in my twenties when I first arrived in the Marshall Islands, and I have started interacting with the local community with a guidebook edited by PIC in hand. Now, as a university teacher, I work with PIC to promote the Pacific Islands by organizing business seminars and symposia, publishing statistical handbooks and business-related books, and training the next generation of young leaders in both regions. As a long-time observer of PIC, I can say that the past 25 years have been a quarter of a century of recognition of the importance of the Pacific Islands in Japan, and a quarter of a century of steady growth of PIC as a centre of business exchange. I sincerely hope that this invaluable institution for both regions will continue to develop as a central platform for promoting exchanges between the two regions.The Pacic Islands are the Last Frontier for Japanese Youth東海大学黒崎岳大Dr. Takehiro KurosakiTokai University
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