12 of 12: A Day in June 2026

Photo above by (and with) Alexandra Botoş, JCI Romania

It’s June 12, and I’m documenting the 12th of the month with 12 photos. Thank you to Caro from Draußen nur Kännchen for keeping the tradition alive. 😊

I’m attending the Asian Pacific Conference (ASPAC) of Junior Chamber International (JCI) in Niigata, Japan. It’s my first ASPAC. I look forward to learn about new things and to talk to people from all around the world.

1/12: I wake up at 7:00 and wonder if I should rush to join the first training session at 9:00. Since I feel tired, I decide to take it easy, take a shower and inform myself about what to do in the city.
2/12: From my hotel window, I can see the shuttle bus to Toki Messe, the conference’s venue. I decide to walk.
3/12: I attend “Leading a Generational Team” training. JCI trainings are just the best opportunity to meet people! 😊 This is our role play team from Indonesia, Germany, Hong Kong, and Hawaii.
4/12: I rush to the lunch venue and choose the food stall with the shortest queue. On my way out, I take along a cup of edamame with me, forgetting I need to carry the garbage with me, because there are no public garbage cans in Japan. 😅
5/12: It’s a 30-minutes walk through residential area from the conference venue to the sake brewery where I booked a guided tour. It’s not too hot. However, I would still appreciate some shade.
6/12: The only English brewery tour of the day is conducted by a German guide. After the tour, I treat myself with a break and ice cream made of a byproduct of the sake production. 😋
7/12: I walk to my hotel, where I finally eat my onigiri (rice ball) lunch and have a very soft and tasty chestnut mochi as dessert. I postpone going back to the conference and have a short nap instead. 😅
8/12: Back at the conference, I attend the JCI Senate Opening Ceremony. I appreciate the big “old-eye” font size used for the talk translation.
9/12: At some point I need to go to the toilet. These are abundant, free, high tech, and spotless in Japan.
10/12: I stroll through the Malaysian, Bangladeshi, Singaporean, Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Mongolian, and Korean “Nights”. The parties are often packed, loud, and full of fun games, such as this arm-wrestling. After unsuccessfully trying to find something to eat, I decide to head downtown. My request for dinner companions on WhatsApp goes unanswered.
11/12: I end up at a gyoza restaurant, ran by an elderly couple. I wonder if they were working because they needed to make ends meet or if they did it for fun. I was told that many elderly people in aging Japan had to work, because their pensions weren’t enough.
12/12: The owner and I have a short, nice conversation using DeepL. They have been running this restaurant already for 42 years. I go to my hotel around the corner and enjoy a relaxing evening.

How was your day? Let me know in the comments! 😊

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By Shau Chung Shin

I am a designer, businesswoman and founder of HAHAHA Global and Gesund in MeinerStadt. I develop solutions and products that encourage an open and positive approach to taboos. In doing so, I contribute to a healthier and more peaceful world.