“Vietnam has become an indispensable part of my life”

Mr. Ishibashi arrived in Vietnam in March 2011. Since then he has become captivated by the natural beauty and friendly people of the S-shaped country, which provides him with constant passion and inspiration in both life and work.

He is currently in a three–year term as the headmaster of the Japanese School of Hanoi, home to more than 200 Japanese students from 1^st to 9^th grades.

The students at the school have parents living and working in Vietnam. Every day, they go to school by bus and stay at the boarding school during the daytime, where they study the same subjects as friends of the same age in their home country.

Mr. Ishibashi says that he came to Vietnam with his wife, who also has good sentiments towards Vietnam and always creates favorable conditions for her husband to work in the Southeast Asian nation.

Although this is his first working trip to Vietnam, the Japanese headmaster already considers the country as his second home. He has no feelings of being a foreigner living in a strange country.

He makes great contributions to education and training in Vietnam, aimed at helping Japanese students access their homeland’s education right here in Vietnam. After travelling back to Japan, these students can continue their studies at other schools in their fatherland without suffering any interruption in their studies while living with their parents in Vietnam.

According to Mr. Ishibashi, Vietnam is a peaceful and stable nation in which Japanese students and their parents feel secure about their daily lives. This security and stability has meant the number of Japanese students registering to study at the school in Hanoi has been steadily increasing.

Apart from his busy work schedule, Mr. Ishibashi often goes to Hanoi’s Old Quarters, especially the areas surrounding Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake. “Vietnamese coffee has a good taste. I like the French-style coffee bars in the Old Quarters of Hanoi, few big cities in the world have such a unique and ancient style”, he says.

Mr. Ishibashi also loves Vietnamese food, like his wife, who can cook some Vietnamese dishes.

During holidays and weekends in Vietnam, the Japanese headmaster usually travels to different regions in the country. Each place he passes leaves a deep impression on him, especially the ancient city of Hoi An, the beautiful beaches in the central region, and traditional handicraft villages.

He has a soft spot for Vietnamese beaches and his upcoming visit will take in Phan Thiet – a tourist attraction in central region.  He wants to explore the natural beauty of coastal areas, as well as local fishermen’s daily lives.

However, the headmaster raises concerns about Vietnamese people’s awareness of environmental protection and their dubious obedience of traffic law. “Vietnam is a beautiful country, so I think local people should not throw rubbish onto the streets and in public places. They should also try to strictly follow the traffic law,” he says./.