Agreeing to be interviewed but only 18, Ikuko Sato brought along her elder sister Kyoko for support. Actually, Kyoko had her own motive for joining us. Soon to visit a Filipino friend in England, she wanted information on traveling in the U.K.: "Is there a special rail pass for tourists? And what do you know about Leicester?" (Leicester?)
I first met Ikuko two years ago, when she was a student at Kamajo, a prestigious private high school for girls in Kamakura that places a high priority on communicative English skills. Impressed by her maturity, excellent English and keen interest in the world, we kept in touch.
Now she is a first-year student at Sophia University in Tokyo, applying her mind to law in relationship to the global environment in the department of legal studies. "It's a new course. This year we're covering the civil code, the Japanese Constitution and so on. Their relationship to environmental law will come later. My aim is to become a lawyer specializing in environmental protection."