Charms of Japan’s Mt. Chokai, Surrounding Areas Shared by Foreign Coordinator of Promotion Council; Organization Aims for Geopark to be Recognized by UNESCO

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:24 JST, March 24, 2025

NIKAHO, Akita — The natural attractions of Mt. Chokai and the surrounding area are being shared in English by a foreign employee at the Mt. Chokai-Tobishima Island Geopark Promotion Council in Nikaho, Akita Prefecture.

Katrina Killinger, from the United States, has been working as a coordinator for the council since last August. She works to promote Mt. Chokai, which lies on the border of Yamagata and Akita prefectures, and its surrounding areas. The aim is to have the geopark recognized by UNESCO as a Global Geopark when the organization’s review process is held in 2028.

Killinger’s hometown of Greenville, S.C., has views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which appear in the lyrics of the international hit song “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Part of the Reedy River, which runs through the town, becomes a waterfall, and the surrounding area, which has been developed into a park, is rich in nature.

When Killinger was a junior high school student, she was fascinated by Japanese anime such as “Naruto” and became able to understand some of the lines spoken in Japanese without subtitles. She thought it was good to understand the original language, so she began studying Japanese at a local university. From September 2017, she spent a year as an exchange student at Chukyo University in Nagoya to improve her language skills.

After returning to the United States, she began working as an interpreter for a Japanese-affiliated company. However, after enjoying her experiences with Japanese people and culture, she applied for the JET program managed by the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations. She worked in the town of Okinoshima, Shimane Prefecture, for five years from 2019. During this time, she worked on English descriptions of exhibition facilities at the Oki Islands UNESCO Global Geopark and contributed to the area’s revalidation as a Global Geopark. This then led to her current position.

Killinger began living in Nikaho last summer. “There are many beautiful places [in Nikaho where] water and greenery mix, such as the Mototaki Fukuryusui Underflow and the Naso no Shirataki waterfall,” she said. “I really feel how the snow melts and freshwater seeps in the mountains, flowing into the ocean as spring water through waterfalls and rivers.”

“In Nagoya, I found the usefulness of convenience stores and friendliness of the shopping streets, and in Oki, I learned about the magnificence of the sea and the warmth of the people,” Killinger said in fluent Japanese, reflecting on life in Japan. Based on her own experience, she said that what is important when communicating with foreigners is the attitude, not the language.

“Just speak without building barriers, or worrying about grammar. Then, you can build human relationships and expand your world,” she said.