Japan-Palau Alumni Series: Vol.35- Mr. Lindon Kohama

Mr. Lindon Kohama is an alumnus of the Japan Government MEXT scholarship. He is the son of the late Mr. Yoichi Kohama and Ms. Monica Rechirikl. He graduated in March 2026 with a Masters degree in International Development from Nagoya University Graduate School of International Development.
 
Mr. Kohama went to Koror Elementary School for eight years then continued on to Mindszenty High School for four years. After high school, he proceeded to Chaminade University in Hawaii and earned his Bachelors degree in International Relations. After graduating, he worked at the Ministry of State and was assigned to work at the Embassy of Palau in Belgium. After returning to Palau, he then went on to work for the Office of the Minister of Finance.
 
While working for the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Kohama heard about the MEXT scholarship so he applied in 2022 and got accepted. Once accepted, he went on to study in Japan from 2023 to 2026. Since childhood, he had always wished to go to Japan someday and through the MEXT program, Mr. Kohama was able to fulfill this objective.
 
This was Mr. Kohama`s first time to go to Japan. Life in Japan was all new to him even though his father, Mr. Yoichi Kohama, is Nikkei “Palauan of Japanese descent”. There were different nationalities represented at his school, with Mr. Kohama being the only Palauan living in Nagoya and the only student from the Pacific Islands in his department. Mr. Kohama says that he connected with other foreign students and they formed a very close friend group. They helped each other with paper work and school assignments and attended several activities together.
 
His fondest memory was traveling throughout Japan with his friends. Mr. Kohama visited many places, including Okinawa, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Okayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Shiga, Gifu, Saitama, and Tokyo. He also recalls watching the Chunichi Dragons baseball games in Nagoya, the Awaodori festival in Tokushima prefecture, the Yuki Matsuri in Hokkaido prefecture, and the Chichibu Yomatsuri in Saitama prefecture. Mr. Kohama`s favorite season is spring as he enjoyed viewing the cherry blossoms.
 
While visiting different places in Japan, Mr. Kohama made it a point to try the special delicacies of each region. Mr. Kohama enjoyed champon in Nagasaki, fugu in Shimonoseki, and “Genghis Khan” in Sapporo, something he would never have had a chance to eat before. His favorite Japanese food is sushi.   
 
He was impressed at how orderly and punctual everything was, especially the trains. He took it to heart that he must follow the time as a show of respect for others. He also learned the value of being considerate and respectful of other people`s time and space, such as putting the mobile phone on manner mode inside the train or keeping to the appropriate side of the escalator to allow others to pass.
 
Mr. Kohama chose to go to Japan because it`s been in his heart that one day he will be able to experience its distinct culture and sights. His friends and work colleagues encouraged him to expand his horizons and explore other practices and perspectives. He believes that because of his time in Japan, he learned many valuable lessons that he hopes to apply in his future career and his life.
 
Mr. Kohama`s understanding of Palau and Japan`s relations for the past 30 years is that both countries have successfully maintained a cordial relationship. He believes that these ties will deepen through continued cultural exchanges, tourism, scholarships, training opportunities, and other programs. He also expressed his hope that these engagements will provide more space to understand and appreciate the history, shared values, and friendship between Palau and Japan.
 
After graduation, Mr. Kohama has since returned to Palau, where he hopes to apply the skills he learned in Japan and contribute to his home country.

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Read Mr. Lindon Kohama's additional report here