I have noticed in the past few months that more and more Japanese young people want to work for the UN. Having learned that I have been involved with some UNDP projects back home, they all emit their usual "Eeeee, sugoi!" (Wow! Cool!) They don't know, of course, that my work with the UNDP was very lateral and sucked most of the time. But even if they did, I think it wouldn't matter for them, because just the word 'Kokuren' (the UN) inspires awe in them.
Of course, this is not true about all youngsters in Japan. I am talking about university students with whom I've had contact most of the time. I can't say, therefore, that the group I have in mind is in any way representative of a greater number of young people in Japan.
Nevertheless, the reaction of these few young and very bright people surprised me. These young and bright people understand the importance of having good language and interpersonal skills, and they often put in a lot of effort into improving their English and presentation skills.
