In the spring vacation of her first year, in order to participate in the specific NGO Walk with Friends of the Earth, Takamatsu used the Faculty of Law's scholarship supporting motivation and traveled to India. On this tour Takamatsu observed NGO staff aid women of farming villages in becoming independent and educating children. This made her think about various things.

“I thought about what I should do in these kinds of situations. Is just acting on instinct really helpful to the people living in those areas? Am I being of any use, not knowing anything about the local area? I couldn't find an answer at the time.” To find an answer, in her second year, Takamatsu decided to study in an FLP international cooperation program, and chose the social development seminar conducted by current JICA employee, Yoichi Suzuki.

Social development means not just economic development but also comprehensive development including improvement of living conditions for people in the area and community development. In learning about social development, Takamatsu recalls, “I also became interested in problems within Japan.”

Using the scholarship, in addition to FLP, she put a lot of energy into activities outside university. As an NGO intern she monitored the progress of projects and participated in events. She met many different people through her NGO activities. “It was interesting having discussions about things from different viewpoints. Interacting with people who have come from different backgrounds was great stimulus for me.”

And through these experiences, Takamatsu found the theme of Agriculture. From the point of view of food and agriculture, she came up with the goal of “working to have people pay attention to the troubles faced by the earth, such as environmental problems and the North-South problem.”

As a result of her energetic work in various activities, Takamatsu could clearly see what she wanted to achieve. Looking back over the four years, she stresses, “I think your university years are the only time in your life when you can freely do anything you want.” With no regrets, she adds, “In these four years I could pursue what I really wanted to learn to my heart's content. The scholarship supporting motivation also helped me along.”

In giving advice to her juniors she says, “Definitely go after what interests you and take action. It will be a waste of your time if you don't.”

(Hirose)