It was 1965 when the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency, the predecessor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), began recruiting the first generation of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs). Happening across a newspaper advertisement about this one day, Masako Hoshino applied and was chosen as one of the first five JOCV members to be sent to Laos. In a career spanning fifty years, she has been active at the front lines of international cooperation ever since.

Learn more about the inspiring career of this pioneering humanitarian and Japanese language teacher at Highlighting Japan!