In January I traveled to Okinawa, Japan, an island far to the south of "mainland" Japan to intern for the Okinawa Ocean Culture and Environment Action Network (Okinawa O.C.E.A.N.). By combining my academic experience in Japanese language and environmental policy, I assisted the organization in preparing a proposal to create a Marine Protected Area in the Cape Maeda area of Okinawa, where fishing, scuba-diving, and development pose threats to the fragile coral reef ecosystems.