If you have ever wondered if there is a place in existence where you literally feel like you are in a different..world, then let me tell you a little about Japan.
I landed in Tokyo’s Narita Airport last Wednesday with few pre-conceptions about Japan, except for extensive research on my region, it’s geography, food, and my city of roughly 115,000. Stepping off the plane, I felt a huge sense of independence and responsibility to take care of myself and to act as an effective ambassador of The United States.
I have done alot of traveling in Europe and Central America, but to come to Asia for the first time ever was a huge milestone and important time for me. Now that I am here, I will do my best to adapt to the Japanese way of life and befriend as many people as I can.
So far, I can say that Japan is unlike anything I had ever imagined…and I mean that in the best way imaginable. It’s something refreshingly new to see 3 different “soda” machines right next to each other, touching, each with about 30 different colorful options, and to not know what you will find in them…! The senses all come alive in Japan, and with each new discovery or occurence comes a new reason to explore and look beyond the boundaries of one of the world’s most influential and progressive nations.
It’s conservative and traditional..it’s new-age and mysterious..it’s innovative and interesting…it’s all of these things with a modest touch of “seikatsu” that come together to make me want to explore every inch of Japan, and I shall!
I hope you enjoyed my long prelogue…now let’s get down to my experience in detail.
I am living in Japan’s small Gunma Prefecture, in the city of Kiryu, about 1.5 hours by car northwest of Tokyo. My city is situated in a valley that is the border of the Tokyo low-lands and the Japanese alps, so there are many geographical contrasts present in Kiryu. On multiple occasions so far I have biked across the river that runs through Kiryu and have finally learnt the right side of the road to bike on…or should I say the “left” side of the road to bike on. This also goes for driving and walking, of course!
Learning the proper greetings and gestures that come with greetings and goodbyes is key to understanding the Japanese ways and the polite customs that we as Americans have sort of blocked out, even with our own greetings and customs. On the flip-side, the Japanese are fiercely proud of the way they live, eat, and interact in ways that took me by surprise, and continue to take me by surprise, but is the force that continues to help me learn, enjoy, and adapt to my time here. In summary, for those going or who have come back from an exchange program…the things that confuse, take you by surprise, frustrate you, make you reluctant to adapt, or simply challenge you in any aspect are the things that will make you, “you” in your exchange, or have made you who you are. These things will be your best friend and you will certainly be glad and appreciative of what frustrated you at first.
On Saturday night I gave a speech to my hosting Rotary club about who I am and why I choose Rotary. Overall I felt good about my speech, and hoped others liked it as well. I was especially glad that I choose to do my speech first in English and then in Japanese because it brought out the inter-culturally aware person inside of me, and should for any ambassador. Along with my semi-nervous speech I gave a powerpoint presentation in English and Japanese about my hometown and sponsoring Rotary club, d7170. It was great getting to meet so many rotarians and their families, even though it was still a pretty small club.
I’ve been exploring the food in my town (however I have a separate blog for my culinary finds), along with meeting my neighboors and my host parent’s friends whom I found to be very welcoming in a Japanese way. From exchanging my money at the local bank, to bike riding in the valley, to meeting my school teachers and administrators, to getting fitted into my school uniform, to saying farewell to my host sister at the airport who left for the states on Tuesday, and many nice dinners with my host family and the rotarians, my year has had a fresh and interesting start with many new adventures and challenges to come…
I start school on the 1st..and I will meet the other 4 exchange students in my district on Sunday for the first time, all of whom are from the US….it will be great!!
Let me tell you..Japan is not just a place..it is a way of life.
It’s a mix of old and new..with a vibe that America could not even begin to put a finger on..it’s charming, endearing, mysterious, scary, confusing, hard to get, yummy, charismatic….it is a way of life that is hard to explain from a foreigner’s point of view, but look into the eyes of any Japanese person and you will see it in your own words….Japan is synonymous with tranquility and tradition.
In a word, Japan is ??……seikatsu.