Before my study abroad experience in Japan, I pictured most of my learning taking place in classrooms, for example, watching films, participating in discussions, and taking notes. What I didn’t expect was how deeply my learning would be rooted in reflection across the cities I had the chance to stay in and visit like Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Osaka. My time in Japan really became an experience where education happened not only in films and lectures but through museums, making my way about the cities, shared moments with my classmates, and even challenges that I personally faced along the way.
One of the most impactful parts of my experience was how well the academic learning molded with the place I was at. A majority of the coursework centered around film, history, and memory, which really came alive during field trips and excursions like visiting museums, especially the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Osaka International Peace Center. At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the way they depicted history wasn’t hard to grasp and didn’t feel distant either. There were personal artifacts, photos, and first-hand testimonies which made the effects of war deeply human. Over the course of the experience, we watched a plethora of films that showed the aftermath of World War II, and while walking through Hiroshima, it enhanced the connection between the film narrative and reality. In the museum, there was a strong emphasis on not only the destruction, but remembrance and peace, which created a great space for reflection.
The Osaka International Peace Center gave a different, but still important, point of view.
Hiroshima focused more on the atomic bomb, while Osaka centered more around civilian life during the war, including air raids and day-to-day survival. Having gone to both museums truly helped me understand how differently history can be remembered depending on the location and focus of the narrative. Visiting these museums reinforced the themes we discussed in class about loss, responsibility, and memory. This showed that museums, like films, can tell stories shaped by perspective.
Watching films was a huge part of the coursework during my time abroad. Watching and discussing films while being physically present in Japan really helped solidify my understanding of how any form of storytelling molds the concept of national identity and memory. The discussions that took place in our classes helped me process not just the film and its messages, but the emotional responses that came up for me. These movies acted as a sort of bridge between viewing the events from an academic standpoint and from a point of personal reflection.
Looking past the academic portion of the trip, some of the most meaningful lessons and messages came from the most ordinary and mundane things upon reflection. For example, riding the bullet train between cities. It wasn’t just a way of getting from point A to point B, it was a lesson in efficiency, modern technological advancements, and movement. Watching the surroundings blur past the window while traveling from Tokyo to Osaka and to Hiroshima gave me the opportunity to reflect on how fast Japan can shift from being extremely modern to deeply historical.
Being in Tokyo, I noticed this city especially emphasized these differences. One day might just involve navigating through the busy streets of Shinjuku and neon-lit neighborhoods of Shibuya, while the next would include a quiet reflection in a museum or classroom discussion. Even something as fun and unexpected as going to Disneyland in Tokyo became a part of my learning experience. While it wasn’t necessarily academic in a traditional way, I found that I learned a lot about the ebb and flow of people at such a popular attraction. I also noted the cultural adaptations and how American media can be reimagined in a Japanese context.
All in all, my time in Japan taught me that learning can come in many different forms, and it doesn’t always come in the ways we expect. My study abroad experience didn’t go quite as planned, but it challenged me to look back and reflect on what it means to learn outside of the classroom. Through museums, films, excursions, and times of happiness and difficulty, I gained a more well-rounded understanding of Japanese history, culture, and even myself. Japan didn’t just become a place I studied, but a space where learning was happening everywhere, often in unexpected ways.
