Path to Japan
As a freshman in high school, my family hosted two Japanese students around my age. I remember when they first arrived, I could tell they wanted to express themselves more, but the language barrier held them back. Wanting them to feel welcomed, I secretly learned some phrases to say to them, and I remembered they were taken aback but immediately giggled and gave me a big smile. That feeling of speaking someone’s native language inspired me to continue learning Japanese and more about their culture. However, I soon realized it was distracting me from my path to becoming a software engineer. So naturally, I put that passion aside and fully focused on my career. Years passed and now having been accepted into the computer science program at UWB, I felt I did it. But, somewhere in me I did not feel content. That dream I had of going to Japan and becoming fluent in a foreign language resurfaced, and I immediately went into the UWB’s study abroad office to figure out how to make it a reality.
Film and Art
The program I ended up choosing was World War II Through Film, Tokyo. It took place in the middle of Shibuya and Shinjuku, with a couple of days in Hiroshima. Each day consisted of watching a Japanese WW2-era film from likes of Black Rain to Grave of the Fireflies after going on field trips to museums and visiting historical areas like Omoide Yokocho, a black-market during WW2. The biggest takeaway I had was being able to look at America from a different country’s perspective. It is hard to put into words and is something you can only experience walking through the well-done Hiroshima Peace Museum and seeing the remains of the Genbaku Dome. An eye-opening thought Professor Yujin Yaguchi at the University of Tokyo brought up was that America has never experienced pure, utter defeat before, so the only message Japan can push forward is to remember World War II as a reminder to avoid war at all costs. Initially, this seems like a positive thing, but he follows it up by asking “does saying sorry mean you acknowledge all the mistakes, or do you selectively choose some and rather have the others forgotten about it?”
Tokyo: Always something to Do
I honestly thought I would run out of things to do there in the first week. Instead, I left feeling like I explored only a small section of the city. The videos you see of the Shibuya Crossing or just the overall anime aesthetic are exactly right in front of you. Every day felt like a new adventure: exploring the 8-floor Mega Don-Quijote, going to a Japanese baseball game, or just dedicating an entire day to go to the real-life places in Your Name to name a few.
The reputation of Japan’s world-class train system is exactly what you think it is: never late, sometimes overpacked, and you can essentially go anywhere with ease. If being in the city the whole time bothers you like me, I went to the massive Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, drank green tea, and soaked in the beautiful nature.
And the foooood, I promise you anything you buy will be good. On the first day, I went to the Conbini for breakfast, on the last day I was still eating Conbini food and brought some back as souvenirs. Just choose a restaurant that looks good and ask what they recommend. I used that strategy, and I only had a single bad experience over the whole month.
Knowing the local language
Although getting around Japan, especially Tokyo, knowing only basic phrases is perfectly fine, if you have the time, it is so rewarding to learn the language. Before I arrived, I took the 1st year of Japanese and seriously self-studied for another year. When I got there, I found the hours I practiced memorizing vocabulary and pushing myself to practice speaking paid off as I could easily communicate with others and share laughter with locals. If you have the time, study a lot. Really get into it and I promise you your experience will be way different than if you do not.
The End?
Though my stay was just a month, the memories I made are unforgettable. I have so many interesting stories I can tell. The new friendships I made are still oncoming and the existing ones got even stronger. If you are hesitant about studying a foreign language or going abroad, just do it. Even like me where I thought it had nothing to do with my major or career, you will be surprised at how you can combine your passions together. I am currently using machine learning to find patterns within Japanese audios in order to categorize them. As Steve Jobs said, “You cannot connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
