From a very young age, I remember having an interest in Japanese culture. I especially remember the Harajuku girls’ perfumes by Gwen Stefani that my parents gave me on my 11th birthday. I remember being fascinated by the small perfume especially the shape since it was a cute small Harajuku doll. I remember the sweet floral smell of the perfume. That was the first time I had encountered a bit of Japanese culture. After that, I started to research more about Harajuku fashion and overtime I slowly started to get more interested in Japanese culture through music and anime. it wasn’t until I became a high school student that I made the decision to study Japanese and hopefully one day to go to Japan. Now I have been studying Japanese for about two years, but I often get asked by people questions like “why are you learning Japanese or what’s your purpose for coming to Japan.” I usually respond with I am interested in Japanese music. But if I am to be completely honest, I can’t really give you a simple answer to that question. There isn’t one reason for studying Japanese but many reasons as to why I study Japanese. Some reasons are because I like how Japanese culture is different from my own, I like the music, and I have had many good experiences while talking with Japanese people. Although Japanese wasn’t easy for me when I first started learning it, I slowly started getting accustomed to the language. Right, now I would say my main reason for coming to Japan is to create many good memories and learn more about Japanese culture.

One of my most interesting experiences while in Japan was during my fieldtrip to Koya-san. At the time, the weather had slowly begun to change in Kobe. The leaves had begun to change color and it was getting colder each day. We had originally planned to go to Mount Koya during October. However, because of a major typhoon the trip had to be rescheduled. Thus November 8 was the new date set for the field trip to Mount Koya. At the time, everyone seemed so excited for the school field trip. It was the only thing that the international students could talk about. I was also very excited because it was my first time visiting a Buddhist settlement in Wakayama prefecture. Being a newly converted Christian, I didn’t know what to expect from Buddhism and its teachings. After all, I never really learned much about Buddhism or Shintoism while growing up.

On our way to Koya-san we were riding the bullet train. I couldn’t help notice the beautiful scenery. Especially, the luscious green forests, the rice paddies, and the small Japanese style homes. I couldn’t help admiring the scenery trying to take a mental picture in my head. As someone who was used to city life, seeing so much nature really was a unique experience for me. I had never felt so at ease than in my stay in Koya-san. when we first arrived in Koya san, it was colder than Kobe because of the high altitude. Koya-san was a small and quite Buddhist settlement surrounded by temples and shops. During the time it was beautiful adorned by the kouyou which is the change of leaf colors such as red, yellow, and brown. When we first arrived at the temple I was surprised by the simplicity of the wooden rooms, the tatami mats, and the futons. The futons were so soft that I had no trouble sleeping that night in my warm room.
One interesting experience which happened in Koya- san was when we visited Danjō-garan. It was my first time seeing a Buddhist structure this tall and the staircase made it look like some majestic Japanese palace. To me, the most surprising thing about it was the bright red and green paint used on the temple. Because compared to churches bright colors were rarely used for churches instead neutral colors are preferred. Another thing which surprised me about Buddhism is that Buddhism and Shinto can both be practiced at the same time. Some questions which I had at the time was the difference between a shrine and a temple? Nowadays, what religion is most popular in Japan and why? After the field trip to Koya-san I realized that there is a difference between a temple and a shrine. A shrine is Shinto and it’s a place where the gods reside it usually has a tori whereas a temple is Buddhist and inside the temples there can be Buddhist art. Buddhism was also brought from India and Shinto was created in Japan.

Although, we stayed in Koya san for one day and one night it was one of the most memorable experiences. I learned a lot about Buddhist religion and the effect it has on people everyday lives. I had a lot of fun taking the meditation class with the monk and I will never forget the spiritual feeling I had while visiting the temple. I definitely look forward to taking a east Asian religious course when I return to my home university.

It has been two months since I came back home from Japan. It was a wonderful and life changing experience. I have learned so much about myself, my interest, and future career goals. While living in Japan, I was introduced to the world of Japanese skin care products and beauty. To my surprise, I found that compared to the United States there is not much focus on taking care of your skin and how to use skincare products for you skin type. As I began to make more Japanese friends who were women, I began to develop in interest in skincare products. I wanted to find the secret to their bright healthy skin, so I asked my friends many questions about Japanese beauty and makeup. I found their responses to be very informative and even life changing. Making me reconsider the way I view skincare and the meaning of beauty. The more I learned about Japanese beauty the more I wanted to do research on beauty products. I even went to a traditional Beni museum in Tokyo to do more research about the history of Japanese makeup specifically, rouge. Currently, I have been thinking of becoming a cosmetic chemist in the United States. I would like to hopefully create skincare products for men with natural soothing ingredients. That is why I have decided to do more research to learn about cosmetic products. One day I would like to return to Japan to study Japanese skincare products and learn more about their secrets.
Not only has Japan changed the way I view beauty and skincare. I have created many important friendships with people. I will never forget the happy memories with my friends. Especially those friends who helped me during the covid-19situation. I am also very grateful to everyone who helped me during my study abroad trip. Because of this trip I have decided to pursue my interest in skincare products and continue studying Japanese. I am very excited to start my new journey towards raising more awareness about skincare products in America.