Ever since I began studying Japanese at the University of Arizona, I have always found not only Japanese language, but culture interesting. I only started college as a Creative Writing major, but over time added Japanese Culture. I continued taking language courses while also learning about the history, religion, and literature of Japan. Last Summer, I had the chance to spend about a month in Kyoto, continuing to foster my knowledge of Japan’s religious and literary history. I found out through my short time in Japan that, not only were the sights and storied locations exciting, but the people were more so. I talked to so many Japanese people, including fellow college students. Ever since then, I knew that I wanted to continue learning about the culture, both through class work and research, but also by learning from Japanese people themselves.
Since the beginning of my interest in Japanese culture, I’ve also loved indulging in literature both historic and modern. Currently, one of my favorite authors is Haruki Murakami, an excellent fiction writer and translator, his work has always been fascinating to me. As a writer myself, I have been so inspired by his work in so many different ways. I also was able to experience the culture of Japanese baseball during my short time in Japan. I went to two Hanshin Tigers games and met so many nice and wonderful people. From a retired man who wanted to share his food, to a salaryman looking for someone to talk to. I wouldn’t have had those experiences that excelled the baseball games without my abilities to speak their language.
A combination of my interests in Japanese culture and the exposure I had during my brief stint in Kyoto, it led me to a desire to spend more time in Japan. It changed my worldview, engaging and communicating with Japanese people and seeing how unique yet similar our lives, interests, and passions all were. This time, I wanted to study abroad again, but focus on the language aspect. It’s the very doorway to learning about who people are and how they view the world, to understanding one another despite being born so far apart. In addition, with having the opportunity to live out of a homestay, I wanted to feel myself grounded in the daily life and culture of Japan. I also look forward to engaging in extracurriculars, like clubs or school sport circles. Being able to not just be a tourist, but living life will help me better understand and appreciate both the culture and society of Japan. I want to further connect with people, bridge the gap between the Pacific Ocean, learning from each other over my stay.
With language, the best way to truly understand and become fluent is exposure. If I want to continue to learn and develop, as not just a writer or a student, but a person, I need to live and be a part of the functioning society of Japan. With the opportunity presented to me, I want to make the most of it. From engaging as a cog in the machine that is my homestay family, to spending time with both my fellow American students and the Japanese students also studying at the same university. Eating with them, learning with them, exploring with them, I want to do it all. I dream about one day teaching English in Japan, helping to translate works to bridge cultural gaps, and continuing to learn about the experiences and views of the world through interaction with others. That dream is very much within reach, all possible with the first steps of studying abroad and nurturing that dream.

Ever since coming to Japan, I’ve had the opportunity to explore many different experiences. And while every day life in Japan can get so hectic and busy, I feel that is exactly what makes it so unique and interesting. Certainly, studying Japanese at University in Japan is an amazing experience, but staying with a host family, afterschool club activities, going on trips, and spending time with my friends is a truly different experience.
First, ever since joining this program, I have felt my confidence in speaking Japanese exponentially increase. I feel confident enough to speak to anyone, in every facet of my daily life. Before, when studying back in America, I hardly ever had a chance to practice Japanese outside of the classroom. But thanks to learning useful grammar, phrases, and words, I speak far more Japanese than I do English, which I find to be an amazing accomplishment. The professors are entertaining and the material is really fascinating to me. Of course, the tests and homework can be difficult, but with constant practice thanks to the Japanese students at the university and the support of others, I never feel like it becomes too much or stressful. It fills me with excitement to continue learning and improving my Japanese.
Every day after school, I head to the athletic facility and participate in club activities. I joined the Rugby club and through this, I’m able to spend time with Japanese people my age, learn about the culture of clubs, and play a sport that I am passionate about. Everyone in the club has been welcoming and we even spend time together outside the club. In December, I was able to participate in the final game of the season, preserving and watching all my practice with my teammates pay off. Despite losing to a very strong opposing team, both sides met for dinner and talked together. To me, getting to experience the Japanese culture of clubs while also finding myself back in the environment of a sports team working together is a precious experience to me.
Every day after practice, I return to my homestay. My homestay isn’t as busy as I had expected it to be, but I found it to be relaxing, with delicious food and always interesting conversation with my homestay family. When I’m off from school, I have gone on vacations with my homestay family. One weekend, with a member of the family, we went to Mie prefecture and visited a hot spring in the mountains. Because we drove via camping car, we were able to have great conversations, eat some delicious food, and I slept right there in the car. Then, having parked at a scenic spot, that morning we awoke to a beautiful sunrise. I was also able to spend new years with my homestay family in Okayama prefecture. This led to me learning about Japanese new year culture and how they celebrate the occasion. We ate delicious festive food, watched television, and talked for hours. Then, at midnight, we all went to a shrine together, it was an amazing experience. Whether it was at my rugby game, or when I was injured, or contracted influenza, my homestay family was always there supporting me.
Another experience I would like to talk about is traveling with my friends. In January, I visited Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture with one of my friends. For me, it was a relaxing vacation, staying at a Japanese style inn in a quiet oceanside town. However, to my friend, his favorite anime took place in Oarai, so it was quite an important trip for him. Any new experience is important to me, so exploring this city and hearing about his passion was so much fun. Then, in February, with some friends, we flew to Hokkaido for the Snow Festival. Besides the festival, we explored Sapporo, went skiing, saw museums, and enjoyed the abundant snow. These experiences also will stay with me forever and I want to continue traveling with my friends in the near future.
I want to continue to experience all sorts of fun things like these. Eating delicious food, traveling to places I have never been, and doing my best in both school and club activities. And, these I experienced all in only a short five months. I’m excited for what’s next with the time I have in the program.