Waiting for Departure

During my first semester at the University of Florida, I was chosen to participate in the Kakehashi Project as a Japanese language student. The Kakehashi Project was offered through the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was organized by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). The program was created to promote an understanding of Japan by inviting overseas visitors from select universities to experience Japan first-hand and in person. That year, they chose 23 UF students to participate from December 14 - 22, 2015. During the trip we studied local culture, education, government, and technology. The objective of this youth cultural exchange was to promote a deeper mutual understanding among the people of Japan and the United States, to enable future leaders of Japan-US exchanges to form networks, and to help us develop wider perspectives, ultimately encouraging us to play active roles in the future at a global level.

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When I visited Tokyo, I had the opportunity to visit a government building and learn about the structure and the functions of the Japanese government. We also visited a university in Tokyo for a presentation on Japanese history and Japan-US relations. We visited the Tokyo Imperial Palace, where we saw a statue of historical samurai, Kusunoki Masashige outside of the palace. We learned that the emperor and the empress live at the palace and that visitors are only allowed to enter when it's their birthdays. We visited the cultural hub of Akihabara, a shopping district, popular for its pop-culture, technology, and high-end shopping. We also got to visit Meiji Jingu, a Buddhist temple, close to Akihabara. At the end of our trip, I got to represent our UF Kakehashi group when I summarized our experience in Japan in a group presentation, in which our audience consisted of the members from other American universities and JICE representatives.

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After we visited Tokyo for the first time, we took a bullet train to Iwate Prefecture, in the northern part of Honshu, the main Island of Japan. In Morioka, we visited Iwate Prefectural University (IPU) to gain new perspectives on technology and to talk about the natural disaster that had impacted the region of Tohoku. For example, the students of IPU told us about how they volunteered to help rebuild the area. In Morioka, we also stayed at snow cabins. That particular hotel had access to an onsen, or a public bath. It was my first time experiencing such a different set-up for showers and baths.

 

When we went to Kuji City, we broke up into groups and stayed with homestay families. My group stayed with the Sugawara family, a fisherman family. They taught us many important cultural lessons, first-hand. For example, they showed us both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, since Japan has more than one religion. They revealed how a traditional Japanese home functions in the north. We went grocery shopping, to a fish market, to a cemetery, and to see the oldest tree in Iwate Prefecture. I probably felt the most out of my comfort zone while staying with them, since I needed to learn how to act appropriately in accordance to their cultural norms and use as much Japanese as possible. I learned that you're not supposed to enter the home with shoes on. I had to place my shoes at the genkan before entering the house and many public places. I learned the minute details to home etiquette, like having bathroom slippers and main-house slippers. I learned that baths, bathrooms, and toilets are drastically different from their American counterparts. The Sugawara family also shared that they were personally impacted by the natural disaster from 2011, which washed away their fishing boat that they relied on for work. This was international knowledge that was culturally relevant to Japan that I had learned about when it happened. Further learning about this illustrated 

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In Japanese, Kakehashi means 'bridge'. I definitely feel like I served as a bridge for relations between Japan and the US. I overcame the language barrier and strived to achieve cross-cultural communication. I see myself working and living in Japan for at least a few years in the future, or incorporating Japanese into my future dream career.