When I was 15 years-old I took a two week trip to Japan. Alone, without knowing more than "hello" and "thank you" in the local language. On top of that, it was my first time leaving the country. I didn't stay with relatives, I barely had service most of the time, and I was not in a big city with an embassy. All I had was a credit card, my passport, and two bottles of conditioner (since I had mistakenly forgotten to check the labels and believed I had bought shampoo). I didn't stay in Tokyo, in fact, I didn't even go near Tokyo!
Going back a few years before, I had dreamed of going to Japan and experiencing the culture, but I knew I wouldn't be able to afford it and that my parents would never agree (in the interest of my safety, of course). It just wasn't a realistic dream, so I watched vlogs of those who did get to live my dream and I researched what I could for when I would take that trip, no matter how far in the future it would be.
It turned out to be only a couple of years later when my mother asked me if I would like to be an exchange guest in Japan that upcoming summer. My grandmother's rotary club was sponsoring a two-week homestay in Wakayama, Japan with a club in the area. It was 100% paid for, all my family and I had to do was say yes, get me a passport, and pack a bag (okay so I did have to be interviewed a little and attend a couple of meetings beforehand, but this was nothing in comparison to what the club provided for me). So my mom drove me to SFO, gave me a tight hug and stayed until I got through airport security. Approximately 15 hours later, I landed in Osaka, Japan.
The first night was one of the hardest nights I've ever had. I wasn't able to sleep on the plane and the time difference was so large that I got there around dinnertime. I felt shy and awkward when I was dropped off at my first host family's house so I just sat at the table in the kitchen while my new host mother ordered pizza of all things. The pizza was nothing like American pizza and I immediately felt homesick and anxious. I felt like I had failed already. I didn't realize this would get better in the morning, but I went to bed anyway.
It got infinitely better the next morning, and even better every day after that. I rotated between a couple of host families during the two weeks I was there, but all three were excited to let me stay in their homes and experience their lives for a few days. I grew especially close to my first host family, who were my main family in a way. I would stay with another family for a night or two and then come back to their home. The father ran a health clinic on the first floor of their home and spoke English very well. His wife acted like a second mother while I was there, ensuring I was safe and healthy to the point where I was told we were not going out one day, just because I could become ill from the heat. She said it was her duty to take care of me if my own mother couldn't and it made me feel at home. She was goofy and worried, just like my own mother. They had a daughter who was a couple years younger than I was and two sons who were much younger.
Most people want to hear about what I did when I was in Japan, so I'll tell you all of it. I went to the Osaka aquarium, Universal Studios Japan, Abeno Harukas (the tallest building in Japan); white-water kayaking, sea kayaking, shopping at Namba Parks (a mall that is designed to look like a beautiful canyon); saw a traditional play in a Kabuki theatre, took a river tour of Osaka, visited multiple temples; pet the deer in Nara, had a deer in Nara eat my map, wore a yukata; visited the University of Wakayama with Chinese exchange students, went to an Italian theme park on the water, honored Tama-chan the station master at Kishi station; saw Osaka castle, learned about the start of anesthesiology in a little museum, visited more temples and shrines; had a traditional Japanese dinner where you had to kneel on the floor and were served multiple courses, and ate sushi from a conveyor belt.
While all of these things were amazing to experience, they weren't what made my trip so special. Anyone could have done that and had a totally different experience, and even though it's a cool experience, they wouldn't understand just how special a certain type of temple is or what is customary to do during meals at such restaurants. They would get the shallower tourist attraction catered to them and would not get to know what Japan is like outside of the theme parks and temples. The best experiences I had while in Japan were the ones that were parts of everyday life for my host families. They didn't go to Universal Studios regularly or take river tours of the city. They went grocery shopping, took the train to work, went to school baseball games on Saturdays, went out with family friends for dinner sometimes, took golfing lessons on Wednesdays, volunteered at rehabilitation homes for the elderly and disabled, and cooked dinner at home most nights. I got to experience being their guest in every possible way, from meeting the people who lived in the rehab center, cheering on my host sister's school team, and learning Japanese phrases from my host brother while failing miserably at golf.
So while traveling with friends and staying in a hotel or even an AirBnb is fun, it's not the best way to experience a new culture. Immerse yourself by living like they would, eat the food they eat without judgement or fear, and do what they do. It's the only way to really know what a country's culture is, underneath all of the tourism and marketing. It's a beautiful experience that I would recommend to anyone, no matter your age or background.
I want to thank my amazing host families for the kindness and generosity they gave me and let them know that I still think about them, three years later. I will always hold a special place in my heart for the fantastic people I was lucky enough to meet during my stay.
To learn more about Rotary International and their exchange program, visit their website here.
(Also Happy Birthday to my grandmother, the woman who made this trip possible for me!)
