Going to Japan was, quite literally, one of the best experiences of my life. Not only was I able to take a major dive into Japan, giving new perspective to both the country and its people, but I was able to see myself differently through the process as well.
One of the highlights of my experience was the research I did in Japan. Both the topic itself and the actual process of researching had a lasting impression on me. My research topic was on issues of gender within the Japanese workplace, and while I was interested in it before going to Japan, I got newfound interest in the project after continuing my research in Tokyo. Being within an environment so close to the heart of the issue and meeting with people directly affected by it brought me closer to the topic itself. I found myself in a cycle where the more I learned, the more excited I was to learn more. In the future I will be looking for more opportunities to dive deeper into these issues.
Not only did I feel engaged with my research topic, but the entire experience made me enjoy the actual process of researching in a way I never had before. This was the first research project that I did field work on, rather than just literary analysis; having the help of my professors to guide my information seeking and help me focus my topic, as well as interviewing individuals who were actually affected by what I was researching, all made the experience a lot more focused and enjoyable. As someone more humanities and social studies based, I always saw research as being focused in mathematics and natural sciences, and complicated in a way that I couldn’t wrap my head around. However, I began to truly enjoy research through this, as well as understand how to research effectively and efficiently. I look forward to more opportunities to research in the future.
Aside from research, being in Japan also brought me closer to the language. Studying Japanese was one of the biggest things that brought me to apply to this study abroad. Before this experience, I hadn’t talked much with native Japanese speakers, but had reached a point in my learning that it would be beneficial for me to apply my experience to a real-world setting. Going to Japan was a step forwards in my Japanese-learning journey; not only did I become better at critical skills like listening and reading Japanese, but coming home I felt more inspired to dive back into my studies and improve. The kind words of encouragement and advice that I received from many Japanese individuals were priceless, and I hold them close as I continue to study.
I feel that, as an individual, I am much more independent now than I was before I went to Japan and it shows in a multitude of ways. I don’t feel as out of place or overwhelmed by traveling or exploring by myself anymore. I’m more confident “out in the world” than I used to be; walking around, trying new things, and getting lost in Tokyo made me more comfortable with unfamiliar places and experiences. Now that I’m back in America, I find myself less prone to sticking to familiar places; I’ll spontaneously go to restaurants that I know nothing about and explore parks in areas that I don’t know. Overall, I have less anxiety about the unknown than I had before.
All in all, the experience was exhausting but enriching. It was difficult going full-throttle and juggling so much work and information at once, all the while being in a new country with only a semi-familiar language. But all the effort spent was rewarded with newfound knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm. I don’t regret anything about the experience, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Even now, I think about the experience every day and can’t wait to go back to Japan.
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