Host Family and Friends
During my time in Japan, I will be living with a host family. My host family has 5 members: a father, a mother, and three daughters. (The oldest daughter is thirteen years old and the youngest is seven.) The father is a full-time salaryman while the mother is a housewife. The daughters all go to school and participate in extracurricular activities as well.
Everybody in my host family is very kind, and they warmly welcomed me into their house. They have helped me a lot since I had met them. On the very first day, my host mom helped me sort out an issue involving my luggage, which had gotten lost during one of my layovers back in the United States. The best thing about living with a host family is that they can guide you and answer your questions about their culture. For example, my host dad taught me the basics of the train system and that jaywalking was frowned upon in Japan, and my host mom helped me open a Japanese bank account and sign up for Japanese National Health Insurance (which is required for all international students studying in Japan).
Another advantage of living with a host family? The food. THE FOOD. It’s so delicious! (Especially since I’d been living off of my mediocre cooking for the past four years.) In my opinion, one of the biggest advantages of living with a host family instead of a dorm is that you don’t have to worry about meals. In my program, host families are required to give students two meals on school days and three meals on other days, like weekends or vacations from school. On days when I do have classes, I usually purchase a bento from a convenience store and eat that for lunch. Or I find a nearby restaurant and grab a bite there. I rarely spend more than 500 yen (approximately $5) on lunch.
While living with a host family has many advantages, there are also a few downsides. The most obvious one is that you’re not surrounded by other international students. In the dorm, you have many opportunities to befriend someone from your own country or even a student who doesn’t speak your native language.
However, if you’re doing a homestay, making friends is a little bit more challenging. One of the easiest ways to make friends, though, is to befriend the other homestay students. For instance, I met three of my friends at the homestay orientation, which was during our first full day in Japan.
Another tip I have is to initiate conversations, especially with people who are sitting alone. I get it – it’s really intimidating to talk to people, especially if you’re a shy person. But don’t be afraid! Most international students study abroad alone and are generally open to making friends. So get out there and talk to people!
