Japan Orientation and First Observations

Today was the first official day in Japan. It was a pretty amazing experience waking up on the other side of the world. The morning walk to Meiji was very interesting because of all the people in Japan, either going to work or going to school. The thing that really stood out to me was how quiet this busy city was, especially coming from New York. There were no honking of cars and the people were very reserved. Tokyo looked very similar to big cities in America, yet it felt so different. Walking on the streets the Japanese men all wore black suits with matching dress pants. Likewise, there was a vending machine and convenience store on every single block. It may be too early to tell, but Japan has exceeded my expectations.

The Japan: Politics and Culture in International and Comparative Perspectives Dialogue of Civilization’s orientation was very fun. There were three things that stood out to me. First, we were introduced to students at Meiji University. They were very kind and interested in American culture. Another thing that stood out to me was the fact that the Meiji staff were very committed to this exchange program. It was actually very assuring to know that Meiji University had our backs. Lastly, the welcoming lunch was amazing. It was very nice for Northeastern University and Meiji University to sponsor such an event. I can’t wait for next few weeks here.