T-4 days
T- 4 days until I leave for Japan! My bags are (almost) packed and I am extremely excited for this new experience. I have spent the last week reading about Tokyo and watching You-Tube videos of all the must-see places. I expect that Japan will be unlike anything I have experienced before. This will be my third time studying abroad, but my first time I am visiting an Asian country. I am looking forward to this trip, although I am slightly nervous about the many cultural differences as well as the language barrier. I imagine navigating Tokyo’s busy streets and mastering the public transportation system will be difficult as the majority of signs will be written in Japanese characters. I hope that from this experience I will gain a greater understanding of Japanese culture and stronger knowledge of the city of Tokyo. I want to explore as much of the city as I can during my free time so that I can have as much of an immersive experience as possible. I want to see not only the classic tourist destinations (like the Tokyo Tower) but also the lesser known spots, that are more frequented by locals.
Additionally, I hope that this dialogue will provide me with more insight into the role of Japan in international relations and the ways in which Japanese politics and foreign affairs have shaped the country post WWII. Japan is especially intriguing as it is extremely modernized while still retaining the cultural and historical traditions of its past. I would like to discover how the country has been able to modernize without becoming westernized in the post war era. I have no doubt that my courses at Meiji University will help me uncover these answers. I expect that this experience will open my eyes to a completely different way of life. I expect that I will face challenges but that these difficulties will make me more knowledgeable and independent. I’ve wanted to visit Japan ever since I took a Japanese Pop-Culture course freshman year, so I am very excited to experience first hand all the cultural aspects I previously studied. And of course, I am very excited about the food.
