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2013 JET-MIP ESSAYFEBRUARY, 2014: BREEZE ISSUE #76
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESELISA TRIEU
Richardson High School
Richardson, TX
When I got accepted into the JET Memorial Invitation
Program, at first, I was only thinking about the idea ofbeing able to go to Japan. I was thinking that the best
part of this program would be sightseeing and buying
souvenirs, just as a tourist would think. But when I actually
met up with the other JET-MIP participants around thecountry, my views began to change. At the institute, evenwhen my friends and I did not go sightseeing, we would hang out in the lobby and just talk, not wanting tobe alone in our rooms. As the program progressed, we visited high schools and met with many otherpeople with different backgrounds. Together I chatted and played games with the Japanese students, notrealizing until the end that that moment with them was one of the best and unforgettable parts of my stayin Japan. When our time together was coming to an end, I did not even noticed that I rushed to get thestudents contact. Through our email and Facebook exchanges, I hope to stay in contact and stay friends
for a long time. That was when I was able to grasp the main point of this program, building bridges
between Japan and America through our friendship.
Not only did this program teach me what things are important to me and how powerful friendship can be, italso gave me a path to my future. At first I was not really sure about what I wanted to do the rest of mylife, but after participating in this program I sort of have an idea. When my junior year in high school wascoming to an end, my interest in international business grew, but I was still unsure if that was the rightpath for me. The time that I spent in Japan opened a new idea in my mind. I realized that I wanted to travel
around the world and interact with other cultures, just as I had in Japan. This program has also set up aconnection between me and Japan that deepened my love for Japan even more than before. In the future
I have decided not only to continue my Japanese language studies, but will live in Japan. Japan has
become the number one place I want to stay at.
After returning to America, I shared my experience with my family. My sister went to the Tohoku region lastyear and already explained much of the situation to my family, but even so, I had to tell them about all thethings I saw, because I just could not stop talking about it. I told them about my home stays, the Tohoku
disaster area, and all the other places I had stepped foot on. Their reactions were still made up ofsurprises and sadness. They did not know how much damage had been initially done until I informedPrivacythem.
- TermsAnd the fact that after a year, many places still needed so much reconstruction. What interested them themost was the debates going on in Kesennuma, such as the large boat and the building of a wall. Whenthey heard that these debates were going on, that’s when they realized how significant everything meant
to the people of Japan. They were also surprised at how strong they were. The fact that everyone washelping each other after the earthquake, and how they had never once given up hope while still holding
on strong even now, gave my family a whole new perspective of Japan. My family hopes that if our town
was ever hit with such a tragic disaster, that our town would help each other out just as the people ofKesennuma and other areas had. After telling them about my experience, they were able to compare thecurrent situation of Tohoku region with last year’s situation. Through this they were truly able to imagine
just how much damage really was done.
This program was made possible because of Ms. Taylor Anderson and Mr. Monty Dickson. I was able toexperience so much from this program and I just want to thank them. During my stay in Japan, I havelearned so much about Ms. Anderson and Mr. Dickson, from their personalities to their lifestyle and muchmore. Every single person had only good things to say about them. Both of them had built bridges
between America and Japan and influenced others to do so as well, just like the way all participants havemet and became friends during JET-MIP. And from there, participants were able to expand their friendshipto other Japanese students and people we have met along the way. Ms. Anderson and Mr. Dickson haveencouraged every single one of the participants to do what we love without hesitation. I know that both ofthem had loved Japan until the very end and I want to love Japan just as they had loved it.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTO SUBMISSION“A Better Home?”
I was able to tell how much the people of Japan love theirhomes. Not only did people start to build their homes onhigher ground, but debates are going on about building a
big wall that separates the ocean and Rikuzentakata. Thearguments formed during the debates were concerning
the safety of the people of Rikuzentakata or allowingpeople to enjoy Rikuzentakata’s natural landscape.

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2014 Kakehashi ReportJapanese Langauge Education Update 32013 J-LEAP Report: Moe Takahashi

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