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2012 JET-MIP ESSAYDECEMBER, 2012: BREEZE ISSUE #62
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESEJENNIE JU
North Penn High School
Harleysville, PA

JET MEMORIAL INVITATION PROGRAM 2012
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONSAs I write this essay at my desk, gathering my thoughts on myparticipation in the JET Memorial Invitation Program, I realize
how fresh my memories have remained in my mind even weeks
after the program’s closing. It’s one thing to come home withcountless stories to tell, but it’s another to be able to look backon your hundreds of pictures and remember your conversations
and emotions with lasting clarity. This trip to Japan was for me,
like it was for many others, a dream trip and a blessing. But theblessings came in more ways than I could have ever imagined
they would. Filling out the application back in April, I never knewthat I would be entering a country so rich with culture andfighting spirit. I never realized I would meet people so wise whowould teach me more about strength and building relationships
than I knew I could learn. And while I could never do complete
justice to my trip in one short essay, I can do my best to offer my reader a glimpse at how thankful I am forthis amazing experience.
To put it simply, my time in Japan was, in its entirety, awesome. There was never a moment when I wasn’t
fully enjoying my time learning and exploring, basking in the language, culture, and stories of others. The
first portion of the program began with the trip to Tohoku, the region most heavily affected by the 2011
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. While I expected to see debris and reconstruction in some areas, what I
got from the people of the region went beyond my expectations. From the moment we boarded the plane
to Hanamaki, we were graciously welcomed by flight attendants, then children, chefs, hotel managers, city
officials, and every other person who greeted us on the streets. With heart-warming kindness, Japanesepeople accepted us into their home country, smiling genuinely bright smiles and melting away oursympathies into an optimism that matched theirs. That optimism, that hopefulness for the future I saw
apparent in the hearts of the Tohoku people, to this day still moves me and leaves me hoping that I, too,
will someday possess even a fraction of that same fighting strength.
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Of all my memories of the Tohoku trip, the one that stands out most poignantly in my mind is that of thestudy tour through Rikuzentakata. Never before had I seen a bus that had been so bustling with songs turnso respectfully quiet in a short instant. Over the hum of the engine you heard our tour guide, Mr. Kon’no,
narrate with amazing clarity his experiences the afternoon of March 11th, and as you travel through a city
like Rikuzentakata while listening to the words of a wise man who has seen more than you could possibly
imagine at your current time in life, something in your entire being humbles. A disaster that had seemedso distant and global on television becomes real to your senses, and everything about it is personal. I will
never forget that feeling. I know my experiences through Tohoku will leave me with the knowledge of how
important it is to talk to those who have lived through major events such as the Great East Japan
Earthquake, so that I may be enlightened by what they know.
Of course, throughout the deep cultural study, there was plenty of time for light-hearted fun. Shopping inSendai, fireworks during homestay and karaoke at the Kansai Institute are only the tip of the mountain ofactivities in which I participated. I cannot even begin to explain the many pieces of delicious takoyaki I
ate, the many cute pictures I took with my host sister from Semboku High School in Osaka, or the manytimes I rode bikes with my fellow JET-MIPPERS to the local malls in Rinku Town. To try and illustrate thedetail of every experience would keep me at my laptop for months as the nostalgia overwhelms me atevery other word.
But that is just the beauty of the opportunity a program like JET-MIP provides. There is so much toexperience, so much learn whether chances are presented by the program or whether you find thosechances on your own. Every moment is memorable, deserving of its own novella, and in the end,
everything culminates into a rejuvenated passion for Japan and its culture, language, and people. From
what used to be few reasons, I now have an endless list of reasons as to why I study Japanese. From thefriends I still contact to the future trips I plan to take, my connections to Japan span widely, and to foreverstay the ambassador that JET-MIP has enabled me to become, I continue Japanese.
Now back in the states, I try to explain the same story I tried to tell above to friends and family. Sometimes
my stories become overwrought with sentimental nostalgia or inside jokes that no one understands, butI’m hoping my point still goes across. By my point, I don’t necessarily mean convincing everyone to fly to
Japan and tour the Tohoku region as I did. (Although convincing my underclassmen to apply to theprogram is a plus!) I hope those who hear me will get an idea of how wonderful and enlightening a trip
abroad is. But I don’t mean just a plain vacation across the sea; I mean a trip where you meet people,
befriend people of another culture, and make lasting connections with those who will open your mind andbroaden your world. You see, even though I sit here typing at my small, messy desk in suburban
Philadelphia, my experiences bind my heart to those across the country and across the globe. I am so
eternally grateful to the Japan Foundation and the opportunity they awarded me. Thank you so much to
everyone who helped make my journey everything that it was and more.
And to the wonderful Ms. Anderson and Mr. Dickson, from all the amazing things I have heard about bothof you, I wish that I could have known you. I’m sure we could have had long conversations about yourfavorite Japanese foods, about funny instances with your students, about your experiences as JET-ALTs
and the little things about Japan that made you love the country even more than you already did. I would
have loved to hear everything, and while I am unfortunately unable to do so, I was able to experience thewonder for myself. I hope the 32 of us have made you two proud, as this program held in your honor has
undoubtedly made us fall in love with Japan as well. Rest in peace, and for both of your services as theepitomes of Japan-America kakehashi, thank you.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTO SUBMISSION
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"CREPE-LOVERS' HEAVEN"
A colorful and drool-worthy selection of crepes from the foodcourt of Seacle Mall in Rinku Town.

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2012 JET-MIP Report 5/8

2012 J-LEAP Report: Chigusa Izumi

2012 J-LEAP Report: Katsura Shimano

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Hillary Nguyen

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Indica Sur

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Jennie Ju

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Jenny Trieu

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