Contact Us

SEARCH

Site Map

2011 JET-MIP ESSAYMARCH, 2012: BREEZE ISSUE #53
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESEELI JONESARKANSASCABOT HIGH SCHOOLJapan, how I long for the words to describe thee. The places I went, the people I met, and the things I
have done. My experience with you is one I will never forget. Every day I’ve spent back in America I havecompared to one in Japan. The more I think about it the more it seems that this was what the trip was for.
It will never be that time I went to Japan; it will be the time I lived in Japan.
The moment I left my parents at the terminal in Little Rock to depart for San Francisco was life changing.
At first I was nervous about being alone and flying over half of the country, but once I got on the plane it
felt natural. It was as though this is what I was meant to do.
After we all arrived in San Francisco and moved on to Japan town, I started to get to know the otherparticipants. Everyone got along well, and quickly fell into their own groups, though not the ones
assigned. I could tell, even if they hadn’t, that they settled themselves together. Not wanting to be sucked
into a clique, I distanced myself. Well darn. Now I’m “That Guy.” You know the one, the guy who drifts
around and acts awkwardly. I decided that wasn’t me so a integrated myself into a group who shared myinterests. Naturally, I still floated around, but I could always come back to my new friends.
Descending into Japan was one of the most intense moments of my life. Typhoons do not make good
weather for airplanes. Settled down, we depart for the Kansai institute. If I could sum up my first view ofJapan into two words: gray, wet. Indeed it was gray. In fact I didn’t see a blue sky until we left. But I
digress, the institute was quite impressive. The courtyard was beautiful, the library was extensive, and thecafeteria food was top notch.
Going to Senboku High School, I was pretty nervous. Not that I was going to meet Japanese students, butthat I was going to meet a specific Japanese Student; my host sister. The language barrier was a wall too
high to climb, and yet we still had fun touring Osaka castle and roaming the streets. Now I am looking
forward to seeing the rest of the family on the weekend.
I didn’t know what to expect of Kiyomizu-dera, and I was impressed. The shopping area under the temple
was unexpected but I appreciated the souvenir shops. In fact I had bought all the gifts for my family there.
The temple area was widespread and well kept. To be honest, Kinkaku-ji was striking and at the same time
disappointing. It was just that I thought there would be more buildings around the temple like at KiyomizuPrivacy - Terms
dera. Now I’m glad that it was, this way it keeps its tranquil nature.

The next day is the big day, when I stay with my host family. I need to keep this part short because it canbe an entire essay by itself. First, the Ohkuma family (as they told me how it’s spelled) was very inviting tosomeone that they had just met. They took me anywhere I asked, including the river and the Pokémon
Center. One day I will have to repay their kindness by sending them a gift.
When we were going to Kobe I was starting to wind down, the thrill was ending. Going into the art museum
I found out we were going to see a life size version of the “set” of the newest Studio Ghibli movie. Thenwe would be going to the Disaster Reduction Center; Oh my gosh. But the best part of Kobe was when we
had okonomiyaki for lunch. It was the best meal I had in Japan, no contest.
My favorite thing to do in Japan was to go to Rinku Town. Most of my money was made there and most of
my fondest memories were there. At the top of the Ferris wheel was one of the most amazing views of thebay, especially at sunset. My group and I rode the bikes from the institute to Rinku Town every day.
Going to Japan, meeting new friends, seeing historic buildings were all once a dream, but now they’re all
something I experienced through the JET program. I would definitely want to go to Japan again, and would
like to do more with JET. This trip is something I will never forget.
Breeze #62

Breeze #61

Breeze #60

Breeze #59

Breeze #58

Breeze #57

Breeze #56

Breeze #55

Breeze #54Breeze #53

2011 J-LEAP Report: Mitsuhiro Tanabe

2011 J-LEAP Report: Eri Sonohara

Privacy - Terms

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Eli Jones

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Theresa Tran

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Eurico Senna

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Debbie Daniels

Breeze #52

Breeze #51

Headquarters

New York Office

Center for Global PartnershipJapan Related Links

Volunteer

ボランティア募集

Job Openings (Updated)

5700 Wilshire blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036
P. 323.761.7510

Annual Report© 2019 The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
Web Design.

Privacy - Terms