My Journey in Japan
One of my most defining experiences was when I studied abroad in Japan during the summer after my junior year of high school. I applied to a program through Youth For Understanding (YFU), knowing that I could only do the program if I were to be selected for one of the limited scholarships. I was overjoyed when I heard from them that I was one of the recipients. In June of 2010 I was flown off to Japan to live with a host family in the middle of the countryside. They spoke no English whatsoever, and I spoke only limited Japanese as I had only studied for two years.
Kamiichi, shown on the map above, is a small town in the prefecture of Toyama, a rarely frequented rural prefecture of Japan. Kamiichi has a population density of just under 100 people per km², much smaller than that of my hometown Lansdale which is over 2000 people per km². Kamiichi is an extremely peaceful town filled with rice paddies, fireflies in the summer, and running water that can be heard from any where. The town is surrounded by snow capped mountains which can be seen in the distance on any clear day.
It was a thrilling challenge to delve right into Japanese society, learn the language, and adapt to the culture. I made lots of life-long friendships and connections as well as invaluable, precious memories. Below is a picture of my host family who I stayed with for 7 weeks.
Back: Host Dad, Sachiko, Ryo, Seiya, Host Mom
Front: Grandma, Me, Haruna
I was thrilled to be placed with such a big, unique family, just like my family at home (I have two brothers and two sisters). I made special connections with all of them, and only being able to communicate in Japanese with them really forced me to pick up the language very quickly.
I also climbed Mount Tateyama during my stay in Toyama.
I climbed Mount Tateyama with my host dad — one of my favorite moments of my trip