倧εγͺζγεΊ
I leave Japan one week from now, and amidst all the stressful packing and trying to get stuff home, I’m doing a lot of reflecting. I’ll probably go into more depth about all I’ve learned this summer in a later blog post, but I thought it would be fun to count down what were my favorite memories from Japan. It is so hard to choose just one, much like it’s difficult to choose my top 10 favorite photos to post on Instagram at the end of the summer. But I think these 5 memories in particular really shaped my experience in Japan and made the trip all the more memorable.
5. First Group Dinner
Honestly, the first ever dinner we got as a group, all the exchange students, really was like the foundation of our friendship being made. It was the first Friday that we were in Japan, and with all the orientation stuff, we hadn’t really been out much to explore. I honestly remember how foreign I felt when I first got here, if that makes sense? Like, when I first got here, everything was confusing. I didn’t know my way around the city or around the trains. That was the time I also forgot to grab my ticket when riding the train and had to buy it again. Definitely learned my lesson since then. But that dinner was so much fun.
We went to Kokubunji and ate at Sushi Ro, which lowkey ended up being a staple restaurant that I ended up frequenting often. We were probably viewed as an obnoxious group of foreigners, but to me this memory really serves as a welcome to Japan and student life. All of the friendships I made I cherish, and looking back at that time in April, I’ve made so much progress and had so much growth since then.
4. Enoshima with Sienna
I went to so many different places in Tokyo. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, Asakusa, etc etc. but Enoshima was just so much fun and a change of pace from the usual hustle and bustle of Tokyo. And any memory with Sienna is a good one lol!
Now, I do not recommend going in July like we did. I bet it would be so much more bearable in say September or October when its cooler, but Enoshima is not a place I’ve seen people say to visit on social media. It’s almost like a hidden gem you don’t want to miss. Just seeing the nature and the culture is something I for sure won’t forget. And how we had to PAY to use the escalator!
3. Friendship Festival in Yokota
I think that meeting Sienna and Shoushawna, my two sorority sisters, was a highlight in its own, but really going to the Yokota Friendship Festival was such a surreal experience in a way. If I hadn’t met Sienna and Shoushawna, I would never have been able to even attend this event, because you can’t enter the military base without a sponsor. So I’m really grateful to have had this opportunity, because most people won’t.
Going to this event kind of came at perfect timing. I was really starting to become home sick, because at the time, graduation was happening. I felt really bummed to be honest watching all my friends and classmates graduate when I chose to stay an extra semester to study abroad. I was actually supposed to graduate December 2023 in fact. I was also missing my family. I think just being on base, being around other black people, and eating food that I’ve missed kinda reminded me that no matter where I go in the world, I’ll always have a sense of community. Home will always be home. It’s okay to miss it, but you will miss out on so many valuable opportunities if you fear stepping out of your comfort bubble.
2. Africa & Jamaica Festival
I think this was another iconic festival lol. This event was so special for a few reasons. The joint African and Jamaican festival was just so much fun to go to and experience. It was also such a, I don’t even know how to explain it, but I guess amazing(?), thing to be able to see your culture represented in such a positive way in a foreign country at that, where you wouldn’t expect it.
This event also helped me grow closer to Aicha and Sam. I feel like that we really had to stick together as the only three black exchange students, and because of that, I’ve become the closest to them specifically. I’m now trying to figure out how we can go visit Aicha in Paris, and I’m going to do my best and try to learn some French.
1. Joining Hitters
And probably hands down, the best thing that came from this summer was joining my club. I will be honest, it was hard at times. The language barrier was sometimes frustrating, and I think I was my own hardest critic, because I often told myself I was the outsider. The one American student that everyone was staring at. But they never isolated me. That was all me and I really had to stop doing that, because they clearly wanted me there.
I have so many fun memories being in this club. The festival. Weekly practices. The group welcome barbecue. The never ending debate about whether Thai or Indian curry is the best. They taught me so many things including γγ―γγΌ(pakuchii) which means coriander, wotagei, and really what it means to enjoy student life in Japan. I think we will all definitely stay in contact. The club is planning to make an English study group and asked if I would help, to which of course I said yes, as long as they keep teaching me more Japanese. I want to keep doing wotagei with them even when I go back home, and I hope that next time, when I come to Japan, we can dance on the same stage together once more.
One response to “Top 5 Memories in Japan”
-
You are welcome! π If I had not pushed you to go look at what would have been missed. The growth and opportunities you have had over the past 16 weeks is and will always be something you will remember. Look at all of the wonderful connections you have made. You know what I always say, Itβs not what you know, itβs who you knowβ! Now let met get my name changed on my passport so you can be my your guide! π ππ
LikeLike
Gakusei Travels 
Leave a reply to tlgaines2023 Cancel reply