• My Adventure Begins
• "Cheap Eats" in Japan
• An Exchange Student's Perspective
• Studying Abroad in Japan
• World Expo 2005 Extravaganza

Studying Abroad in Japan

By A. Carr

As I look back on my stay in Japan, I find that there are so many experiences I will remember for the rest of my life.  Studying in Japan was a great cultural experience and I couldn't have asked for a more amazing place to be.  I traveled all over the country to all the big name cities and many of the smaller ones.  Although these travels led me on many interesting adventures, my favorite memories are my stay at a Zendo and living with a host family.

Tekishinjuku is an International Zen Buddhist temple outside of Kyoto that accepts visitors for overnight stays.  After hearing about the temple from a friend, I decided that I would really like to check it out. I ended up staying for two weeks.  Our stay included reading sutras, zazen (sitting meditation), cleaning the temple and temple grounds, and eating traditional foods.  While the schedule could be grueling at times, I met some interesting people, learned a lot about a culture I had never really explored before, and focused on myself and my personal growth.  It was an experience that I would recommend to anyone who plans on staying in Japan for a lengthy amount of time.

The other part of my stay in Japan that really left its mark on my life was my host family.  While studying in Nagoya, I lived with a host family for five months.  Since I live on my own back home, I was worried that staying with a large family (three children and their parents) might become inconvenient.  I was quite wrong, however.  My family was absolutely wonderful.  I never felt as if I was a foreign exchange student and was always introduced as a sister or a daughter.  My family taught me about Japanese culture and our discussions also helped to greatly further my Japanese language skills.  As my stay in Japan comes to an end, I know that I will miss my family immensely and have plans to meet with them again.

Looking back on all my experiences, I find there are so many wonderful memories that I will be bringing home with me.  For other people planning to go to Japan, my personal recommendation would be to try a stay at a temple, because it opens up a whole other world of longstanding Japanese culture.  People studying in Japan should try a host family, because that also puts you right in the middle of Japanese culture.  No matter how long you stay or what you do, Japan is so rich in culture that you can see and experience so much.