I chose to study abroad in Japan because I wanted to use the language I’ve been learning since I entered college and I really like Japan, Japanese culture, and Japanese people. I wish I have an opportunity to stay in Japan for five months. Before my departure to Japan, I reviewed everything I’ve learned from class so that I could actually be ready for a new environment with a new language. The previous experience of coming to Japan was just traveling so I didn’t learn a lot about Japan. This time, however, everything would be different. I would have a long time to learn Japnese culture and I could actually live in Japan and know how it feels to live in a foreign country. I also have an opportunity to talk with local people and speak their language which is a good chance to improve my language skill.
During my time abroad, I think I will learn a lot about the geisha culture in Japan since I’m currently taking a class about geisha and I’m really interested about that and not everybody knows what geisha really is and have some misunderstandings and stereotypes of geisha. My goals for the study abroad are to go to many different places, try different Japanese food, and improve my Japanese language since I wish to take the Japanese Proficiency Test in the future. I also want to make myself to be a more independent person and get an opportunity to intern in Japan. I’m really excited to try new experiences outside my comfort and I think I’m doing a good job so far.
The things I know about Japan are Japan is a country with politeness. Everybody is polite and kind to each other. Japanese people also pay a lot of attention to details. When people go to restaurants, the waiters would know your needs right away and provide a satisfying service. Japanese people are also very punctual. They would never delay anything even the train timetable. the train would arrive right on time and sometimes even arrives earlier than it says on the timetable. I think these are also Japan’s cultural norms, values, and traditions.