お世話になります、よろしくお願いします ー two phrases that mean, “I’ll be in your care, I look forward to working with you, please help me” and less commonly “please treat me well, please help me.” This phrase perfectly encapsulates the past month that I have been in Japan, with feelings of reliance, assistance, and connections with others.
The month passed by so quickly, and I have mixed feelings on how quickly time has passed! I have become familiar with navigating through Matsuyama and made a few friends. I have become close with my colleagues, and my supervisor, Shiba-san, takes me to different places for lunch every day. Finding favorite foodie spots, settling into daily routine, and looking for first-time opportunities.
I have gone to some popular sightseeing spots like Shimonada Station. The views were beautiful and there was a railroad that disappeared into the ocean!
I was also able to experience Kanazawa City, where they have great sake and a beautiful garden!
I have also gone to many, many onsens to soak away all of the university stress… and essay-writing bad postures…and of course, eating all of the delicious food!!! When I travel to Japan, I get asked by friends what my highlights of the trip were, or what I recommend. It always, ALWAYS comes down to food! I’ve noticed that my co-workers in Ehime ask me about food as well, and what I enjoy in Japan. Short answer: I love anything and everything! So here is the so-called everything and anything that I’ve been eating.
I have only had a few weekends to myself so far with work in between, and one or two days of those weekends I just did absolutely nothing. I know that three months is short and it feels wasteful, and honestly I did feel a bit guilty doing so, but we often forget to take a minute to pause and breathe. It was reenergizing and very important for me to do so. Even in another country, as exciting as it is to explore at every given moment, I’ve realized the importance of finding your own pace.
A few weekends ago, I met a woman at a bar that was recommended to me (shoutout to Julia, hehe), and she and I became friends very quickly! She is from Uwajima, which is south of Matsuyama. She comes to Matsuyama to experience new hobbies and interests, such as tea ceremony and kimono lessons. She invited me to a tea ceremony lesson, which was such an unforgettable experience! I was then invited to firework festivals by both her and the tea ceremony instructor, which are towards the end of July and early August. They even offered to lend me a ゆかた（yukata), which is a casual version of a kimono, typically worn at summer festivals and tea ceremonies. I forgot to take pictures of the tea ceremony (I know, I’m sorry..) but I am hoping to go once again in July! This was such a valuable insight into Japanese culture and history, but also an amazing opportunity to meet others and make new friends! Although my time here is flying by fast, I am excited for what’s to come in the next couple months, and the times nearing the end of my internship as well!
The interactions and meetings that happen day-to-day at work have been very rewarding experiences. I have the privilege of listening in on these meetings and conversations, then processing them in both Japanese and English. Though there are some areas that I do not understand, I am able to make note of them and study them later, whilst reflecting. This daily opportunity has not only increased my Japanese abilities, but I feel greatly honored and thankful to be able to understand and reflect on the work that the people of Matsuyama are building.
I had the honor of sitting in on a radio meeting on the topic of disaster preparedness and prevention. Towards the end, they asked me a bit about the world cup as well, and who I am cheering for! My heart is with Japan, but Canada as well! Although I am not the biggest fan of soccer, I told them that I was rooting for both teams, as well as teams that my friends (both here and back home) are cheering for!
On Tuesdays, we attend seminars for graduate students to present their ongoing research. One of the students is a Thai exchange student, and his presentation is in English. Though I can understand the gist of most other students’ projects, it is not to the level where I can ask thoughtful questions. Initially, I was a bit hesitant to ask questions or provide feedback, but once I did, the other professors built upon the ideas I brought up. I felt proud of myself for having that courage to speak up and to then be able to contribute to refining the students’ research! Now, during those seminars, the professors often look to me to provide translation or ideas on how to phrase questions and feedback, which I find to be very educational and fulfilling.
Last weekend, I was brought along on a business trip with Shiba-san and Kakegawa-san. Kakegawa-san and I went first, taking the train to Kyoto. There, I was able to meet my uncle who works at a restaurant in Kyoto. At the end of our meal, he sat with Kakegawa-san and I, and he told us about the stories around Kyoto and our families deeply-rooted history within Kyoto, including structures that my ancestors built within the prefecture, and the home that has been passed down through generations. Although I have never lived in Kyoto before, and only visited for a few weeks at a time when I was a child, I felt a profound longingness to create a future for my family in Kyoto. As my brother and I are the only newer generation within the family, I almost felt a sense of duty or responsibility to come back to Kyoto, even though I never lived here. It was almost comparable to homesickness, as I could sense just how established their home in Kyoto was. This feeling was new to me, but something that I will hold closely through my time in Japan.
Aside from that unfamiliar feeling of longingness and responsibility towards Kyoto, I haven’t felt much of the traditional homesickness. On the weekends, often I go see friends and sometimes go out to bars to socialize. I had an assumption that it would be difficult to make friends in Japan, but it was quickly debunked as Matsuyama is quite small compared to big cities like Osaka and Tokyo, thus they are all quite sociable and laid back. It opened my perspective a bit on the “expectations” that are often portrayed of Japan in western media. In fact, the main reason I have come to Japan is to experience these positives, negatives, assumptions, and misconceptions first hand in order to create my own views and experiences. As minor as it may seem, these self-realizations of assumptions and misconceptions being debunked by listening curiously are slowly contributing to shaping a better version of myself; one that is more open, aware, and educated.
I have also started going to the gym, with intentions of picking up some martial arts and dance classes down the line, once my body feels ready to do so! I would like to try something new and make new friends that way. The gym I go to is a couple blocks away, so I have started taking my bike there. My commute to the university is incredibly short, and usually a 3 minute walk, so I have no issues or problems with that. Biking however, is quite different in another country and I am working on getting used to it. Not only are the directions reversed from North America, but bikes have certain rules that permit both the use of roadside and sidewalk. Navigating these differences is still fairly new, and I am hoping to get used to them, but after a week or so, it is still quite intimidating.
As a final thought… Some days, I feel a strong urge to speak English. I don’t know how relatable that is, or if it’s just me, or if it’s a form of homesickness… but to answer that urge, I found an English speaking club at the university! There, I have met a lot of different university students that are looking to improve their English! I have also met someone from California on a one-year exchange program at Ehime University in the same major as me. I’ve also made friends with student from Sweden who is the same age as me! Hearing the experiences of those from America and Sweden and their perspective on life in Matsuyama was so intriguing! As they’ve been here for 10 months longer than I have, hearing their insights and experiences have helped shape my own, in a sense. Sharing stories and communicating in English was relieving– and I felt that I was able to express myself fully, which I missed more than I thought.
The notion of expressing myself, and showing my personality has been quite different throughout my time in Japan. Although I am able to speak Japanese, to a 70-80% level of fluency, I feel as though my personality and traits aren’t fully expressed through my speech. I reflect on this quite frequently, and also ponder on what it means to fully express yourself in other languages. What does it mean to have multiple identities? Similarly, being able to understand concepts of humor that are deeply rooted in their culture, what they grew up on, and the media they consume, are sometimes drastically different from those who grew up in another country. Of course it is. Navigating these experiences, and reflecting, is something that I have the privilege of doing, as someone who speaks both languages. By speaking my thoughts and experiences in English, both to the select few around me and through this blog, these differences, similarities, and struggles become more apparent.
Talk again soon. お世話になります、ジャパン！(I’ll be in your care, Japan!)
Kana
