school - family - daily life - food - sports - travel - friends

exchange
International
2014
2014

JAPAN ISSUE

CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
PAGE 04

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CONTENT/ JAPAN

05 First Impression 06 Rural vs Urban 08 School Days 09 Sports

cultural experience

10

student views
What Others Say

12

my typical day
Hour by Hour

08

School Life

14

a taste of Japan
Foods to Try

16

student exchange
Inside my Host Family

19

interested ?
Get Started

06

Rural vs Urban

MESSAGE FROM

THE EDITOR
EDITOR: Allison Lee EMAIL: alee.cfl.rr.com

A small glimpse into the life of an exchange student.

ALLISON LEE
After dreaming of going to Japan for quite some time, I finally got the chance this past year! After an application and an interview, I was selected for a scholarship to study abroad in Japan for the summer. It was nervewrecking at first, but, oh boy, am I glad I went. Japans a truly exotic and beautiful country, with a somehow perfect blend of tradition and technology. Its common to see a cellphone store housed right next door to a centuryold shrine. With such a perfect intertwining of the old and the new, Japan is a country with something for everyone. Although school life there is quite different than American schools, its an easy enough adjustment. It was tough to remember that I was there to study and that it wasnt just a vacation. Eventually, though, I grew attached to my host family and how I was living while over there which was a lot different, and more healthy, than my American life! With this experience living abroad, I feel determined to provide a small glimpse into the life of an exchange student by creating this magazine. Hopefully, it will even convince you to go!

Viera, Florida

Edgewood Jr. /Sr. High School Class of 2014 Merritt Island, FL YFU Study Aboard Summer 2013 Kishima Commerical High Saga, Japan

magazine contact
Published by Allison Lee

japan

Magazine Team
EDITOR: Allison Lee DESIGN: Allison Lee PHOTOGRAPHY: Allison Lee PROJECT ADVISOR: Ed Gilhuly WRITER: Allison Lee CONTRIBUTORS: YFU Japan Exchange Students Dresden D. James F. Lissa L.

Special Thanks
Youth for Understanding, USA for providing this exchange opportunity. YFU U.S. Area Representative: Marty Richards Host Family: Minoru & Kisae Akasaka Magazine Printing by: SmartColor Printing
Digital or printed copy available on request.

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CULTURAL

EXPERIENCE
Japan is a unique country full of traditional and modern cultural experiences. With everything from ninja villages to Disneyland, Japan is a mix of old and new. Whether it be Tokyo or a small fishing town near Nagasaki, any exchange student will have a worthwhile time while exploring all that Japan has to offer.

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Meeting your host family and remembering Japanese manners may be the most stressful parts of an exchange. Most students will take either a plane or train to meet their host family, depending on the distance from Narita airport. If you arent sure of what they look like, it may be a little awkward at first who to smile to, but the Area Representative of your exchange program will most likely be there to welcome you into the country and explain everything to you in English! First greetings are extremely important in Japan, so, even if you had contact with your host family prior to your arrival, its important to fully express your gratitude. A bow and a few Japanese phrases will be sufficient; even if you dont know much Japanese its important to at least try. While modesty is nice, refusing someones help in Japan is considered to be rude, so try to allow someone to carry a piece of your luggage for you if they ask. Most host families will be impressed by whatever Japanese you do know, but its fine to keep a dictionary out when talking to them for the first time. If anything, it shows how much you care. Japanese gestures and norms are fairly different than American ones, and it can be hard to adjust at first. You cant find everything on Google, but dont worry - youll pick up phrases and gestures the longer you live there. During my exchange, I picked up on a few things that you may not find on your typical internet search, such as: 1. T   ake off your shoes before entering a dressing room. 2.  Most public and school rest rooms will have squatter and Western toilets. 3.  Every teenage girl frequently says Maji, which roughly means Really? or Seriously? 4.  Motainai is never a good thing to hear - usually, a person is expressing their disapproval towards something that went to waste, such as money or food. 5.  Both boys and girls wear an undershirt under their uniform. Another thing to look out for is regional slang. Shibareru, for example, means freezing cold but is only used in Hokkaido. Generally, sticking to standard Japanese is fine and is understood everywhere. Japanese is a hard language to master, and nobody expects you to understand everything. The whole point is to learn, so dont be afraid to mess up.

PEACE
Everyone makes a peace sign when taking a photo.

WHILE MODESTY IS NICE, REFUSING SOMEONES HELP IN JAPAN IS CONSIDERED TO BE RUDE

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RURAL VS

URBAN

RICE PLANTING

Make the right choice for you

Traditions are kept alive by the older generations who make up most small towns in Japan. While it may take some students over an hour to get to school, and there isnt a mall around every other corner, living in rural Japan as an exchange student is a lot better than it sounds. Known as the inaka, rural Japan is characterized by a beautiful, serene landscape dotted with old houses surrounded by sprawling rice fields,a perfect contrast to American living. The air is clean, and the food is fresh; its an experience unfamiliar to most American students. If you were placed out here, your host familys home may be down the street from a small dairy farm and a 7/11 or be snug against a mountainside shrine. Living in rural Japan is uniquely peaceful. Taking for granted Americas size, many people forget just how small Japan is. In America, rural may be considered to be hours outside of a city, but in Japan, most rural towns are only a half-an-hour 400 train ride from the city.

Today, farmers plant rice using machines rather than by hand.

There are tons of cities in Japan due to the countrys large population, but most of them are similar. As expected, living in a Japanese city is usually fast-paced and filled with things to do, albeit most of them are stock activities like bowling. Driving and biking are the usual transportation methods in the countryside, but in the city, everyone gets around by taking the train and walking. Meeting up with friends and finding ways to kill time are a lot easier in the city, while the traditional side of Japanese culture may be harder to experience. Its a lot easier to find robotic store greeters in the city, thats for sure. In the city, many people live in apartments or Westernstyle homes on the outskirts while almost everyone in rural Japan lives in an older, Japanese-style home. While there are pros and cons of both places, no matter where youre placed as an exchange student, youll have access to opportunities that a student in the other setting wont be able to experience. Anyway, what really matters during an exchange isnt where you live, but how you live.

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MEETING UP WITH FRIENDS AND FINDING WAYS TO KILL TIME ARE A LOT EASIER IN THE CITY, WHILE THE TRADITIONAL SIDE OF JAPANESE CULTURE MAY BE HARDER TO EXPERIENCE.

SCHOOL

DAYS
Inside look

Having a good education is considered to be the only way to be successful in Japan. From a young age, people are brought up to take academics very seriously and to start thinking about where they want to go to college before they enter junior high. In Japan, students have to take tests to get into junior high schools, high schools, and colleges. In order to get into a good college, you have to go to a good high school, and to get into a good high school, you have to get into a good middle school. As such, kids are taught to try their hardest at school from a very young age. Due to entrance exams, schools across Japan are divided by how serious their students are and how booksmart they are. Exchange students could be placed in any type of school, and each school may offer a unique exchange experience. For example, while students at a laid-back school may have plenty of free time to go to the mall after school, students in rigorous schools will likely be unable to hang out very often. While each school is different, students at any of them will likely treat any exchange student with curiosity and excitement.

classroom

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SPORTS
Second only to academics, sports are an important part of most Japanese high school students lives. For example, practice for the girls basketball club can run from 4:00-7:00PM, five days a week. Members of sports teams usually spend their free time either practicing or studying. Students are sometimes required to keep a certain appearance when theyre in a club, too. At most schools, all members of the boys baseball club are required to keep their head shaved, and most girls in sports clubs keep their hair fairly short. It may initially seem strange, but the dedication that Japanese students have toward their sports is admirable.

HIGH SCHOOL

ATHLETES
Sports are second only to academics.

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Summer Exchange First-hand Accounts

WHAT OTHERS

SAY

James F.
AGE: 17 Oklahoma City, OK EXCHANGE TO: Osaka

GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY ONE AS FAR EAST AS JAPAN, GIVES YOU A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE.

My trip to Japan through the YFU program was truly a milestone in my life. I was able to spend weeks living with a host family in Toyonaka-shi, a fairly large city within Osaka. The experience was very pleasurable, but, more than that, it was illuminating. Going to another country, especially one as far east as Japan, gives you a new perspective on life. Living abroad and living as a member of Japan allows you to look through the eyes of a Japanese person. This kind of experience is not met when simply visiting the country. My host family and the friends I made there taught me how to really understand people better, learn about their culture, learn about myself, learn how humans are different, and learn how we as humans are the same. On my trip I was able to visit many historical shrines and temples. I saw castles and rode on bullet trains. I bathed in Japanese hot springs, and relaxed on Japans beaches. However, none of these experiences compared to the time I was able to spend communicating with my host family and friends. Some of my favorite moments were simply at the dinner table with my family, walking home from school with my classmates, and playing games with my host brother.

Dresden D.
AGE: 18 York, PA EXCHANGE TO: Akita

I FELT LIKE A CELEBRITY FOR WEEKS.

I felt like a celebrity for weeks. I was in a somewhat rural area of Japan, so it wasnt often they saw a nearly six-foot-tall foreigner walking around their school. Despite three years worth of Japanese classes, I still didnt understand most of what anyone said to me. I ended up passing notes with the girl next to me in a combination of Japanese and English, which worked out splendidly for both of us. She and her friends even took me out for ice cream, shopping, and purikura on my birthday, showering me with gifts from my classmates. Before Japan, I had a terrible habit of losing touch with people I cared about. However, I make sure to keep in contact with my friends through LINE (the Japanese equivalent to Facebook) or mail. I miss them dearly. I could never lose touch with people who showed me such incredible kindness.

Lissa L.
AGE: 15 Atlanta, GA EXCHANGE TO: Okinawa

THE EXPERIENCE CHANGED WHO I WAS AND GAVE ME A MORE OPEN OUTLOOK ON LIFE.

I had butterflies in the days leading up to going to Japan. When I got there, I couldnt believe a thing. My heart was racing, and I was dead tired; everything around me looked magical. Throughout my stay in Okinawa, I felt like I was in a tropical paradise. I made a ton of friends, and the experience changed who I was and gave me a more open outlook on life. I was in tears when I had to leave!

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MY TYPICAL

DAY
6:30 AM

WAKE UP
My host father exercised to a radio fitness show every morning at 6:30, even on the weekends. His diligence, at age 68, still amazes me. I would always try to be quiet getting ready so I wouldnt disturb him.

school friends

8:00 AM

LEAVE FOR SCHOOL

I rode my bike to school every day unless it was raining, in which case my host father would drive me. My bike ride took about 25 minutes each way. Id start by going through the sparsely populated rice fields until I got to the local DVD rental store, where Id meet my friend Misa. We rode the rest of the way together through two small districts and a small farm until we reached the bike rack on the hill outside our school.

BENTO
Everyone brings a bento which is basically a lunch box to school in Japan, and theyre even a fashion statement among girls. Since everyone has to wear uniforms, girls express themselves through the personal things that they bring to school everyday, such as bento boxes and pencil cases. Even the food inside the bento is cute! HIGH SCHOOL: KISHIMA COMMERCIAL HIGH SAGA, JAPAN

7:00 AM

BREAKFAST
Id usually help set up the dishes and sauces, but my host mother did almost all of the work. Every morning wed have an elaborate breakfast - - I was full every day. It usually consisted of homemade yogurt and sausage; pastry bread, ham, milk, and toast. Plus lettuce and tomatoes came from the family garden. Suffice it to say that I never went to school hungry. We watched TV during both breakfast and dinner every day.

12:00 PM

LUNCH
Everyone brought their own bento in my school, and everyone would eat in the classroom. There was a small school store with different breads and milks downstairs for students who forgot their lunches. Most of the girls in my classroom sat in different circles on the ground, while the boys would eat at the back desks. All of the girls had their cellphones out, with some phones plugged into the wall. Its forbidden to have a cell phone out on campus at any time, but there was no teacher supervision at this time. It seems students are much the same all over. Some girls even straightened their hair!

8:40 AM

SCHOOL BEGINS
There were usually three classes in the morning and three in the afternoon. The morning classes may be Japanese, Typing, and World History, for example. The classes and their order changed every day. There would be a 10-minute break between each class. Typically, the teacher is the one who changes classes in Japan, but students may change classrooms up to three times in a single day at my school.

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4:30 PM

FREE-TIME
Usually, this just entailed me changing out of my uniform, getting a popsicle, and sitting down with some TV, but sometimes Id go out again or just ride my bike. I came to love watching a program where they interviewed foreigners in Tokyo about why theyre in Japan, but sometimes I would skip it and do something more productive.

photofun

12:40 PM

6:30 PM AFTERNOON CLASSES BEGIN DINNER

These couldve been any classes, but half of the time the last class was gym. The boys all went ahead to the gym to change into their sports uniform, while the girls stayed behind in the classroom to change. In gym, the girls and boys would be divided by activities. While the girls would be playing volleyball, for example, the boys would be playing badminton. My host mother usually got home at 5:30 and would be cooking from the second she walked in the door. Although she got off work around 5:00, people in Japan usually buy groceries every day or two rather than once a week. Her dinners were always amazing and would be just as abundant and savory as breakfast. American food didnt taste half as good as it used to, after I returned home! Usually, my host mother and I would sit in the kitchen watching a random program or a police drama for an hour after dinner.

PURIKURA
Unique to Japan, Purikura are essentially just photo strips from a fancy photo booth, but its grown into a schoolgirl phenomenon. These photo booths make appearance changes (such as blurring of skin and enlarging of eyes) and allow the user to change the background and paint/write on top of their pictures. PHOTO PRICE: $4.00 YUME TOWN MALL, SAGA

8:40 PM

3:30 PM

SOUJI
Souji, or cleaning, is when all of the students clean different parts of the school. Japanese schools typically dont have a janitorial staff - its all done by the students. I was always helping sweep the classroom, but the other students got a new job every week.

Oofuro
Essentially, an oofuro is a small, waterproof room thats purely a bath/shower. The family is supposed to reheat the shared bath water, but I just stuck to the shower.

10:00 PM

BEDTIME
I had a very consistent bedtime when I was in Japan; even on the weekends, the latest I stayed up was 11:30. Usually, I just went back to my room and organized my things while trying to figure out how to work the fan until I fell asleep.

9:20 PM

TV

4:00 PM

SCHOOL ENDS
Most students attend an activity or sport after school, but I was part of the go-home club. The bike ride home was peaceful, though, and was generally the only alone time I got during the day, so I enjoyed it. Sometimes I would stop at a stationery store on the way home.

My host mother and I would watch TV together until around 10:00. My host father sometimes stuck around for a little bit, but he went to sleep early. Really, it was just me on my laptop and my host mother on her cell phone while the TV was on in the background.

8:00 PM

WALKING
My host father went out walking every night for about a half hour, sometimes with my host mother, and he began inviting me along, too, after about a week. It was interesting to see the rice paddies at night, but it was too humid and buggy for meI only lasted a week.

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A TASTE OF

JAPAN

FOODS YOU MUST TRY

Most people think of instant ramen and sushi when they think of Japanese food, but theres a lot more to Japanese food than that. Maybe the great abundance of Chinese restaurants in America causes many people to overlook the un-Americanized Japanese food selections. However, Japanese food is very different than Chinese, Thai, and other Eastern cuisines. Japanese cooking

is unique in its own flavor combinations and cooking styles. Being an island nation, Japan has an amazing array of fantastic seafood choices. So many, in fact, its impossible for me to try to highlight the best. So, for the purpose of this brief article, here are my favorite non-seafood Japanese dishes.

YAKINIKU
Yakiniku
This is something that everyone should eat at least once while theyre in Japan.
Loosely finding its roots in Korean BBQ, the dish essentially is a hodgepodge of several types of meat. Theyre popular as family dishes, though they can be pricy depending on the quality of meat used. A tabletop grill usually sits in the center of the table, and raw meats (pork, beef, and chicken) are placed to cook on top of it along with vegetables and sometimes seafood. Each family member uses their own chopsticks to take what they want off of it and onto their own personal plate. It can be quite delicious with the right sauce.

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THE BEST
Every Food is Unique

MELON PAN
Melon pan, or melon bread, is a pretty cheap, yet delicious, Japanese snack. Although melon is in the name, the actual flavor doesnt really resemble that of a melon, or any food for that matter. The food is popularly enjoyed by the younger generation, and it can be found in any convenience or grocery store for around 100 yen.

RAMEN
Instant ramen will never taste the same after eating authentic Japanese ramen. The only thing similar about authentic and instant ramen is a broth taste. Everything else is different, though, and a trip to Japan isnt complete without tasting some.

KIT KAT
Japans known for their strange variety of Kit Kat flavors, with everything from Purple Sweet Potato to Hot Japanese Chili. The Sakura Matcha flavor is my personal favorite.

SOUMEN
Usually served iced, these thin noodles are a summer favorite in Japan. Nagashi-soumen, or flowing noodles, is a popular variety of the dish, where the noodles are sent streaming along with water down a series of bamboo shoots and the diners have to catch the noodles with their chopsticks.

CURRY RICE
Originally introduced by the British in the 19th century, it has since grown to be one of the most popular dishes in Japan. The curry is poured over half of a plate of rice, with being beef and pork curries are most common. Different from the types of curry found in America, it has a uniquely Japanese taste to it.

NABE
Nabe, or nabemono, refers to a variety of different hotpot dishes. Commonly considered the most sociable way to eat, the nabe pot sits in the center of the dinner table while people grab what they wish from the hotpot. Theres usually a large variety of foods sitting in the broth.

ONIGIRI
Onigiri, or rice ball, is simply white rice packed together in a triangular shape. A strip of seaweed is usually wrapped around the bottom of it. Traditionally, a pickled ume, which is essentially anything salty, is in the center of it. Theyre very popular for their convenience and are a traditional part of the Japanese diet.

OKONOMIYAKI
Basically, okonomiyaki is a grilled pancake with a bunch of different things piled on top of it. They vary greatly by region, but mayonnaise and cabbage are essentials of the dish in all areas. Its a casual, fun food to eat, although it can be a little messy.

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INSIDE MY
EVERY FAMILY IS DIFFERENT
Staying with a host family can be the most nerve-wracking aspect of studying abroad. The concept of living with a family of strangers half-way around the world terrified me. Still, as the girl who had dozens of things stacked against her, Im here to say that itll be fine. When I got off the airplane in Japan, I accidentally started talking to the area coordinator instead of my host mother since I had never seen a picture of my host parents. My host parents didnt know any English, and I hardly knew any Japanese, so its a given that the car ride home was fairly awkward. The highlight was when I showed them my drivers license because they didnt believe that I had a car. While I didnt exactly get off to a great start with them, things got a lot better.

HOST FAMILY
Getting to know people who cant speak the same language as you can be difficult, but its not impossible. While I was in Japan I became very close to my host family despite the initial awkwardness. Getting to know someone may be 10 times harder because of the language barrier, but that also makes it 10 times more fun.
Although I didnt think it initially, I consider myself to be very lucky in regards to my host family placement. Being in a big city like Osaka or Fukuoka may have been exciting and fast-paced, but the relaxed mood of my more traditional host family was something I appreciated more and more the longer I lived there. I was placed with an older couple, the Akasakas. The wife, Kisae, works at an elderly daycare center in town and the husband, Minoru, is retired. They have two children, a daughter and a son, but they are both around 40 and have their own families built. I only saw the son and his family once; hes a surgeon at one of the best hospitals in Tokyo and is married with two young kids. Their daughter, on the other hand, is a

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FESTIVALS
There are tons of festivals at shrines all over Japan during the summer. Theyre completely different from American ones, and are lots of fun!

standard company employee who lives in the next town over and is married with two daughters. I saw their daughter and her youngest, Yuzu, frequently. Sure, I didnt get placed with a host sister or brother like most prospective exchange students hope for, but I had a great time nonetheless. If anything, it gave me more incentive to make friends at school and grow closer with my host parents. Even though we couldnt always understand each other very well, I found out that there are two secrets to communication electronic dictionaries and TV. Electronic dictionaries arent well-known in America, but theyre essential for any student in Japan. They are handheld computers that translate English into Japanese and vice versa. How this was important to our relationship is pretty obvious, but TV is surprisingly the more important of the two in my opinion, and it ties in with the electronic dictionary. Sometimes I would ask my host mother about obscure topics on the news, like how to say welfare service (which is seikatsu hogo according to the electronic dictionary). Of course,

laughing and making small talk over a crime drama is always a more practical use in developing a relationship. Yuzu, my host parents grandchild, was a highlight of the experience. She was in 6th gradethe same as my little sister. I first met her halfway through my exchange when my host parents took me to see her track meet. She barely said a word to me. Honestly, I was put off by her at first, but, over the next week, she began visiting her grandparents more often. Trips to the DVD rental store started adding up, and we began talking more, even if the only English word she would say to me was yes. By the time we went on an overnight trip to a theme park near the end of my stay, we had grown fairly close. Forming a bond with a host family doesnt come fast; its something that I worked on the entire length of my stay. When my host mother started loaning me her hats on an almost regular basis and my host father knew my favorite types of pastries, I knew we had become close. I grew to love everyone I met in Japan, but my host parents were the people I came to care about the most.

...THE RELAXED MOOD OF MY MORE TRADITIONAL HOST FAMILY WAS SOMETHING I APPRECIATED...

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CELEBRATE
International students from Saga prefecture gather together one day in July every year.

PREPARING TO STUDY ABROAD TAKES DETERMINATION; ITS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN PULL TOGETHER OVERNIGHT.

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INTERESTED?
DONT BE AFRAID
Dont just read about studying abroad in Japan, do it! It may seem scary, but its easy once you start. To apply, just go onto any of the reputable student exchange websites listed at the bottom of the page and choose the country you want. Generally, there are three exchange lengths: a summer, a semester, and a year. If youre not sure you want to miss school, dont know the language well, or just dont want to stay that long, then summer is a safe bet. From there, you have to fill out a detailed application. Be careful of postmark deadlines! Typically, studying abroad in Japan costs $10,000 to $15,000, but summer programs can cost less. While this may seem like a lot, all of the money does go to actual expenses

GET STARTED
with a little extra for profit. Orientation, plane tickets, local/ international meetings, host family screenings, and school uniform rental are just a few of the costs that go into a student exchange. Dont be thrown off by the high sticker price. There are many different ways to lower the cost, from fundraising to scholarships. YFU, for instance, offers many $2,000+ scholarships for students traveling to Japan. Preparing to study abroad takes determination; its not something you can pull together overnight. While the application may seem tedious with required photos, teacher recommendations, essays and more to assemble, it all pays off when the plane touches down in Narita or some other faraway airport. If studying abroad truly is something that you want try, then work hard for it. It all will be worth it!

For more information

www.yfuusa.org www.rotary.org/en/youth-exchanges www.afsusa.org