Discovering myself in Japan – Case Study – Yasemin Kaban
Where do I start? Well, I guess by saying that the six months I spent studying in Japan were some of the best ones of my life. So much so that leaving and saying goodbye to the life I built there was extremely hard. I travelled all over, experienced things I dreamed of and made friends for life from not only Japan but all over the world. It was an experience so life-changing and so fulfilling. And I hope one day I can live it all over again.
Stepping foot into Japan (and Asia) for the first time was a huge culture shock to me. Of course I had studied Japanese culture for years, so there was a lot that I knew to expect, but most things came as a real surprise. Unspoken rules and societal expectations were just the tip of the iceberg of things you had to come to learn through living in Japan. And though at the beginning some things seemed strange or almost difficult to stick to, over time, it became natural. Like not speaking on public transport, or not being able to find a single garbage bin in public or being careful of bikes riding on the pavement. These things eventually became a part of my daily life, and became normal to me. These routines that eventually became my daily life were perhaps my favourite part of living in Japan. The short walk from my dorm to the uni campus every morning; spending hours learning with my classmates (and some of my closest friends); opting for a convenience store lunch of onigiri or ramen; going to my favourite coffee shop and chatting with the staff; spending my afternoons playing volleyball. All of it added to my experience in Japan.
On top of that, I was lucky to see as many places as I could. Tokyo, Yokohama, Hiroshima, Himeji, Okinawa, and so many more. Places near and far, cities and smaller towns. Including shrines, temples, gardens, museums, castles and towers. Places that allowed me to learn so much about Japan and its culture. Kyoto itself was full to the brim of so many cultural, traditional places, and I had the opportunity to see all of it. And I’m beyond grateful to have been able to see everything else as well, to leave Kyoto and see what the rest of Japan was like. And seeing how things were different to Kyoto, as close as Osaka and as far as Okinawa, I learned so much. So much about accents, dialects, tourism, terrain and people.
Of course, the reason I was able to experience all of this was due to the help of the John Speak Trust. With the help of the trust, I was able to truly live and experience more than just life in Japan. Their help allowed me to go places, meet new people and try things that I could only ever dream of. The monthly reports also allowed me to reflect on my actions in Japan. I got to look back each month and see just how much I had experienced and how much I’d changed both as a person and a student. As my classes advanced, I felt like the monthly reports gave me a chance to show off my new skills and test new grammar and vocab. Additionally, getting feedback on the monthly reports was extremely helpful; it made me understand my errors, which in turn prepared me for my exams in Japan and improved my skills in the long run.
Leaving it all behind was harder than I’d imagined, especially after every crevice and aspect of my life had become so adapted to the Japanese lifestyle. I was so used to the customer service interactions, my mind and speech on autopilot through it all. I was so used to the kindness of other people, respectful bows after letting someone pass or handing someone something they’d dropped. I was so used to speaking the language, hearing it in every setting and being completely wrapped up in it that hearing English being spoken was more of a shock.
What truly amazes me is the confidence I gained through long conversations with friends and teachers and even speaking with strangers. Compared to before, when I could barely string together coherent sentences in Japanese without fumbling or getting embarrassed, now I can hold proper conversations. It doesn’t mean I don’t make the same silly mistakes, but unlike before, I keep speaking with confidence. This confidence didn’t just affect my speech but my social skills as well. I believe they go together in tandem. When one improves, so does the other. Speaking more made me socialise a lot more and make new friends, and by making new friends and constantly having conversations, my speech improved massively.
And so when I look back now and realise just how different my life was and how much it’s influenced me today, as a person and as someone learning Japanese, there is no doubt how vital my study abroad in Japan was. How important it is for my upcoming final year of university and the exams ahead. How important it is for my future aspirations and career. And I think most importantly how vital it was for understanding who I am and what I want to be.
What I’ve learnt about myself from this year abroad and from Japan is how much I truly enjoy learning new cultures and languages. I love immersing myself in new places. And I hope to continue doing so.