Traveling outside of the United States for the first time seemed scary to my family and I because we barely traveled out of our home state, Michigan. However, after residing with my family for twenty-two years, my family and I thought that studying abroad would help increase my independence and confidence since I would be living alone during my time at Michigan State University College of Law. So, while I was excited for the experiences I would gain while residing in Japan for a month, I was also filled with anxiety.

However, I remember on the third day of the program, I was walking to the subway, heading to Doshisha University where my law classes were being held for the summer, when I noticed a young child, wearing a school uniform and a backpack, heading to the subway as well. The child appeared to be no older than eight years old, yet the child was walking to the subway alone. I watched as the child squish his way into the same subway as me and later hopped off at a stop just before mine. Eventually, I lost him in the crowd of adults that rushed off the subway.

This was strange because when I visited Chicago, which was the busiest city I have been to in the United States, I did not recall a time where I saw someone so young navigating the subway alone. It seemed dangerous to me. However, after walking past several convenient stores, which had bikes laying out in front with no locks securing them and umbrella holders containing several umbrellas with no locks securing them as well, I realized that Japan was safer than I anticipated.

In fact, the only time I had people approach me was when I was struggling to navigate the subway. Despite being a foreigner who barely spoke Japanese, people were willing to help me get to my destination, even if they had to go the opposite way they were coming from. Additionally, while touring the Kyoto Prison in Japan, I noticed that the guards did not have guns. In fact, officers in Japan do not carry guns. Rather, they are specially trained in martial arts to protect themselves.

It was not long before I grew comfortable residing in Japan. Once I realized how safe I was in Japan, I felt comfortable going out of my comfort zone, such as by traveling to Hiroshima alone for the weekend, which was roughly three hours away from where I was residing in Kyoto, Japan. In fact, realizing how safe I was in Japan encouraged me to ask for help when I was confused about navigating the bus to get to my hotel in Hiroshima.

Studying abroad in Japan helped increase my independence and confidence in myself because Japan was a safe environment for me to explore and fail. The kindness I received from Japanese citizens provided the help I needed to travel amongst a foreign country for the first time.

Name: Catherine Shuler
Status: Graduate
Major: Law
Hometown: Freeland, Michigan
Program: MSU Law and the Relationship Between Japan and the USA