My time abroad in Japan was eye opening to the duality that the country possesses as we explored how Japan’s culture influences their relationship with nature and the natural world. During my time there, we explored both big cities and small towns which allowed us to see the full beauty that Japan has. In Tokyo, the buildings towered over us as we wondered streets that never seemed to end and dodged cars as they flooded the streets. 

Being exposed to a new way of life in a foreign country without knowing the language built a lot of confidence for me because I was able to overcome many challenges that I was nervous about. My newfound friends and I were able to navigate one of the largest cities in the world, Tokyo, on our own and were able to find our way on Japan’s complicated train system all over the county. While we messed up many times along the way, leading to meaningful conversations in an empty train station or a quick konbini (convenience store) run, one of our favorite places to find a fun snack, we learned to trust ourselves and ask others for help, both of which will be helpful as we start our freshman year this fall.

I remember being nervous knowing nothing about Japanese culture or the language when I applied to go since I thought that it would make me stand out or make the experience less meaningful, but that could be further from the truth. Instead, I got to learn how to use chopsticks with the help of a local student at the University of Shiga while we talked about our lives over a meal of kitsune udon, thick noodles with tofu, that I had ordered in Japanese with a little bit of coaching and a very American accent. As my skills slowly grew so did my confidence, leading to short conversations with locals on the train and knowing how to properly apologize, a small bow and a whispered “sumimasen,” for getting in the way of a busy salaryman, making me feel a part of the culture even if it was in small ways. This is one of the big takeaways I’ll have from my time in Japan, as being able to experience a new culture firsthand make you question why you do what you’ve always done and grow from that into a slightly or majorly new person.

Furthermore, getting to make lifelong memories and new friends before I’ve started my freshman year was such a blessing and I’m very grateful for those who put the program in place and allowed me to go. I would highly recommend this program to any incoming freshman who wants to study abroad and get to start their colligate career in a fun and enlightening manner.

Name: Anika Petersen
Status: First-Year
Major: Biomedical Laboratory Science
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Program: FSA Japan - Track 1 - Godzilla Rises