Jasmine – Japan

Blog 4

Hello again! I am back home from my trip and what can I say. I enjoyed every moment of it. The experience I had in Japan was one I never could have even dreamed of.

Something you should prepare for when returning home is downtime. Since my program was short, the activities in our itinerary were packed tightly and there wasn’t any rest time, especially if you wanted to do some exploring on your own. We woke up early in the morning and didn’t get back to our hotels until late at night, and my mind and body was not used to that. Having spent 10 days in that cycle, I needed a reset. I did my best to get rest on the 13-hour flight back to North Carolina, but once I got home, I slept for 18 hours straight. Crazy, right? Make sure to give yourself a few days to adjust before making any big plans if you can help it.

Something else I wished someone had warned me about would be reverse culture shock. Even though my program was short, I had already gotten used to life in Japan. Now that I am home, everywhere I go I find something that I can relate back to my time abroad. Once I fully recovered from the jet lag, I was in a bit of a depressive mood. Not many people talk about this, but it’s a big change going from the exciting experience of being abroad to going back home and having to readjust. What helped me with this was looking over all the pictures and souvenirs I took to help remember what a good time I had. I even made a shadow box to hang on my wall, so I am constantly reminded of the memories I made and to encourage me to make more in the future.

That’s all for now. Until next time!

Blog 3

What’s up everyone! Japan has been so wonderful. I have been able to experience so many things already!

I would like to start by saying how amazing the food is. I am usually a picky eater so finding something I would like was a bit hard for me but once I tried it I loved it! I would say be sure not to be hesitant about stepping out of your comfort zone. When you go abroad you’re supposed make memories and try new things so stepping out of your comfort zone will be inevitable. Something to keep in mind when in Japan is do your best not to ask cooks for any changes in your food. Asking a chef to leave out an ingredient or substitute is often viewed as rude or disrespectful to the cook’s recipe.

We stayed in 2 different hotels since we stayed in 2 different cities. In Tokyo, or neighborhood was very compact but also very convenient. There were restaurants and convenience stores nearby and we were also very close to a train station. In Kyoto, it took a bit longer to get to these places since it’s a bit more rural. However, both neighborhoods were beautiful.

So far, I would say my favorite activities have been seeing Mt. Fuji and exploring the cities. Seeing Mt Fuji has always been on my bucket list, so I was very excited for this day to come. We took a cable car up to get a good view and I was amazed at the scene. As for exploring the cities, I am normally not a city person, but I was in awe when visiting each prefecture. The environment was so lively, and I felt like I was in a movie. Knowing that Tokyo is the biggest city in the world was a bit overwhelming, but I was unbothered once I was there myself.

Blog 2

Arriving in Japan was incredible. When we got picked up from the airport, our group got onto a travel bus that took us to our hotel. The first thing I noticed was how clean the streets were. I had heard of how clean the country was but seeing it in real time incredible. Our guide explained that the cleanliness is part of the Japanese culture. Keeping trash off the streets isn’t mandated by the government as it is in the US. The Japanese people simply take pride in keeping their society clean and free of trash.

In preparation for the trip, I made sure to do a bunch of research so I could fit into the society. Obviously, as a tourist it can be hard to do but making the effort makes all the difference. One of the major things to keep in mind if you travel to Japan is knowing that is a collectivist society. People tend to keep to themselves and work around other people to maintain harmony in public. Making sure to be considerate of others and others space makes a big impact. An example is when on escalators, people keep to one side to and leave an open path for those that may be in a rush.

Other behavioral things such as volume when speaking in public, facial expressions, and gestures are good to keep in mind. Public areas can be rowdy and loud as it is, so maintaining a low volume shows respect to others around you. Additionally, emotional expression is not very common in Japan. Aside from smiling and laughing, strong emotions aren’t expressed very often.

Blog 1

Hello! My name is Jasmine, and I am a freshman at ECU. I am majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology.

I am super excited to share my experience in Japan for the Culture and Psychology trip. On this trip, I hope to learn how the culture functions and how different it is from my home country. Additionally, I hope to apply this knowledge to become more culturally competent to develop the skills needed for my career in the criminal justice system.

Before my trip, I have done quite a hit of surface level research. I have watched many tourist videos on social media that provide useful suggestions on how to behave in the country. For example, not eating or drinking while walking, not tipping at a restaurant, and making sure to keep mind of my volume in certain areas. Additionally, I used Duo-lingo to help me learn some basic phrases to better navigate my way when needed.

I am most exited to immerse myself in a new setting and explore the country. I am primarily concerned with the food. I can be a bit picky when deciding what to eat and if I don’t like my food, I’ll probably be in a bad mood for the rest of that day. That being said, I scarcely try new foods. I love Japanese food from what I have tried in the US, but there’s only one dish I normally order, and it probably isn’t as authentic as I tell myself it is. In order to overcome this challenge, I am going to try my best to approach each setting with an open mind and do my best to understand what is in each dish so I can know what I’m getting myself into.