"Have you ever thought about visiting Japan?"
This simple question led to an experience of a lifetime. I responded that
I had never thought about going to Japan, but would love to go if the opportunity
presented itself. Well, it did.
After a short conversation with a Rotarian, I found myself filling out an application
to participate in Rotary District 6270's Group Study Exchange program to Osaka,
Japan, Rotary District 2660. After two rounds of interviews, I was accepted
into the program. Then the planning began.
Three months of planning consisted of a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.
Before we left, we had nine team meetings, five hours of Japanese lessons, three
books read and an opportunity to practice our presentation in front of an audience.
Team meetings included Rotary lessons, deciding what presents to buy for our
host families and preparing our presentation. Most importantly, these meetings
allowed our team the opportunity to get to know each other and form a friendship
that would make the Japan experience even more enjoyable.
The three months of preparation seemed like a blur and before we knew it, we
were boarding a plane to Osaka. After a 15-hour flight, it was good to be on
land again. Walking through the airport, I was pleasantly surprised to see that
all of the signs were in English.
After claiming our luggage and going through customs, we entered into the waiting
area of the airport. We were quickly greeted by at least 12 enthusiastic Rotarians.
Then, we experienced what would soon be a common ritual during our visit to
Japan. Everybody greeted each other by shaking hands, bowing and exchanging
business cards. This was followed by the ceremonial picture taking, which always
included at least three cameras. This ritual would soon become a part of our
everyday lives in Japan.
First Impressions of Osaka
Sensory overload! I have been to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, but none
of these could prepare me for the experience of Osaka. The street scene in Osaka
consists of towering buildings, neon signs of every shape, size, and color,
bicyclists everywhere, cars clogging every street and thousands of people moving
in every direction.
Although the downtown area is designed in a grid system, many of the surrounding
neighborhoods consist of extremely narrow streets that seem to never go straight
for more than a few blocks. Good thing almost all Japanese cars have GPS (Global
Positioning System) units, otherwise nobody would be able to find their way
around the city.
In the first week it took me a while to adjust to the commotion of Osaka. As
the days went by, I became accustomed to Osaka and began to feel comfortable
enough to travel throughout the city on my own. Since Osaka has an amazingly
low crime rate, I never worried about traveling by myself. By the third week,
traveling on the subway by myself seemed like an old habit. I even mastered
the fine art of rush hour travel. In Osaka, no matter how tightly packed a subway
car is, there is always room for more people.
Host Families
The opportunity to stay with host families was a unique experience that added
to the wonderful experience of the GSE program. Each Sunday afternoon, a different
host family would pick me up from the Hotel New Otani. At first, I thought that
it was going to be difficult staying with Japanese families. Each Sunday morning
I would worry what my new family would be like. Would they speak English? Would
they like the presents I brought? Would they like me? This apprehension would
soon leave after I would meet the host family. Each host family went to great
lengths in welcoming me into their family and to insure proper accommodations
for me.
Family life provided me with a wealth of wonderful cultural experience. This
included eating traditional Japanese foods, the opportunity to eat at many different
types of restaurants, taking a traditional Japanese bath, singing karaoke, sleeping
in a traditional Japanese bedroom, shopping, and watching the Hanshin Tigers
(professional Osaka baseball team) on Japanese television. Each family provided
me with unique experiences that I will forever cherish.
Words alone cannot express the gratitude and appreciation I feel towards each
host family. Without them, the Osaka experience would not have been nearly as
meaningful and rewarding.
Vocational Experiences
I was a little worried about what type of vocational experiences I would have
in Japan. As an Urban Planner, I was not sure if my profession existed in Japan.
I tried to provide the Rotarians with a wide variety of subjects that would
interest me. This included land use planning, economic development, urban redevelopment
and tourism development. As a result, each vocational experience was unique
and each provided me with a wealth of information that was relevant to my occupation.
While in Osaka, I had the opportunity to visit several different city-planning
departments. Each showed me their current land use plan and redevelopment efforts
in their city. They also would take me on guided tours of these redevelopment
projects, which provided me the opportunity to see first hand what they were
working on. I also had the opportunity to meet with several mayors and the East
Osaka Chamber of Commerce.
The most rewarding part of my vocational experience was the opportunity to
see major new developments in Osaka. This included Rinku Town near Kansai Airport
and Universal City, home to Universal Studios Japan. Each provided me with excellent
case studies to report on to my colleagues in Wisconsin.
Cultural Experiences
Springtime in Japan is a very festive season. The entire city comes alive with
the flowering of the cherry blossoms. During this short season, families have
picnics under the cherry blossoms where
everybody enjoys food and sake.
In addition to staying with host families, other guided tours allowed for a
variety of cultural experiences. I visited several different temples and shrines
and even participated in a Shinto ceremony to remove my bad luck. Riding on
the subways was always enjoyable because it provided an opportunity to see a
variety of different people wearing a variety of different clothing styles.
Some of the most enjoyable experiences were when we left Osaka and visited other cities. These cities included Nara, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Nara provided an opportunity to see the cherry blossoms, tame deer and the largest Buddha in the world. In Kyoto, we saw several different temples and shrines. I also had the opportunity to play Pachinko (imagine a cross between a pinball and slot machines) while in Kyoto. Hiroshima was an experience of a lifetime. I would recommend to anyone visiting Osaka to travel to Hiroshima to see the Atomic Dome and World Peace Museum.
My favorite experience was the opportunity to see a sumo tournament. Surprisingly,
this was a very rare opportunity because many Japanese people told me that they
have never seen sumo.
Lasting Impressions
Since I have been back in the United States, I have been asked several times
what was the best experience that I had in Japan. I always respond, the people!
Thanks to the wonderful people that I met in Japan, I now know what it feels
like to be a celebrity. Every activity was first class and provided "behind
the scenes" tours that many Japanese people never experience. I always
traveled with an entourage and every time I turned around, my picture was taken.
I truly felt like an important person while I was in Japan.
Another common question has been what was my least favorite part of the experience.
I would have to say the food. I like fish, but the Japanese love fish. They
eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are more than happy to tell you
that they eat everything from the sea, including salmon, eel, octopus, crab,
lobster, sea urchin, and anything else that can be pulled out of the water.
Although some of the fish was a little hard to swallow, I definitely did not
starve while I was in Japan!
Recommendations
Any future GSE Team should plan to meet as much as possible before departing.
Becoming comfortable with each other will make the trip more enjoyable and the
presentations more entertaining.
Learn as much of the foreign language and culture as you can before you leave.
Simple pleasantries will go a long way in making new acquaintances while in
the foreign country.
Be open-minded and try new things. However, never be afraid to say you do not
like something or feel uncomfortable. This will make your experience more enjoyable.
Go with the flow! No matter how much planning is done, changes will always
occur.
Hosting clubs should plan for more unscheduled time. Often times, activities were planned during our unscheduled time.
Upon arriving back in the sponsor district, the GSE Planning Committee should
contact the GSE Team for input in preparation for the incoming team.
Thank You
So many people helped to make this an experience a success, it would be impossible
to list everyone, but these few need special recognition.
Rotary Districts 6270 and 2600, which gave me an opportunity of a lifetime.
Richard Nelson, who asked, "Have you ever thought about visiting Japan?".
The Port Washington Rotary Club, for sponsoring me.
Ozaukee County and the University of Wisconsin-Extension, for allowing me the
work time to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.
My host families, for welcoming me into your homes and families.
All of the people that provided me with wonderful vocational experiences while I was in Japan.
Junko Suzuki, for the Japanese lessons before we left.
Mom and Dad, for taking care of things while I was gone.
David, Emily, Erin, and Erik, for making the trip an enjoyable experience. I can't imagine what this trip would have been without all of you. Don't mess with the A-Team!
