(Elementary school teacher)
If Dreams come true, then I must lead a charmed life! My trip to Japan was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Before I went to Japan, I had preconceived ideas about what Japanese people and their culture would be like. However, I discovered that even though we may live in different parts of the world, look different, and speak different languages -- inside, we are all the same. I would like to share with you a few of my impressions of the people, customs, culture, and country of Japan.
I have gained a tremendous appreciation for the Japanese way of life and have come to respect it. Japanese people are sincere and patient in a world where patience is seldom practiced. They are gracious and friendly; indeed, a guest is truly honored in their homes. I found their hospitality unbelievably generous.The Japanese Rotarians spent a considerable amount of time getting to know each of us as individuals and that was very important to me. In addition, living with five Japanese families gave me the chance to more carefully examine and study their lifestyles, mannerisms, beliefs, and everyday lives. This unique opportunity afforded me the chance to see things even the wealthiest tourist could not see and experience first hand.
The purpose of G.S.E is to promote mutual understanding among members of different nations in order to promote world peace. This trip did much more than that! I feel in love with the people and their country. I would have been quite content to stay in Osaka and wave good-bye to the other team members as they boarded the plane at Osaka International Airport. However, I knew it was my responsibility to come back to America and share my experiences and knowledge about Japan with other people in our community and state.
In my home stays, I lived in many varied types of homes with hosts of varied life-styles. Some families were traditional Japanese, while others were very westernized. Basically, the only practices they all shared were the tradition of removing shoes before entering the home, the Japanese bath, and heated toilet seats. I particularly enjoyed the Japanese bath. When I have a home of my own, I think I will adopt all of the above mentioned leisure. Some of the differences included the sleeping arrangements. Three weeks I had the chance to sleep on a "futon." At first sight I thought to myself, "How can anyone sleep on the floor with this thin mat?" Much to my surprise, I discovered that the futons were as comfortable, if not more comfortable than the western style beds in America.
I was also fascinated with the idea of arranged marriages. In two of my families, the couples had married for love and the other three had arranged marriages, I wondered how a person could live with someone unless they were in love, but much to my surprise I discovered such an arrangement had its advantages. In fact, the divorce rate is lower among people whose marriages were arranged. At least in arranged marriages one is more likely to marry into his own social class and continue the same standard of living as that of his parents. It is believed that once married, you will fall in love because of the wonderful things your spouse does for you.
Each of my families was special in its own unique way. In some homes I was treated as a guest, and in others I was treated as another family member. I will be gratefully indebted to each of my families for the kindness and the consideration they showed me. They took me into their homes without even knowing me and treated me with respect. It takes very special people to open up their homes and themselves to a complete stranger from another country, but it is through experiences like these that we learn about each others beliefs, ways of thinking, and life-styles.
I was amazed at the incredible number of hours that Japanese people work in a week. In the homes where I lived, all of the women were housewives who made their families the focus of their lives. In fact, I cannot recall any time in which someone was not at home, I also feel that women in the homes are one of the reasons for the tremendous success of school children in Japan because emphasis is placed on family, a most impressive advantage for the children.
Orderliness would be another word used to describe the Japanese society. There was a train strike while our team was there. When we entered the train station, everyone was quietly standing in line waiting for the few trains that were running. No one was pushing to enter the train, and no one jumped to the front of the line. If that had been New York City, we would have probably experienced riots. Honesty also characterizes the Japanese people. Once at a hotel, I packed my luggage into the car and forgot my purse. After a 45 minute drive, I discovered I had misplaced it. My host family was kind enough to take me back to look for it. When we arrived at the hotel, a Rotarian was waiting there with my purse. It contained all of my money and my passport. Needless to say, everything was there. I find that amazing. I was also quite taken in by the fact that, in general, Japanese people will sacrifice their own pleasure to see that a guest is happy and having a good time. Their sincerity was touching. When they tell you something, they follow through with their word. I find it most refreshing to find people who are always dependable and to whom honor is everything.
During our stay in Osaka, I had many opportunities to learn about the customs and culture. Some of my favorite activities included: Takarazuka Grand Theater, Matsushita Electric Central Research Lab, Zen meditation, visiting a Japanese Swordsmith, Osaka Castle, Osaka Business Park, driving school, Takahama Nuclear Power Plant, Bunraku, and of course, the sight seeing trips to Kobe, Kyoto, and Nara. The tree planting ceremony at Expo Park was particularly impressive. However, the most moving experience was the visit to Hiroshima. It is my firm belief that if people were required to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, there would be no more war. Hopefully, the world can learn from its mistakes so that there will never be another devastating war like World War II. I have not had the opportunity to visit Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, but I am sure it is equally impressive. Of course, I also had the opportunity to participate in many tea ceremonies while staying in Osaka. As a matter of fact, I learned a very valuable lesson about Japanese Etiquette. On April 6, I was invited to Mano-san's House for a beautiful tea ceremony. After Completing the formalities of the ceremony, we were sitting around talking and I noticed that everyone's tea bowl was different. Out of curiosity I asked if there was any significance in everyone's bowl being different. I learned that each bowl is an expensive art piece with unique significance. I complemented Mano-san on his beautiful bowls and how appropriate the one with the cherry blossoms was for this time of the year. As we prepared to leave his home, he presented me with a box and said, "Dozo." I unwrapped the box and began to cry when I saw the bowl with the cherry blossoms on it. At first I refused to accept it. I was simply admiring its beauty. I did not have any intentions of wanting to have it. The Rotarians told me it was an insult not to accept a gift. I accepted it and felt very touched by Mano san's generosity. So as the story goes -- do not compliment a Japanese person on his possessions or you may be taking them home with you! The tea bowl is now in my bed-room at home, and I admire its beauty and the memories of Japan as I wake each morning. In general, Japanese people give many gifts. I did not feel worthy of accepting many of the nice gifts I received, but the most important gift I received was the sharing of knowledge, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings from the people.
This G.S.E. program was also an experience in international dining. The most fascinating experience in cuisine occurred just three days into the Journey. Matsuoka-san announced to us that we were going to visit a traditional Japanese pub. I couldn't wait! At the pub, we removed our shoes and sat in the traditional Japanese fashion on the floor. We were first served warm sake, and then the waitress brought a tray bearing eight round objects which had been baked in egg. I promptly picked the first one up with my chopsticks and began to chew. The egg disappeared but the other part did not. I chewed and chewed and the longer I chewed the larger it became. I finally swallowed it after chasing it with warm sake and tried another one. This time the baked egg fell off, and staring me in the face was the tentacle of an octopus. The idea of eating octopus was somewhat disgusting, but actually it wasn't bad. As we exited the pub, I noticed a fish tank with an octopus in it and began making jokes about tomorrow's sushi only to discover the octopus in the tank was the octopus I had just eaten. I would not trade this experience for anything. It only proved the premise that you never know whether you like something until you try it! I had many other opportunities to try traditional Japanese foods and found many of them very delicious. I especially liked tempura, sukiyaki, and shabu shabu. I even developed a taste for sashimi. The only thing I never really learned to fully appreciate was Japanese Obento (lunchbox).
From my vocational days, I gained much insight into the inner workings of the schools in Japan. In many ways they are similar to the schools in the United States, but in many other ways there are marked differences. For example, children in Japan go to school 240 days a year. You could expect to find 40 students in a class with one teacher and no assistant. Organization seems to be one of the keys to their success. I particularly liked seeing more male teachers in the elementary schools. In the United States there are very few male teachers at the primary and elementary levels. I feel that the United States needs to encourage more men to pursue careers in education for several reasons -- the most important being that children need to have positive male role models. There were no free meals or breakfast programs in Japan and no busing. Another difference between our two systems is entrance into a university, which I was surprised to learn is based solely on test performance in Japan. Once admitted into the university system, a student in Japan is almost guaranteed of graduation. In the United States, entrance into a university is based on several factors -- grades, class rank, extracurricular activities, and even athletic ability. It almost seemed unbelievable to visit a county that is almost 100% literate. On several occasions I had the chance to visit juku or cram schools. I have mixed feelings about this particular system of schooling. The primary purpose of juku is to teach students to pass tests. However, I have deep concerns about the effects it may have on a child's creative abilities. From my observations, I find that the schools teach conformity rather than individuality, a concept not necessarily bad -- only different. I admired the respect shown to the teachers! The students in Japan are just like the students in America, but the emphasis placed on education is very different. There were virtually no discipline problems, and where they did occur, they were handled by talking with the student or his/her parents. Japan has so much to be proud of in their educational system.
Our G.S.E. team visited many industries and factories. I was fascinated by seeing everyone wearing uniforms. I personally think this is a wonderful idea for several reasons. First, it puts all of the workers on the same level so that there is no social class distinction. Second, it cuts down on competition in dress in the workplace. Third, it saves the employee money. I also liked the lifetime job security provided by companies in Japan. I feel that it builds pride in the individual and his job. The work management systems are more than efficient, and I feel we could certainly benefit from studying the Japanese style of management.
Technology in Japan is so far advanced that it is overwhelming. My fascination with the remote control bathtub, television screens with maps of Japan for navigating in the cars, and heated toilet seats with function buttons only added to many other incredible factors of Japan itself. Japanese people, in general, have many more gadgets than people in the United States. Almost everyone has a car phone, and even a few of the taxies have fax machines in them.
One aspect of Japanese life that I never really understood was religion. After visiting several temples in Japan, I began to ask a few questions about people's beliefs. I never did encounter two people who felt the same way or believed the same thing.
I appreciated many things in the Japanese culture. First, everything there was just my size. In America I can never see what I am eating because the tables are so high, but in Japan, while I didn't always know what I was eating, at least I could see it. I admire the respect that people have for themselves and others, their sincerity, and sense of order within the society.
The most important thing I gained from this experience were many new lifetime friends!! I learned so much about Japan and its people, but I also learned a great deal about myself. Inside, we are all the same! My humble thanks to Rotary International for providing programs like G.S.E. Their mission was certainly accomplished. I have developed a deep respect and passion for Japan and its people -- some of the most beautiful people in the world. In my farewell speech, I stated that I could not say "Good-bye," only "see you soon!" It is my intention to return to Japan someday soon to work but until then, I will tell everyone I know and meet how wonderful Japan and its people are in hopes of promoting better understanding among people of different nations.
Having traveled extensively in North America and Europe, I recognized what an outstanding opportunity was being offered through the Group Study Exchange Program. I have always been fascinated by other cultures, so when it was announced that applications were being accepted for a G.S.E Program to Japan, I immediately requested an application. I was contacted about two weeks later to say that I would be interviewed as a possible team member. I did not know what my chances would be, but I have always taken advantage of any opportunity that has come my way for international study and/or travel.
I was somewhat familiar with the G.S.E. Program because the G.S.E. members from Japan visited my classroom in North Carolina last year during their visit. However, I had no idea that this experience would be as wonderful and educational as it actually turned out to be. After official notification that I would be a G.S.E. member, I began preparing for the trip in many ways. I spent about 3 hours a week researching Japan. I also taught a unit on Japan in my classroom and had my students do research on every conceivable aspect of the country and the culture. My excitement was contagious to my students. Before our departure to Japan, we had several meetings -- some formal and others informal. We were briefed on many different issues -- current concerns, history, government, trade -- all preparing us for our adventure.
On March 14, 1992, we left Greensboro to attend Berlitz language Training Sessions in Atlanta. While I found them to be beneficial, I feel it would have been more helpful to spend more time learning the essential phrases for survival. However, the time frame did not permit an in-depth study of the language. The time we spent in Atlanta helped to solidify the group as a whole . It gave us large blocks of uninterrupted time to get to know each other before we departed for Japan.
The Rotary District in Japan kept us well informed of the events taking place to prepare for our study. Their organization was superior! I always felt safe, secure, and well informed at all times during our visit there. I especially enjoyed getting to know the Japanese G.S.E. Team members who visited North Carolina. My only regret is that, when they were visiting my district, I did not know I would going to Japan the following year.
This experience has impacted my life in indescribable ways. I will never be the same! It has taken me an entire month to talk about my experiences in Japan without getting teary eyed. It was a most humbling experience. I will admit that I did have some difficulty adjusting to life once I returned to the United States. I did not experience culture shock in Japan, but I did once I returned to the states.There was no one here to take care of my every request and pamper me the way I was pampered in Osaka.
Since my return home, I have taken every opportunity to speak to everyone I have come in contact with about my experiences during my visit. At this point, I have already given 10 official programs (4 Rotary Programs, 5 school presentations, and 1 presentation to the women's club in my home-town). I have several more programs scheduled during the summer months.
It is my sincere hope to promote the goals of Rotary International through my presentations (formal and informal) and my actions. I will do everything in my power to promote understanding among people of different nations in the hope that one day we can live in a world without conflict.
