A Passport and the Willingness to Karaoke: Things Needed for a Trip to Japan
My community education class relaxing after some English conversation
What is so darn exhilarating about travel? Honestly, there is very little I don’t love about the entire experience. The 4 a.m. alarm to get ready, standing in my socks in the security line, the little snacks I eat while waiting to board, the “free” shampoos and sewing kits, the first step out of the hotel. Pure bliss.
I wouldn’t describe myself as type-A (who would?), however I’m OK in saying I have type-A tendencies. Ask anyone~ I am a planner to the core. I like to know the whens and wheres of my day. I’m a list maker. I’m a devout over-thinker. I walk around the store with 5 items and then end up putting them all back. Yes, one of those. And yet, when it comes to travel, I am a risk-taker. An idea pops into my head and the blinders go on. The sensible, rational, reserved self gets overpowered by the self that desires to be someplace else. In saying this, where does this reckless abandon for going anyplace come from? I will share an example of impassioned arguments that propelled me, with passport in-hand, to the nearest airport.
Togo-cho town officials welcome me just an hour after arriving
Kagoshima-ken, Japan, 1998. After graduating from college and no permanent job insight, I yielded to the fact I had to live at home…just for a while until I could get my own place. Five months later, I was still at home and my parents were at their breaking point. Tempers flared, words were exchanged, doors slammed. (Did I mention I was the one flaring, exchanging and slamming?) In the heat of the moment I did what any angry 22 year old would do. I applied to the JET Program (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) to teach English in Japan and was accepted. It was a win-win situation. My parents got me out of the house, and I got a chance of a lifetime to not only travel, but live in Japan.
So, let’s answer the question on your minds…What if I am not going through a rebellious stage and just want to visit Japan? Great question…
Japan is a fantastic place to visit as long as you understand a few things.
Concede to the fact that you are in Japan.
Be prepared to feel like a celebrity- to be stared at and approached by strangers. There are not very many foreigners outside of Tokyo so it is done simply out of curiosity and interest. I lived in Kagoshima (most southern part of Japan and had oba-chans (grandmas) look in my grocery cart to see what I was buying. I was the local curiosity and I got used to it.
Maguro (tuna) Festival, Octopus (tako) Kushikino, Kagoshima
Also, you are in Japan. A country surrounded by ocean and the food revolves around it. The food is delicious. Each region has its specialty. Give it a try. Be adventurous and try things that are not in your comfort zone. And what if you don’t like fish? Be respectful and be extra prepared to have the conversation over and over. And don’t you dare eat at McD’s. You are there to experience the culture and food is a major player in Japan’s culture.
Learn a bit of Japanese, kudasai.
You are the visitor, so it is only obvious that you learn at least a few key phrases. Not only for practical reasons, but it will impress those you speak to. I lived in Kagoshima, which is viewed as a backwater by those living in the large cities. When I visited Tokyo at the end of my time in Japan, everyone I spoke to knew where I had been living because of my accent. I never expected to pick up a Japanese accent, let alone a Kagoshima-ben accent! I was proud of the fact I could be identified as a Kagoshima girl. It is also a great ice breaker. Each area of Japan has its own dialect and accent, so if you find yourself with a local, ask them to teach you some slang…a great game to play. (internet search: useful Japanese phrases)
• What is your name? O-namae wa nan desu ka.
• My name is… Your name desu.
• Where is the bathroom? Toire wa doko desu ka.
• Excuse me/Sorry. Sumimasen
• How are you? O genki desu ka.
• Fine. Daijobou.
Furosato Onsen, Sakurajima, Kagoshima-ken
Travel beyond Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Tower
By all means see the sights near and in Tokyo, but please, please, please go to a small town. Japan is comprised of 4 main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Each is beautiful and accessible if you are willing. Hot springs are incredible. Sakurajima, an active volcano in the harbor of Kagoshima, is amazing. There is an outside spring overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Most hot springs require you to bare all, so again, be prepared. Also, Kagoshima has hot sands in Ibuski where you are buried by oba-chans in geothermic sands. The sand is a million degrees and the sea air is freezing…a perfect combination. Ahhh.
Whatever you do, research where you want to go, bring a good English/Japanese dictionary, study some Katakana/ Hiragana/Kanji (three types of Japanese writing) of the places you are planning on visiting. This is especially helpful when you travel by trains because not all signs will be in Romanji (English letters).
Ganbatte, ne! (Go for it)
You’re in Japan!
Genki de ne yo! (Good luck)
