Exploring, Events, and Education: Balancing Daily Life in Japan

Studying abroad, especially in a shorter, intensive program, can be filled with things to keep track of. 

Am I eating enough? Am I involved with social events and going out with friends? Am I studying and allotting enough time to hit the books? It can get overwhelming very fast. Of course, you want to focus, learn, and get good grades, but you also want to have fun and have experiences outside of the classroom. 

Since I’m now around four weeks through the program, I want to share some things that helped me make the most of my short time in Japan thus far. 

1. Sign up for activities if they’re offered. The cultural activities I’ve done so far have been both fun and educational. I did Daruma painting, glass blowing (we made wind chimes), and aizome (indigo dying), which gave opportunities to learn some history, do hands-on activities, spend time with friends, and even practice Japanese with IES Abroad volunteers. It was such a nice change of pace to get out of the city. There was also a party with SAF, IES’s sister program, where we got to meet Japanese university students who had studied abroad. I was nervous about signing up and a little anxious once I was there, but I got to meet new people who ended up reaching out after the party. I recently went out to lunch with one of the friends I made there and went to Tsukishima to try monjayaki and okonomiyaki. Both were super delicious, and I had a lot of fun talking. On the way back to the station, we even saw an old man walking with a humongous pet tortoise. You really can’t make this stuff up. 

    

2. Studying is important, but don’t forget to take breaks. Even if it’s something as easy as going out to dinner or doing something fun after doing homework, take the time to hang out with friends and explore the city and beyond. Take advantage of the trains and public transportation, too. It’s been really exciting to be able to hop on a train and explore different parts of the city and different areas. Don’t forget to take some time for yourself, too. 

    

3. Reach out to others. Honestly, this one intimidated me at first. But as much as you want to explore and get out there, others in your program likely do too. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. Again, you don’t always have to be with someone. It’s perfectly okay and healthy to take a break from the social scene. This program can feel very “go go go,” and sometimes, it helps to have some me time and take it slower. 

    

With how busy things have been, time flies so fast. We finished midterms a week ago, and I feel like I’m racing to check items off my bucket list. Recently, we had another field trip with the program to Yamanashi, the home of Mount Fuji. Our main events of the day were having a buffet-style lunch with a view of Mount Fuji, going to a shrine, and going peach picking. 

While sitting and eating lunch, I obliviously wondered out loud, “I wonder if we’ll be able to see Mount Fuji from a distance.” My friend pointed and informed me it was directly out the window to my right. It looked quite different from the winter pictures without most of its snow, but it was still very cool. 

Within the next two weeks, I have a lot of things planned outside of school. Yokohama and Kyoto are two places I’m looking forward to visiting soon. If I listed everything that happened within these past few weeks, this would turn into a novel series. All I can say is take advantage of each moment you have here and remember to take care of yourself, especially being in such crowded spaces a lot and with the growing summer heat. 

If you’re planning on studying here during the summer, definitely invest in a handheld electric fan, a parasol, or both, and remember sunscreen (I am sunburned as I am writing this). 

Thanks for reading, and I’m excited to tell you all about my last two weeks here!