Changing Impressions of Japan

My perceptions of Japanese society have definitely changed radically since last semester when I was planning my trip, and from when I first arrived.  I like to think that I was not one of those people who idealize Japanese society—I have long been well aware of the fact that every country has its problems, and Japan certainly has many.   However, there is one impression that really stands out in my mind.  Before I came here, I had several friends and acquaintances who had already been to or lived in Japan.  They all said relatively the same thing: You’ll never be truly accepted by the Japanese people.  You’ll have a great time, but it may also be really lonely.

This made me a little worried, until I arrived here.  How wrong they were, I thought! Everyone here is so eager to be friends.  I certainly made a lot of Japanese friends in my first few weeks here. However, I have since become familiar with the “gaijin hunters” of Kansai Gaidai and I’ve realized that my friends at home were right.  While I have made several wonderful Japanese friends here and I’ve often been astonished at the kindness and generosity of the people here, I often feel excluded and I have come to realize that I’ll never be accepted in mainstream society here. 

I also think I somewhat pictured Japan as a very exotic place before I came here.  I thought it was so different and its customs so strange.  However, I’ve realized that people are pretty much people no matter where you go, even given some experiences that seemed incredibly bizarre to me—such as, for example, having to fill out paper work to retrieve a pair of gloves I had left at a train station minutes before.  The streets of Kyoto start to seem strangely reminiscent of Boston, if you replace temples with churches. 

I think that this lesson has broadened my mind in a lot of ways.  I have made friends with people from all over the world, not only Japan.  I no longer view any one’s habits or customs as so strange, and I think I’ve learned to accept people with all their respective baggage and differences.  I’m really glad I came to Kansai Gaidai.  Some experiences were bitter, some were sweet, and I don’t think I can say anything about this semester was truly disappointing.  Thank you, Kansai Gaidai!