By Brian Hon ブライアン ホン (たける）

 

The trip to Japan was one of the best things I have ever experienced.

 

It wasn’t what I thought it would be either, even with all the preparations I had from school. Japan was just plain different, but not in the ways I thought before I left. Many of the shops, the streets, the money, and even the cities were similar to their counterparts in the US. Not everything was as radically different as I had imagined. But Japan was different enough. Houses, foods, cars, people, fashions, and the day-to-day things that I take for granted were a far cry from what I was used to. But these similarities and differences were what made the trip enjoyable.

 

I realize now that I was pretty nervous as the day loomed closer and closer to the traveling date. I was worried about if my gifts were good enough, if my host families would be good, if I would remember enough Japanese so not to make a fool of myself. The funny thing is, is that none of my worries actually were a problem. What actually became problems I had never thought about! I was tired a lot. Much more than I thought I would be. I even, in my last host family, passed up the chance to go to Tokyo Disneyland because I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy myself at all, since I was so exhausted.

 

Another problem that I didn’t consider enough was the rain. It rained a lot in Japan, almost every day. I didn’t think about that almost at all when packing, but the wetness became a real hassle and annoyance while there. Another something I didn’t consider at all was food problems. I have always liked Japanese cuisine, and could use chopsticks fine, so I thought I wouldn’t have a problem at all. But the food there was so different, all the time, every day, that at different points on the trip, I was aching for some American food, like a normal sandwich, or some chips, or a burger or sub. All in all, though, my worries weren’t really a problem; the ones that I thought of beforehand, or the ones made on the trip.

 

I did like a lot of the things we did in Japan, in a very general way.

 

The view, most everywhere, was amazing. I took over a hundred pictures while there. Not all of them turned out, but the majority did, which I’m glad about. I enjoyed just looking out the window of the trains, or looking down the street as people walked by, or looking at the shops while walking in Tokyo. Wherever it was, I like the views. The food too, was amazing. Maybe it was because I was vying to try some authentic Japanese foods, but every place I went, whether it is a fast food joint, or a restaurant, or a host family’s kitchen, the food was delicious. I also got to try a bunch of different kinds of food, which I don't think I'd ever get to do in the states. Eel, liver, a variety of fruits, and more kinds of raw and cooked and dried fish that I could name, I tried.

 

Probably what the best part of the trip was, was meeting all the new, wonderful people. I was lucky enough to have four different host families, instead of just three like most people, and I’m thankful for it. Every one of them was great people. Even the people on the trains, or in the streets, or shops, or in the high school, I met, and it was great. That’s what Japan really is, is the people.