Day 13 "I will always remember..."
Kelland: The first thing that comes to mind when considering a core cultural memory from this trip is rice planting in the fields. As someone who eats rice daily, this experience has allowed me to grow appreciation for this food that I often take for granted. From trying not to think about what little critters may be surrounding my feet to moving in the mushy consistency of the mud, I confronted many of my previous fears while imagining the tastiness of the rice that I planted for whoever will eat it in the future. Just as importantly, it was the people in this process that made it so memorable. First is the very old couple that sat in the distance house, watching us with a curious glance, seeing a group of jumpy high school students struggling in the mud. Second is my peers—the people whose constant commentary made this experience more bearable, enjoyable, and fun. I now see rice through a new lens, one that is more grateful, and one that will most definitely (at least try to) finish every bowl of rice that I am served in the future.
Jess: This trip has truly been an enlightening experience, not solely because of the museums, artifacts and beautiful temples we had the pleasure of visiting, but because of the people we encountered throughout the journey. Starting with the Nirayama homestay, I experienced firsthand the hospitality and kindness from the Japanese families. They were accommodating, and eager to learn and experience new things with me. Next, during our first stay with Walk Japan, the lady who cooked our food for every meal treated us with immense joy and excitement. When she taught us how to make soba, she would exclaim with excitement every step we completed and always smiling and clapping, and even brightening our every meal. When we went to go rice planting, the lady that owned the rice plants cheered us on, watching over us despite her back pain; and her sons taught us how to plant rice with patience and understanding. Lastly, during our farm stay with our respective families, we were able to experience the daily life in rural Japan, and our host family made sure to remind us to take breaks, drink more water and ensure that we were enjoying our stay and the activity that we were doing. During this trip, everyone we encountered were kind, respectful, and incredibly eager to welcome us into their homes and culture, and it was incredibly heartwarming and significant to all of us.
Elizabeth: Beyond the countless new friendships and connections, I made on this trip, traveling to Japan with PolyGlobal has fundamental changed the way I view the world around me. Japanese culture creates an environment in which everyday citizens are taught to be thankful for everything that has been given, something we in the United States overlook quite often. One unique cultural aspect aligned with these values is the saying of itadakimasu before every meal. The meaning of the word, as Yo, one of our tour guides during WalkJapan, explained, goes far beyond the simple yet necessary spoken value of thanking the servers and chefs. Gratitude given stems from the workers who harvested the ingredients all the way to the spirts themselves. Overall, the PolyGlobal experience has taught me to reevaluate how much privilege I have and how many smaller acts of kindness I should be grateful for. Thank you to Mr. Caragher, Ms. Tomokiyo, Ayako, and Yo for teaching me more than I could have ever imagined. Mata ne!
Joseph: Over the course of the Japan PolyGlobal travel program, I learned about various aspects of Japanese culture and daily life while having fun at the same time. One core memory that will always stick with me was during the homestay portion of the trip. As I was walking and taking the train with him to school, which was already a foreign experience for me, as I always drive, I noted the amount of trust the authorities put in people following the rules themselves. This was best exemplified in the train stations, where there is nothing stopping people from just boarding the train without paying. I found this fascinating, and I asked my homestay student Koshiro why there is never anyone that goes without paying. Koshiro looked shocked I would even suggest that such a possibility could exist. I explained that in places like New York, the subways need huge, high-security gates to prevent people from entering without paying. I thought that the existence of people who don’t follow the rules was commonplace everywhere, but Koshiro proved me wrong. In Japan, I learned, people are taught to fit in and to follow the rules from a very young age; homogeneity is encouraged, and rebellion is suppressed. While I had an idea that this was true, being able to interact firsthand with this cultural difference encouraged me to question aspects of society that I would have previously thought of as inherent. This was only one example of many that I experienced during this incredible trip. As someone who hasn’t really traveled internationally, the Japan PolyGlobal trip was a truly transformative experience. I am incredibly grateful for all of those who made it possible.
Lilah: Besides all the amazing sights we were able to experience in Japan, this trip also gave me the opportunity to engage in long lasting cultural connections and relationships. Staying on local farms and interacting with the families showed me the deep appreciation and care the people in Japan have for each other and the world around them, something that I will carry with me long into the future as I return home. One moment that stuck out to me was visiting a local farm in Oita, where the family prepared a delicious lunch for our group, and then we helped plant rice in their land. The entire family was so welcoming, and we all said itadakimasu before eating to express our thankfulness for all that we shared. They then taught us precisely how to plant the rice and the care in cultivating it, giving me a new perspective on agriculture and sustainability. I loved how special the experience was, as they had profound understanding and admiration for the natural world, teaching me to value all the resources I have and giving me the opportunity to be a part of a community and culture. While planting the rice, the neighbors and family cheered us on, fully engaged in our project and the group effort in order to foster a truly cohesive environment. It was something I had never gotten to experience before, and I’m so grateful for this travel program and all the connections I was able to build during my time in Japan.
Mackenzie: While in Japan, we visited grand temples, museums, and communal onsens (maybe the most strikingly new,) and each offered their own unique features and cultural differences. One of the most memorable experiences for me, however, was the homestay, where I met my host Nirayama HS student Rio in person for the first time. Before the trip, we sent many emails back and forth, sharing simple details about ourselves, like our hobbies or favorite colors. But the experience of meeting Rio in person felt entirely different; instead of looking through a small window into her life each time I received an email, I was able to fully step into her world, even if only for a little while. Rio gave me a tour of her town, and we stopped by a little park filled with trees and framed by small apartment buildings. Together we skipped rocks in the creek and conversed quietly about everyday life. I was struck by how many similarities we found between the two of us and how comfortable I felt talking with Rio. If not for the huge silhouette of Mount Fuji in the distance, I might’ve believed I was just sitting in the park near my own home with an old friend. In a world where we often socialize and learn on a screen, I know small, face-to-face connections like this are especially important. In finding what we share in common, my host and I bridged a divide that I hadn’t even considered before. Despite that moment being less adventurous, loud, or glaringly new, it felt and feels to be one of the most important pieces of my trip, and will stick with me for many years to come.
Alexandra: Although I had previously travelled to Japan, this trip was still an eye-opening experience for me because I got to immerse myself in more suburban places like Mishima and rural places like Oita. With my first host family in Mishima, we ate fish that my host student Aimi’s grandfather had fished, and her grandmother had prepared. During Walk Japan in Oita, we planted rice and learned to appreciate it more because each plant was equivalent to a bowl of rice. These are just a few instances of when I’ve learned that in rural areas of Japan, more people have independently and locally sourced food. At home, I would buy all these foods, having no idea where they come from. This trip made me not only appreciate more what I have but have more of an inclination to source my food locally as it is not only more sustainable but also more delicious. I had many unforgettable meals and experiences during my time in Japan, and I am so grateful that I got to go on this trip!
Santiago: After this trip the one core lesson that will stick with me is how I interact with people. Since this trip was my first one to Japan and only my second one out of the US, I was a little worried about interacting with a new place where I didn’t know the language, and I was a little worried about the homestay and how my interactions with my home family would go. Thankfully, I was very pleasantly surprised as the family was not only extremely welcoming and kind, but also genuinely interested and excited to care for me. The family served every delicious meal and gave every gift with joy and thoughtfulness, and they made sure to make my Japanese experience authentic by passionately sharing their culture and way of life. Still the one thing that stood out to me wasn’t the new foods and and special Japanese gifts, but instead our connections and conversations during car rides and at the dinner table. The thing that shocked me and rid me of my shyness or worries was realizing how similar we were. Although this trip took us to a society whose way of life is different in so many ways from our own and it was natural for us to highlight and focus on all those differences, the true immersion started when I looked at Japanese natives not just as members of this very different society but also as regular human beings like myself. This trip was amazing and left with many significant memories and key lessons, and it couldn’t have happened without Mr. Caragher, Ms. Tomokiyo, Ayako, Yo, and Poly Global.
Emilio: After completing our Japan PolyGlobal travel program, I have gained a myriad of experiences that I will probably carry with me for the rest of my life. The beginning of the trip took place in Tokyo and Mishima. The food, style, and aesthetic are truly incredible to experience first-hand for my first time. I have never been to Asia, so I was somewhat nervous approaching this trip. We had numerous meetings leading up to our trip discussing the numerous cultural differences in detail between the US and Japan, yet I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of similarities between us and Japanese. Whether it was interacting with other highschoolers, teenagers in our favorite stores, or just people of the street, I was glad to be reminded that we all share interests, ideas, habits, and emotions. Personally, my host student, Hodaka and I, bonded intensely over nature and travel. Neither one of us had been to where the other had hiked, yet we both shared and discussed our feelings about the walks we went on and the philosophies behind our hikes. I believe in this day and age, when there is such an overwhelming sentiment of discord, and an underwhelming sentiment of diplomacy, to value the things that we all share. After our stay in Mishima, we transitioned over to our sustainability and natural immersion part of our trip, where I was perpetually enamored by the ubiquity of Shintoism in architecture and everyday life. I think it’s incredibly how the “old” appreciation for the natural world can still translate into the modern world, whether it be continued religious practices, monument cleaning, and even anime adaptations of spirits!
Nick: When looking back on this trip, the first core memory that comes to mind is when my Nirayama HS host student and I walked past a group of children no older than 8 years old on their way to school. This was an eye-opening experience for me because unlike the United States where it is quite common for children to be accompanied by an adult and driven to school, children in Japan are given the responsibility at a young age to find their way to school by themselves. Later when I visited a nearby supermarket, I saw children around the same age buying groceries for their families. I was surprised to see them carry large vegetables, pay, and leave the store to head home in the rain. This is a stark contrast from how children are treated in the United States where parents tend to be more protective and careful with them. Most parents in the United States do the shopping while kids usually help or accompany them. To see the amount of independence given to children further gave me insight into Japanese culture and how it differs from American culture. In Japan, independence and responsibility are key to learn at a young age due to how heavily these skills are relied upon whether it is taking public transportation, looking after yourself, keeping public spaces clean, or doing shopping.
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