Japan is my second home. Winter, spring, and fall in San Diego were dedicated to endless schoolwork, karate lessons, Japanese school on Saturdays, and baseball practice. But summer in Japan was always my call toward adventure. In the safety of my grandmother's care, my summers in Japan were spent trapping Kabutomushi beetles bigger than anything you could find back in San Diego, eating endless GariGari popsicles and heaps of Obachan's beef curry, and being a menace to my cousins and siblings. I already knew what Japan meant to me as a child. But what challenges and new adventures lie ahead for me? Feeling excited and admittedly a little nervous, I knew from the moment I stepped foot back in Japan that this experience would be different than the summers before.
This time Japan was something new. I thought my yearly trips to visit family had made me know Japan pretty well but in time I learned there was so much more to be discovered. My study abroad experience was the first time I was ever completely independent from my family. Having responsibility for every decision, big or small, seemed daunting at first. But gradually I learned that mindset and attitude have an impact on my experience. I learned how to roll with the punches and make the best of each situation. For instance, going on solo trips to neighboring prefectures I would encounter numerous challenges that would set the plan off course. I grew to be adaptable, making unexpected situations into an opportunity to learn from a new experience.
My study abroad in Japan encouraged me to grow more independent, but it also helped me focus my future career path. I had never considered that Japan could host endless opportunities, but my study abroad experience has fostered a new understanding. My identity as a Japanese-American has given me a deep insight into the culture and society of both Japan and America. Coming to Japan allowed me to notice things about my home country that I may not have appreciated or criticized if I had not taken the opportunity to step back and see it from a different perspective. Gaining new insights has equipped me with the skills, knowledge, and courage to be a bridge between two very different cultures. A lifelong dream of mine is to one day start my own business. While I'm still trying to figure out where life will take me, I am confident that my time in Japan will be valuable as I try to blend the best of the countries that raised me.
My time in Japan was filled with many happy memories, but the moments spent with my dormmates were truly unforgettable. When I arrived in the dorms, these people were first strangers, then friends, and finally family. Cooking in a small kitchen shoulder-to-shoulder reminded me of being home, and suddenly, San Diego and family didn't feel so far away. It was in these tiny everyday moments that deeper conversations and close connections were formed. Together we cheered on our home countries during the FIFA World Cup, traveled to new sights, embarked on spontaneous adventures via bike ride, and took the occasional (or not-so-occasional) midnight ramen run. Our time together was marked by these special tiny moments that I will never forget.
Japan is still home to me, but now filled with lifelong friendships and memories. Even as this chapter of my life comes to a close, I feel with a new sense of purpose that my adventures in Japan aren't ending but are only just beginning. Thank you to the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship program for supporting this wonderful opportunity.