I’ve been interested in Japan from a young age. Even in elementary school I had a little bit of exposure to the Japanese culture due to the large population of Japanese people in my city, and so when I got into middle school and my choices for foreign language were Spanish and Japanese, the choice to me was obvious. I started taking Japanese classes in 7th grade and from then on became very interested in the language and culture of Japan.
I continued my studies all through middle and high school, and in my junior year of high school I was finally able to go to Japan for the first time as an exchange student. I lived for a year in the country-side of Miyagi prefecture and there learned about the country firsthand. This was a huge experience for me that changed how I am as a person. A year after I returned to America, I went back to Japan again with a high school delegation to Kawagoe and Tokyo for two weeks. To me it felt like going back home.
Now I’m here in Japan again, this time in Tokyo. I’ve been here for almost a year, going to Temple University Japan, and having various part time jobs: first at a sushi restaurant, and now as a barista at Starbucks. My life here now is vastly different from how it was then, but both my time in high school and my time here now have been the biggest influences in my life to date.
In my project I will reflect my time in Japan; first in Japanese high school and that country life, and then I want to contrast it to my life here in Tokyo going to an American University. I will use mainly still photography and voice over narration to convey my stories. I’ll reflect on school life, friends, and way of living among other topics that may arise. I want people to be able to understand my different experiences and maybe see a different side to foreigners in Japan.
