Max-San here! A little background about me! I’m 25 years old, from New York, America, and with a passion for both writing and Japanese culture, I chose to study abroad at KICL, but it was actually my fiance that bought me a class at KICL as a surprise birthday present. This is a bit about my journey, and how KICL gave me the most immersive and important experience of my life!
Boarding the plane to go to my first ever Japanese school was the most exciting day of my life. Since I was very young, I was obsessed with Japan’s culture, and always dreamt of being able to transfer to a school like KICL when I was in college. Luckily, I had the amazing opportunity to step foot into an entirely new world.
While it wasn’t my first time in Japan when I went to KICL, it was my first time ever truly communicating with people in Japan so closely. I had ideas buzzing through my minds–preconceptions about Japanese culture that I could only think about one thing:
I didn’t want to be rude.
I must have overthought that very same thing millions of times over, because on my first day, I hopped on the bus for a mere 230 yen, and fumbled around campus, hands in my pockets, too nervous to speak a word as I looked for my classroom building.
What if I accidentally insulted someone? What if I got formal Japanese and casual Japanese mixed up? Would we even be allowed to talk in class?
I didn’t want to ruin this amazing opportunity to learn about the country I truly cared about. It was only then that I walked outside of KICL, exact to the coordinates, and stood stiff as a board. I looked around at the other foreign students, that same look of shared confusion on all of our faces. We all were quiet. We all wanted to be respectful…
And we were all there 25 minutes early, showing up to a few pairs of locked doors.
We were serious about it–we had taken the little bits of Japanese culture we thought to be appropriate, and tried to maintain them as best we could. Heck, I even thought that I was being rude trying not to be rude. Everyone in Japan was so kind, so nice, that we wanted to fit in, or at least not offend anyone!
I remember all too vividly that I stared straight forward at the doors, peeking through the glass and being apprehensive to talk to anyone. That was, until I met a tall man with glasses, who was speaking a mix of Spanish and English to some people he knew. Something that shocked me all too well.
I nervously greeted him, and he was more than happy to assure me that nobody sitting outside of KICL 25 minutes early knew what they were doing.
Not in the slightest.
We made small talk. I was on my guard, but once he introduced himself as Max, my jaw dropped. I told him there was no way that could be true, because my name was Max. Eventually, the teacher came to open the door, and everyone was hesitant to go inside, while the teacher gave us a confused smile, telling us that it was OK we all came in.
Once we all got sorted to our classrooms, I looked at the board with all the students’ names on it, noticing that there were Chinese students, Korean students, a few English students, Italian students… Spanish students…
Here I was, thinking that I would be the only English speaking student in class, but once I was assigned to class 1A (for only studying a very basic amount of the alphabet and pronunciation, this was the beginner class), my fears were quickly doused.
Everyone sat in their chairs. I looked around and noticed people of all different backgrounds and ethnicities, and my heart rate spiked. So many stories from so many fascinating places just waiting to be told. Everyone was as quiet as a mouse. Nobody was on their phones. Everybody wanted to show up for this class, and make sure that they were being as polite as possible, maybe a word exchanged here or there, but nothing more.
I asked my neighbor for a pen, and she introduced herself as Ivory. She was from Beijing, but spoke English. I called her a genius for adding a third language to her repertoire, being here to study, and then introduced myself.
Then, I noticed one of the American students in class looked interested, listening to our whispered conversation. I felt bad for ignoring her, so I asked her what her name was.
Jaiden. USA. Familiar with telling the time of day in AM and PM instead of on the 24 hour scale. I felt a bit more comfortable and at ease with how kind she was.
Then… I felt bad for ignoring the rest of the class.
One by one, we all talked and learned each others’ names and where we were from: Italy, France, Poland, China… I learned so very much about everyone in the short 10 minutes that remained before class.
The teacher came in, pleasantly surprised that we had all got to know each other, and made comments about it!
…Entirely in Japanese.
The course was taught only in Japanese (save for a few English words if need be), but you’d be surprised that when nobody knows what the teacher is saying, everyone picks up on context clues like a hawk. It was like solving a puzzle, and the more you go through the course, the more you learn a word that the teacher is actively saying, making you feel like the smartest person to ever live for figuring it out.
…And I’ve never seen more community anywhere in the world than in that classroom. There were a few students who only spoke Chinese, and some that spoke a bit of shaky English. Then, there was the gap of explaining things. As the semester went on, one simple question in Japanese prompted a half-answer in Chinese from some students, an answer partially in Italian, Spanish, and then finally, the language that seemed to link all of us together–Japanese.
Everyone was so helpful with one another the entire time. It was the first time in my life I was excited to wake up for school in the morning, because all of my classmates would do their best to extend love and courtesy to each other instead of fierce competition and forcing superiority because of how smart or better they were at something.
Life Afterschool!
But… There’s more to life than just being in school–the real challenge was after school. What would you do with your day once you got out of school at 2 in the afternoon? Honestly, I was too shy to ask my classmates (despite having gotten everyone to talk to each other in the first place. What if I was being annoying?!) Until I saw a few students from each class making big clumps in the hallways, chatting with each other until someone invited me to join.
Everyone showered each other with compliments for how hard they were working in class. Everyone wanted to go get lunch together, and as the days passed by, our group of friends got bigger until we were adding each other on WhatsApp and Line, dismaying when we all had to go back to our own classes. (For reference, only about 20% of our friend group was in class 1A).
Once we went and got dinner together, I learned so much about their backgrounds, characters, and cultures. We talked about food from each others’ countries, what we all liked to do for fun, and shared tons of stories with each other. It was a melting pot of information–so many different perspectives that seemed to blend rather than clash, giving all of us a real connection to each other.
It was interesting seeing who would sign up for which activities after school too, going into class to see who wanted to do traditional Japanese cooking, or going on a complete tour of Tokyo. Taiko Drumming, social meetings, all of these things that would have bored me back in the USA were so… Exciting here!
The Tea Ceremony was one of my favorites (and apparently, super popular among the students, since I was one of the lucky few who won a raffle!) and evoked a sense of serenity inside of me as I watched the process of them brewing the tea, presenting it, and so many more steps that it could be a blog of its own.
The tea ceremony about to commence (don’t worry, photos were allowed!)
Regardless of whatever I was doing, the entire time I felt supported. The school staff were always offering assistance, encouraging me to study, and willing to take 1 on 1 talks with you if you were concerned about how the class you were assigned was.
Despite how quickly I was picking up on the language, I still got nervous speaking Japanese. I realized that I had watched way too many drama anime where they would use rude ways of speaking, a few of which I accidentally said to some of the staff! But… Luckily, they all understood. Nobody burst into flames when I said a slightly rude word, easing my tension. Thankfully, as I learned in class, I quickly replaced my vocabulary full of rude greetings with ones that I was told were much too formal!
In a land full of strange, foreign symbols, and mannerisms that I didn’t understand, I gradually was able to read them as I paid attention in school–direct feedback that kept me inspired to learn. The staff at KICL would even go so far above and beyond to use examples, pictures, videos, and even mentioning and imitating the voices you hear on the trains in Japan. It was so helpful, and gave us a feel for talking, asking questions, and being assimilated into the country itself!
As if the staff wasn’t already helpful enough, my classmates were so enthralled to lend a hand as well. We all watched out for each other and our well beings. If someone was late to class or wasn’t showing up for our ritual after-school-dinner, they would get no less than 20 different messages sent to their phone asking if they were OK.
Plus, Max came back to talk with me! We ended up palling around and leading our group of friends to the most interesting places in Japan (mainly because we couldn’t stop Googling which places we wanted to go! Thanks Google-San!).
There was way too much to do. We would take turns singing Karaoke, picking songs in Chinese, Italian, Russian, English, and of course, the Mexican National Anthem (They didn’t have too many Mexican songs, so Max had to take what he could get!)
(From left to right, Simone looking for an Italian song, Kaku surprised that Max is singing a Chinese song almost perfectly, and the aforementioned Max singing his heart out)
The Weekends! (Thank God it’s Friday!)
The weekends meant that we would go on plenty of trips to shrines, convenience stores (konbinis in Japanese!), and especially Family Mart. No, the social media craze isn’t blowing up Family Mart to be overrated, it’s everything everyone says it is. Open 24/7 to the public, it has tons of goodies that my friends and I visited frequently.
But what was even more insane was how much ground we could cover when we all split up. After a few weeks, the girls started to head to more shrines and to Nara, while the guys took the trains over to Osaka and Tokyo. We would mix and match to try and have an abundance of adventures to share!
Constant barrages of photos in the group chat. Videos. Memories that won’t fade for lifetimes to come. We would all meet up in class and chat in rough Japanese about what we did that weekend under the encouragement from our teachers. Exploring the Japanese nightlife, daylife, and everything in between is unreal. The prices are incredible (at least compared to the USD as of writing this blog, apparently it’s kind of a big thing right now!), and the people are always very welcoming.
The Finals Exams (Plus two more just for me…)
I had read online that some people were saying that they had to study way too much, but by the time finals came around, everyone was nervous despite how much we all worked with each other to truly comprehend everything. With both a presentation-based final, and a verbal final, I felt my back against the wall. Had I really learned anything? It felt like even though I was giving my best, I was still floundering.
I found comfort knowing that everyone shared the same worries as me: even the most prepared of all of us, the ones that had basically translated for me the entire time on the streets were all wound up about how they would do (Looking at you, Jaiden! You too, Max and Kaku! And you, Sedona and Ada!) Have we all come this far just to miss our diplomas?! What would we do?!?
…We would all pass. That’s what we would do. We helped each other prep for the final, going over pronunciation. All of our trips to restaurants together helped us remember how to answer the questions.
As for the presentation final, it was a matter of being surrounded by faces that you knew and cared about.
Even when I went up to present, I was pretty sure I looked like an ostrich with my head buried in my paper. Every few seconds I would perk back up and try to pretend as though I wasn’t reading off of it, but as I watched the patient, polite stares and smiles from all of my new friends, I felt invigorated rather than scared.
And I was met with a polite round of applause as I finished my last word to the class full of friends. Then… After class, my presentation was chosen to be presented to the entire school.
A special extra final just for me.
I was so honored, but at the same time, horrified. I hadn’t done that well, and I wasn’t sure if I could do much better…! I was chosen to represent my entire class to the entire SCHOOL. I didn’t know if I could do it! I had jitters until the day of my presentation, and even though I buried my head a bit more than last time, and definitely through some stutters in there…
I completed my presentation about New York pizza and the USA, and was met with an ear-splitting applause from all of my friends, peers, and teachers.
Me about to run off stage after my presentation, not realizing I also had a Q&A section.
I thought that I didn’t do so great, and sulked a little bit. I felt like I hadn’t truly delivered the bulk of what I’d learned, but as I threw my small little fit, my friends and teachers kept coming up to me telling me how good I did. How much everyone loved it.
I felt so much better after all that time, and it was a great way to close out the summer. But that wasn’t the last final. Not by a long shot.
The last final I faced was the day after school ended. Me and all my friends went out to celebrate, and Jaiden ended up getting a little sick. I offered to take her on the train so that she would get back safely, but after I had dropped her off…
My phone died. And I had never been to that part of Kyoto before, tucked away on the very outskirts of town. I still don’t remember where it was to this day.
I was left with no Google Translate, no friends to help, and in a foreign part of town with no cell phone battery, no Suica card, and no dinner.
It took me a while to find my bearings. I doubted myself just as much as I did during my presentation. I took inventory of where I was, and read the signs to try and get back to a town I knew. Plus, the trains were going to close in a matter of two hours, and I was nearly forty five minutes out from my hotel.
That meant I had an hour and some change to find a way back, or half to walk hours to get back to my hotel.
I mustered up all my courage, and managed to ask for directions from gas station employees, passersby in the subway (apologizing profusely for bothering them all the meanwhile), and reading the signs, hiragana, katakana…
It truly put everything I knew to the test, but after reading the subway ticket terminals in the best Japanese I could, buying tickets with my American card, asking police for directions, I finally made it back to Kyoto Hotel Base, and ordered myself some curry to celebrate.
A Land of Realization, Celebration, and Opportunity
Japan was also a place of… Change for a lot of us. I don’t think there wasn’t a single person in our friend group that didn’t realize something about themselves, or have a huge change happen to them in the midst of it. Maybe it was that we weren’t overthinking–just enjoying the human experience with one another. Sharing our problems together. Our passions–our dreams! Japan took the lid off of our emotions and we shared them with each other. For example…
My friend Simone from Italy, who got accepted into his PHD program whilst abroad. He nailed the interview a few days later after being full of energy from all the healthy food in Japan!
My friend Max, who made a promise to himself to come back to Japan, and now is deciding he wants to live here one day after being fully exposed to the culture for more than a month!
My friends Jaiden and Ivory. Jaiden, who learned to take a moment of peace with people she cared about from the busy NY life she lived, and Ivory, who learned that she actually liked being in a group of friends despite how shy she was!
My buddy Kaku, who learned that studying Japanese was amazing for his company, and will now study business Japanese! (Pic is us studying baby Japanese together.)
My American friend Sedona, who realized that she was a prodigy for her age, now wants to completely master Japanese!
The studious Ekaterina from Russia, who realized that doing Taiko in Japan would provide a boost to her music career! (And has promptly fallen asleep after doing so).
Ada from Poland, who found her calling as a Geisha! (Middle!)
And then there was me.
I always wanted to go to Japan. The large skyscrapers of Tokyo in the rural bustle of the city always attracted me. The language was difficult enough for me to view it as a challenge rather than discouraging. The production of all the different anime, video games, and even the advancements in medicine and technology had made Japan a dream trip for me. I had never thought that I would stumble across KICL, and while I’m far from being the young college student studying abroad, being a little older didn’t damper my experience one bit. In our group, the youngest was 16, and the oldest was 28, but nobody’s opinions were snuffed out because of where they came from, or how old they were.
Ever since then, I can speak and order in Japanese, as well as navigate some basic Japanese texts from friends. I could make it around a country where I hardly spoke the language, even though I doubted my ability to do so in the first place.
But you might be wondering what my big change was? The big change I got out of traveling to Japan to take the summer course was?
Well… I learned that no matter what, I want to live and work in Japan. Whether that’s being an English teacher, a localizer, or owning my own business, I love Japan enough to know that it’s where I want to be. Where I want to live. If I could give my students, or an English audience anywhere near the same experience that KICL gave me, then I think that would make me a smashing success. I won’t rest until I can live in Japan to be apart of the culture I was so welcomely embraced into.
While the central focus of this blog has been on the overwhelming amount of support that KICL gives you to reach out and make new friends, there’s something to also be said about opportunity. Opportunities that arrive in the least expected places, and taking them to drive yourself even further.
Even the opportunity to write this blog for KICL has been one that I never thought I’d have in a million years. I’m not some special prodigy, or some guy that has everything worked out. I didn’t know anyone before I went to KICL, and didn’t see a single familiar face (other than Don Quijote!) but for once, a place in the world rewarded me for my passion and my eagerness to learn. My intrinsic burning desire to visit the place of my dreams, and make friends along the way.
An experience I would have never received anywhere on planet Earth, except at KICL.
(Almost the whole crew all together! Kaku gets busy, but we love him!)
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