Submitted by Megan Czerwinski on the 2012 summer session program in Kobe, Japan sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures…
Our first week in Japan has flown by, and after being asked about my impressions of the country by countless new friends, host families, and teachers, it’s still difficult to explain just how it feels. After years of studying the language and culture, nothing can compare to actually being here and talking (or trying to talk!) to everyone. The idea of Japan being a combination of modern life and tradition is popular, but experiencing it first hand was worlds apart from reading about it. The most striking example so far was during my stay with my homestay family in Nara.
We visited their family Shinto shrine, which was extremely beautiful and tranquil. To be honest, I couldn’t believe a place with this kind of atmosphere existed outside of films. A couple was undergoing marriage rituals with priests and shrine maidens, the trees were old and covered in moss, and the only sound came from the water of the purification fountain and the crows flying between the trees. But when we turned to leave, through the torii gates outside the shrine, a train sped by against the backdrop of Osaka. After spending most of the week in a very populous area of Kobe, seeing so much green in the trees alone was a shock, but the transition back into modern Japan was jarring.
During our day trip to Nara we visited a park famous for its tame deer. In the park, and throughout the rest of the city, including outside stores and on the sidewalk, deer walked along, completely calm and not at all scared of people. We bought crackers to feed the deer in the park, and according to my host family they understand gestures and will bow after being fed. Watching the deer in the park was interesting enough, but having them follow us out onto the street felt so strange! Only one week has passed so far, but each and every day is so eventful.
