Submitted by Shannon Groth on the 2014 fall semester study abroad program in Akita, Japan…
I have been in Japan one month so far, and it has been a wonderful experience. The culture is definitely different from America’s culture, but I have been enjoying so many of the benefits of the kindness afforded to strangers in Japan. From my first day in the country, traveling by myself with little ability in speaking the language, I had strangers making sure I had enough to eat or that I was getting on the correct trains. Even still, I am directly receiving kindness and seeing how kindness is woven into the fibers of the culture. Of the two pictures included, one is of two cups with a small spring blurred in the background. That is natural spring water a fifteen minute walk from my apartment, where anyone can come take water for free. The cups are there for thirsty travelers, but people are even allowed to come with large jugs and take as much water as they want. It’s a nice place to meet some local families who come each week for the clear, delicious water.
The second picture is a picture of a Taiwanese friend and I resting in a traditional samurai house in Kakunodate, Japan. Usually a place for guests to come walk around, that day the guides allowed us to spend a few hours resting after a long day of travel. They could have asked us to move along to the next house, but they kindly looked after our large group of students and let us enjoy the feel of traditional Japan. We are definitely well taken care of here in Japan.
