E: I was definitely a shy person going into this, I struggled talking to people I didn’t know and with making conversation. But after going through living with new people and having new friends, I got so used to having to communicate clearly in a different language that it became even easier to do so in English. My confidence grew so much over just 4 months that it was a little weird going back to school in the UK and having to be like I was before.

A: As a whole, this experience has unlocked hundreds of new pathways and possibilities that, a year ago, I would’ve deemed impossible. I now have a family in Japan, I have Japanese friends eagerly awaiting my return, I have established a new chapter of my life within a new culture and a whole other country that I would’ve never thought I’d get to explore on such a personal level. This experience is more than a ‘trip to Japan,’ you live your life as if you were a native. 

E: School was so much more fun than I expected. One thing I regret was not joining a club in school, but I did watch some of the practices and saw how hard everyone was working. In lessons, all my teachers were so funny and got on well with the students, and I enjoyed quite a few of my lessons.

A:

1. There is always so much to do. It can depend on your area of placement, your classmates and your school, but in Japan, there is always something new to try. I made many close friends with varying interests, too! I was nervous, but pleasantly surprised to find that no matter how different we are, we all get along!
2. My only real worry about studying Japan was the potential language barrier, but I was surprised to find that truthfully, you don’t need to speak the same language perfectly to build such meaningful connections. Between my broken Japanese and my friends’ broken English, we could perfectly express our feelings and our memories. We made eachother laugh and shared hundreds of jokes. We noted countless similarities between our cultures and learnt from each other beyond a basic level of understanding. Communication is key, but you can communicate outside of just your words. Kindness will spread no matter the language, I hadn’t realised it before!

E: I shared some mutual interests with some friends at school so we could always talk about them, I also put effort into making plans with friends because I knew how busy they were so it often took a few attempts to find the right times. Outside of school I spent a lot of time with my host family, I joined a martial arts club that my host mum did, and went out to different festivals.

A:

1. In Japan, there are always events to attend! Sometimes they’re arranged by AFS Japan, sometimes they’re arranged by your chapter and sometimes they’re arranged by the community. On Halloween, there was a huge market surrounding the train station. Me, my Japanese friends and a couple exchange students all met up, played games, shared food and had a wonderful time. I was also able to meet other Japanese high schoolers outside of my school, as we all played games together. It was the perfect way to integrate into the community. 
2. A pivotal moment for me during my schooling was The School Festival. It is a three day celebration hosted by the school where each individual class (for example, I was in class S1B) are given the opportunity to turn their classroom into some kind of game or event. Some classes were turned into cafes where students acted as waiters, another classroom turned into a Casino where students played card games— my classroom was turned into a horror puzzle game, and I got to paint and decorate alongside my classmates! It was so fun! This moment really brought me and my friends closer together, as we were spending the entire day working alongside eachother, having fun and learning more and more about eachother. It was really beautiful. On the last day of the festival, we went to a local gyoza restaurant. It was the first time we hung out after school together. After that, we went to this gyoza restaurant every Friday after school, it became a tradition of ours.
3. I remember my friend, Towa, told me that she is so grateful to have met me. When I asked why, she explained that since I arrived, her and our friends have been going out more, and through me, her own friendships have drawn even closer together. What she said has really stuck with me. I just wasn’t aware of how much of a difference I could truly make.

E: I definitely developed my communication and public speaking skills through putting in the effort to communicate with those around me, I found this quite hard to do at first. Although I had knowledge of japanese to begin with, I became so much better, especially conversationally, while I was out there. I tried so many new things at school and with my families, like fishing, instruments and sports.

A: In Japan, I developed a whole new sense of independence. This whole experience has really helped me to grow as a person and develop a newfound sense of confidence leading into my adult life, both via building new relationships and learning to navigate life in a foreign country. I had a lot of responsibilities and many events to attend, but I had a very loving Host Family, LP, and many friends to help and support me when necessary! 

E: Although I’m still not certain, as far as jobs go, what I want to do next after leaving school, it would be almost impossible for me to not return to Japan at some point. Ideally my job would allow , if not necessitate travel, as I’ve found through this experience that even countries on the other side of the world are not that far and not that different.

A: During University, I’m hoping to take a year abroad to visit Japan once again. I’m now considering a job in International Relations, which is a career path I never even thought of until I visited Japan. I want the whole world to learn about Welsh culture, and I want us as Welsh citizens to learn more about the world in turn— especially Japan!

E: Definitely do it, so few people can say they’ve had this experience, and I know how jealous everyone around me was that I got to spend 4 months in a different country, especially at such a young age. Even if you’re having doubts about whether or not it’s something you can do, it’s better to apply now and make the choice later than not apply and regret it.

A: Be yourself, and don’t be afraid. This experience will change your life. Four months may seem like a long time away from home, but in the long run, it’s much too short! There is nothing more I would recommend than applying to the Asia Kakehashi programme. The world is absolutely beautiful.

E: Most memorable experience ever.

A: I think it’s impossible for me to do this (haha).