I have been in Japan for about a week now! It still doesn’t feel real that I am actually here. I landed in Tokyo first, then took a domestic flight to Nagoya. Going through the immigration department in the Tokyo airport was probably one of the scariest things I have ever done. My Japanese is not good at all, so I essentially did the entire process blindly. My excitement of being in Japan when we first landed quickly was dampened by going through it. I did not understand much of what was being asked of me, and being hard of hearing caused me to struggle to hear what little English was being spoken. It got way worse when I reached the person I think was verifying my passport and Visa. I knew I had to show someone my Yunyu Kakunin-sho, which is an import certification for medication and medical devices. I did not want to get in trouble, so I showed it to him, and next thing I knew he was calling someone. I was instructed to follow this new person away from the entire immigration area to a place where a few others were sitting and I was told to sit. I waited for what felt like hours (but was probably maybe twenty minutes), my fear rising as no one told me what was happening. Then I was given my residence card and was allowed through. Once we were in Nagoya, everything went pretty smoothly. Despite the little scare at the Tokyo airport, the next day the fear was gone and I was excited again.
In the week I have been here, I have eaten a bunch of new foods! My first food in Japan was a salmon onigiri at the Tokyo airport. And ever since, I have eaten an onigiri almost every day for breakfast! I have fallen in love with onigiri! We also went to this sushi place near our dorms called Hama-Sushi. It’s similar to those conveyor belt sushi places, but you just order what you want instead of having to grab it as the sushi goes by. I got to try sea urchin! And I like it! It’s a sort of creamy texture and just tastes like fish! But, by far my favorite food I’ve had here is just simply the onigiri. Eating it brings me so much joy, and I already know I’m going to miss it like crazy when I get back home.
I have loved every day so far. The climate is not far off from Arkansas’s, with the major difference being the super high humidity! I can de-wrinkle clothes just by hanging them up in my room. Every day has been an adventure, and I can’t wait to see what other adventures I get to go on while I am here!
Also, things are going well! My classes don’t start until September 16th. My dorm is really nice though!
Thank you!
Andie Nash
