こんにちは皆さん (Hello everyone)！
For a short introduction, my name is Vivian Nguyen and, at this time, I am a senior at Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU) majoring in Public Health and minoring in Japanese. From September 2023 till August 2024, I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Japan at Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU). I always knew I wanted to study abroad in Japan during college and I am so grateful to have spent a year in this beautiful country. Please enjoy my reflection and learning experiences now as I reminisce on my journey through the seasons...
読んでくれてありがとうございます(thank you for reading)！
秋：Autumn/Fall
Arriving in Japan feels almost like yesterday. Upon arriving at the beginning of September, the nervousness I thought I would feel stepping into a foreign country all by myself was surprisingly nowhere to be found. Even though this was my first time traveling alone, I felt a sense of confidence and responsibility as I was ready to take on this new chapter of my life. I may have gotten lost on the trains and was exhausted from dragging along my two pieces of luggage (which I did not know you could have delivered from the airport), but in the end, I made it to my new home. Next was figuring out how to get to school.
学校の門：School GatesAGU has a beautiful campus. If HPU has its lookout towards the ocean and sunset at Aloha Tower, AGU has its vibrant ginkgo tree foliage overlooking the main road. Every time I walked through, I would take time to admire the glorious yellow leaves up above and below as they scattered on the ground.
As I was getting used to my new class schedule, figuring out the school system, and how early I needed to leave to make it on time to places, it was of course a busy and challenging time. I still remember the first day of school was on a Friday (weirdly enough) and entering my first Japanese class. After the placement test sent out during the summer, I ended up in Level 3 out of 7. Thankfully, I met another person who was also in that class. She was coincidentally also the person in front of me when we sat at orientation and lived in the same dorms. As the 先生 (sensei) entered and started class, everyone was quiet and reserved because they, including me, were shocked at how she only spoke in Japanese the entire time. All of our heads were hurting by the end of it trying so hard to focus on understanding and responding with anything we could muster out. What a time indeed.
Despite all my commitments to school, I did my best to make sure to explore as well. One place I visited in October was called Kamakura, located in Kanagawa prefecture. This trip was a fond memory as I got closer to my Japanese language classmates and it was the first time staying overnight in another region. The heat during this time was still sweltering and it did not help that the plan was to hike and walk around. However, the area and locations we visited were worth it. Pictured on the right is the Sasuke Inari Shrine known for its bright red gates and plenty of small white fox statues around the shrine. The highlight of the day was being able to relax in the Inamuragasaki Onsen and chat about whatever at our hostel for the night.
Whilst attending 10 classes, I would say it is about the same workload as an average HPU semester. I decided to challenge myself by taking a class taught in Japanese which was titled Japanology B. This class brought in experts from different aspects of Japanese culture each week to talk about what they do and what it is all about. I quite enjoyed this class since sometimes we had hands-on activities, like the picture below. That week was 生け花 (ikebana), the art of flower arranging, and we each got a small cup and a bunch of flowers/leaves to arrange for ourselves as a take-home gift. We love free, pretty things here :)
Then as the weather grew colder, the color of the leaves deepened into their bright, autumn colors. Since I had only basically known Hawai'i my whole life, I had never seen autumn foliage before. The sight below at Mt. Takao was breathtaking and one of my favorite pictures I have taken during my time abroad. The fall season had its wonders and I wondered what winter would bring.
日本の誇り：Japan's Pride & Joy
As mentioned, I grew up in Hawai'i and as an island girl, I was a bit afraid of how cold it might get... Fortunately, I was able to gradually adjust to the weather, and in Tokyo, the average was probably around 10 degrees C (~50 degrees F) at the season's peak.
At the beginning of December, I had the chance to venture out with some dorm friends to Yamanashi prefecture to see the one and only Mt. Fuji. Its beauty was unmatched with its pristine snow-capped top and we were so lucky to see it so clearly. Although the journey was a bit rough being 2-3 hours away from Tokyo, it is definitely a must-see sight around the different 5 lakes of Fuji.
イルミネーション：Illuminations
You will know when winter rolls around from the many illuminations that can be seen all over the country. Some of them last for a few weeks or even span over a few months. The picture on the right is of 青の洞窟SHIBUYA, otherwise known as the Shibuya Blue Cave Illumination, which spans along the road filled with bright, vibrant blue lights on the way to Yoyogi Park. All of the illuminations definitely also signal the coming of Christmas too. Before coming to Japan, I did understand the culture of ordering KFC for the holidays, but I did not know the extent to which you must book a few weeks in advance to have it on time to eat.
冬：Winter
日本の誇り：Japan's Pride & Joy As mentioned, I grew up in Hawai'i and as an island girl, I was a bit afraid of how cold it might get... Fortunately, I was able to gradually adjust to the weather, and in Tokyo, the average was probably around 10 degrees C (~50 degrees F) at the season's peak.
At the beginning of December, I had the chance to venture out with some dorm friends to Yamanashi prefecture to see the one and only Mt. Fuji. Its beauty was unmatched with its pristine snow-capped top and we were so lucky to see it so clearly. Although the journey was a bit rough being 2-3 hours away from Tokyo, it is definitely a must-see sight around the different 5 lakes of Fuji.
You will know when winter rolls around from the many illuminations that can be seen all over the country. Some of them last for a few weeks or even span over a few months. The picture on the right is of 青の洞窟SHIBUYA, otherwise known as the Shibuya Blue Cave Illumination, which spans along the road filled with bright, vibrant blue lights on the way to Yoyogi Park. All of the illuminations definitely also signal the coming of Christmas too. Before coming to Japan, I did understand the culture of ordering KFC for the holidays, but I did not know the extent to which you must book a few weeks in advance to have it on time to eat.
学期末：First Semester's EndThe end of the first semester arrived quickly. Before I knew it, it was already time to say goodbye to some great new friends who were only here for one semester. I had always heard one semester in Japan felt so short and I'm glad I decided to take a year abroad. Although, that doesn't mean it isn't sad to see everyone go... This was also an end to my time at my part-time job as a chat leader at the Chat Room. The Chat Room at AGU is a space where students can join chat sessions to practice speaking languages they're interested in. These languages included ones like English, Spanish, Korean, French, and more. It was a great opportunity to get to know a lot of local students and other chat leaders also through daily chat sessions or special holiday events. Overall, this was a weird time because the dorm became empty as people left on trips or went back home, but then started to become lively again when the next semester started again. This was the halfway mark to the beginning of the end.
春：Spring
好きな花：My favorite flowersAs the weather slowly gets warmer, this was one of the seasons I was looking forward to the most because of the beautiful variety of flowers that bloom each month. Besides the famous sakura cherry blossoms, my other favorites during this time were the wisteria, tulips, plum blossoms, and nemophila. The one I loved the most was the weeping wisteria flowers at Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi prefecture. This flower park has many other wonderful flowers but during the month of April, the array of purple and white wisteria flowers takes the cake. I could stay in the park and stare at the flowers all day if I could, but unfortunately, this was only a day trip. They were some of the most majestic flowers I had ever seen. The sakura were also quite beautiful and I didn't know how long the season was until I experienced it. Their blooming depended on the weather of each prefecture so the earlier blooms started from the very south of the island and made their way up to Hokkaido. In addition, there were different kinds of sakura, the most abundant being the slightly pinkish-white ones called ソメイヨシノ(Somei Yoshino), but my favorite was by far the bright pastel-like pink hue of the 山桜 (Yamazakura) that bloomed at the end of February into March.
This time also was the beginning of the new semester when new people gradually arrived and made the dorms and campus come to life again. I was determined to make use of my remaining time and continued to do or go somewhere new each week. Making new friends, creating more memories with old friends, and seeing beautiful sights and new places were my joy. Hanging out at school, going to the gym, taking classes with friends, and more were in store.
暑い天気けど、楽しい：Hot Weather, but Fun
The last and final season before the end of my full year abroad. Everyone says that Japanese summers are no joke, and they are right. Even coming from Hawai'i, the heat was insane. Since Japan is a country that revolves around walking, biking, or using public transport, it is especially hot when going to and from places during the day. I had heard that heatstrokes were a concern in the summer because of the heat so there are a lot of warnings and products that help you through it. I saw many people holding their small, handy electronic fans, putting on their neck-cooling rings, or wiping their faces with handkerchiefs to combat the icky feeling of sweat. Despite the hot weather, the bright sun cast beautiful rays of sunshine on the landscape. Some of the highlights were going to concerts, festivals, Universal Studios, and marking off other bucket-list items. As time was ticking down, everyone scurried to try to use their time to do all the things they wanted to do.
日本さよなら：Goodbye, Japan
Then before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to everyone. I had booked my flight home near the end of August which was later than most people I knew. It was very bittersweet saying our goodbyes and reminiscing on good times throughout the year... I had made some amazing, one-of-a-kind friends that I hope to meet with again someday. This was an experience that I do not regret taking at all and I would of course do it all over again if I had the choice. It was so weird to think that the busy streets of Shibuya, which was right there, that was the last time I would see them that year.
During this time, I learned more about myself and what I was capable of. If you told me as a child I would be living and studying in Japan for a whole year later in life, I would think that's crazy and that there's no way I could do it. I'm so thankful for all of the people who were a part of my journey and thank you to those who decided to read all the way through. Best wishes to your future travels!
夏：Summer
暑い天気けど、楽しい：Hot Weather, but FunThe last and final season before the end of my full year abroad. Everyone says that Japanese summers are no joke, and they are right. Even coming from Hawai'i, the heat was insane. Since Japan is a country that revolves around walking, biking, or using public transport, it is especially hot when going to and from places during the day. I had heard that heatstrokes were a concern in the summer because of the heat so there are a lot of warnings and products that help you through it. I saw many people holding their small, handy electronic fans, putting on their neck-cooling rings, or wiping their faces with handkerchiefs to combat the icky feeling of sweat. Despite the hot weather, the bright sun cast beautiful rays of sunshine on the landscape. Some of the highlights were going to concerts, festivals, Universal Studios, and marking off other bucket-list items. As time was ticking down, everyone scurried to try to use their time to do all the things they wanted to do.
日本さよなら：Goodbye, JapanThen before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to everyone. I had booked my flight home near the end of August which was later than most people I knew. It was very bittersweet saying our goodbyes and reminiscing on good times throughout the year... I had made some amazing, one-of-a-kind friends that I hope to meet with again someday. This was an experience that I do not regret taking at all and I would of course do it all over again if I had the choice. It was so weird to think that the busy streets of Shibuya, which was right there, that was the last time I would see them that year.
During this time, I learned more about myself and what I was capable of. If you told me as a child I would be living and studying in Japan for a whole year later in life, I would think that's crazy and that there's no way I could do it. I'm so thankful for all of the people who were a part of my journey and thank you to those who decided to read all the way through. Best wishes to your future travels!
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