First Impression of Japan

2014年05月11日

After having spent a week in Korea, I couldn't help but compare and contrast it with Japan.  First off, I can actually read the signs (whether I understand them or not is another matter), and my extremely limited Japanese vocabularly feels infinite when compared with my 4-5 word Korean vocabulary.  It's a great feeling to be able to communicate with more than 4 wonderful people and a cat.  

I have never felt more American than during my time spent in Korea.  I often forget that I'm considered a minority in the US, but it is a fact nonetheless.  Yet in Korea (which does not receive many visitors from Latin America, relatively speaking), I was immediately labeled as an American.  In Japan, on the other hand, people are often surprised when I tell them I come from the US.  I believe this difference can be attributed to two simple facts: most Americans (like Japanese, Koreans, and the inhabitants of any country outside of Europe and Canada) speak only a single language, and I more closely resemble a Japanese than a Korean.  However, everyone can still tell I'm not a native Japanese, and young children in both countries often stare at me because I look so different from the people they are used to seeing.  It's pretty adorable.

Well, on to more important matters.  I had been prepared to aimlessly stumble around Fukuoka until I gathered my bearings, as I had done in Seoul, but it had been arranged for the director of the WAHAHA Japanese Language School to pick me up from the airport.  This proved to be immensely helpful as she helped me transition to speaking primarily Japanese (correct or otherwise), gave me a tour of the city, checked me into my hotel for two days, and bought my first Japanese meal (pictured below).

There are so many more kinds of fish here than in the US!  Gone are the days when 4 different kinds of sushi in a single meal was a rare luxury.  

My first trip to a japanese comic store, with more Anime than I could have imagined.  Some of the collectibles are extemely old, rare, and expensive.

I ended up spending most of the rest of my day at this beautiful park, Ohori Koen, and watching the sunset from the ruins of Fukuoka Castle (pictured below), which is also in the park.  Tomorrow, my first day of class at WAHAHA.  じゃ、また！