Episode 2: “Seigou”: August 27-September 2

Welcome to the second week of the journey in Japan! This week’s entry will talk more about the culture of Japan, and what I’ve taken in so far. 

So after being in Japan a full week now, I’m still pretty badly jet lagged, even through a typhoon. But while getting adjusted to a new school and schedule, I’ve learned a lot of new things! When you hear “Japanese Culture” what do you think of? Cleanliness? Meticulosity? Shoes? All of those things are correct! The streets here are so clean, not even a leaf or a piece of trash can be spotted (at least not where I live, a less busy place). The subways are also very clean too. Believe it or not, it’s so clean here that there are zero trash bins anywhere in public areas. Before leaving, I told a few people that I’d heard about this, and this confirms my finding! Those same people also asked me where I’d keep my trash when I was done eating or drinking something. For plastic bottles, if you get lucky, there’ll be a few blue recycling bins scattered around the place that you can drop it in. Otherwise, you’ll have to take it home and toss it. If you have a food item though, you’re actually in luck. In Japan, food is considered something to enjoy thoughtfully, and not in a rushed or hasty manner. Therefore, it’s generally frowned upon to eat it on the street. Sorting trash is where it’s also meticulous. At my house, metals go outside, large plastics go in a blue bag, and small papers and plastics go in their respective bins at home. 

Ah yes, the age-old fable of changing shoes everywhere you go. It’s true! At Momoyama, you have a type of shoe for inside the school (which are just Crocs), a shoe for on-court activity, a shoe for outdoor activity, and, of course, your general tennis shoes. Anyone that comes to Japan, whether it be on exchange or for leisure, should prepare for this. Honestly, I prefer the Crocs over wearing my tennis shoes indoors. 

Commutes are something that are important too. From my house, it’s nearly a mile to the station, then a mile to the school from the station I get off at. As is in America, it’s also frowned upon to be late here. So far, I haven’t been late to any classes (yet) but I haven’t seen anyone else be late either, so I couldn’t tell you the consequences (yet). The school day begins at 8:45 and ends at 4:20, which is considerably later than St. Andrew’s in Mississippi. The school stays open until around 6 pm for people to finish homework, similar to how the library and After School Care operate in Mississippi.

That’s about it for this week’s entry! Thanks to all of you for reading