The endless chain of unforgettable adventures from Tokyo to Okinawa and South Korea, the cultural differences always waiting for you behind the next ramen store, all the little things in the everyday life at the campus, the sharehouse and the conbinis.
Friends from so many different countries from all around the world with just as many different backgrounds, tied together in the crossfire of the never-ending tests and quizzes of the language course and the survival battle of the poorest (students) in one of the most expensive cities you can find.
We set off to Japan with very cautious expectations, in order to prepare as well as possible for what was to come and not to be disappointed should we mess something up while at it in Tokyo. We expected
1) to have to use a ridiculous amount of €€€ per month for housing, food and transportation just to survive,
2) to ride metros so full of people that we could not take a step and
3) to find out that no one speaks English in the whole country.
This actually worked: we took two basic courses in Japanese before the exchange, and without hesitation, we joined the language teaching at our host university later on, even though it was not obligatory. Most people did not speak a word of English, so this was great preparation and helped a lot. For something complicated such as opening bank and phone accounts, try the big places such as Bic Camera in Shinjuku for phone connection and Japan Post Bank head office in at Tokyo Station. Metros were crazy-crowded indeed, but luckily our lectures were later in the day and we did not have to ride any rush hour metros. Don't use rush hour metros, you really really really don't want to do that.
One thing got us off-guard, though: bureaucracy. In case Things can be accomplished if you're persistent like granny in the snow (an excellent Finnish proverb) and run your errands in a polite and respectful manner, but for the sake of your mental health and to save your free time between the studies, do act within the deadlines the university gives you!
Open mind is your best friend in Japan. Be spontaneous, be curious, don't hesitate to jump into new things and always remember healthy respect towards others. With the right attitude you will find all the help you need, enjoy your time the most and everything will go well in the end.
The crazy moments spent explaining something important to someone who doesn't speak English yet somehow magically you reach understanding after half an hour of talking. The wow moments when you discover something new, something so huge and different compared to your home country. The memories, the ones of the good times and those of the harder times.
All that made our time in exchange in Japan something that we will never forget.
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Our travels included far more destinations than Okinawa and South Korea. For more information, absolutely fabulous images and useful travel tips for those who travel inside Japan, do check out our Instagram channel @our157daysinjapan:
https://www.instagram.com/our157daysinjapan/
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