Japan is overwhelming

by Lya Fichmann (Canada)

A leap into the unknown Japan

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It is 10:48 pm in Japan right now and I just finished brushing my teeth in the middle of the hotel’s hallway. My sister is painting the cover of the notebook she bought today, dressed in a kimono, while we listen to music sitting on the floor of a tatami room. What a crazy life, we are on the other side of the world. In the last three weeks we have been to six cities. We cried saying goodbye to our host family, we sweat litres in the scorching heat, we got soaked by the rain on our way to Osaka Castle. We called Shimamoto home, we sang happy birthday to three Japanese people turning 77 years old while enjoying barbecue. We used old-fashioned Japanese toilets (holes in the ground) and suffered to find vegetarian options. We fought in the middle of the street. We visited almost half of the temples in the country. We presented about two special countries — Brazil and Israel — in a conference. We have been interviewed by a TV station and our photo made the newspaper of Kyoto. Japan is undoubtedly overwhelming. There is so much going on, everywhere and all the time. It feels like every street you turn there is a whole new world just waiting for you to be discovered. And it is never enough! Japan is nature. If I close my eyes right now I can picture the greener mossy floor I have ever seen, and I can hear the crickets sound while I walked near the rice fields. Turtles, fish, birds, butterflies, deer and human beings divide and share urban spaces, peacefully. Oh, Japan is peace. Having lived in an underdeveloped country such as Brazil, I understand the importance of walking on the streets without fear. I hope the Japanese people never take for granted the safety and freedom they have there. Japan is culture. There is so much to learn, it is as if you were inside a history book. Every place you visit is impeccably restored and preserved as cultural heritage. It is incredible how the Japanese people keep their traditions and pass them along, generation to generation. Japan is rich. Rich in friendly people that may not speak your language, but are always willing to help. Rich in diversity and multiculturalism. Rich in tastes, textures and smells. Rich in contrasts: ancient and modern, rural and urban, cold and warm, sweet and salty. I never thought that I would have the privilege to visit Japan so early in my life. Japan has allowed me to teach, but most importantly, to learn. And what a wonderful experience! Arigato Gozaimasu, Japan. Sayonara.