Author: Kiya Britt | Major: Animal Science | Semester: Summer 2025

Shinto shrine where if you pet the statue, it is said you live longer

Ever since I was young, I found myself drawn to Japanese culture and language. I would watch subbed cartoons starting in middle school, and my interest only grew as I did. I enjoyed learning about the culture, the people, and the popular songs. Because of my interest in the culture and language of Japan, I knew I wanted to minor in the language, but when I found out I could study abroad, I realized I had to grasp the opportunity. Debating between summer and a semester, I decided to go on the faculty-led program because it allowed me to progress my minor without getting behind on my major. I took a six-week summer class, but only spent four of those weeks in Japan: two weeks in Matsue, Shimane, and two weeks in Yokohama, Kanagawa. Before I left, I was convinced I knew enough Japanese to hold conversations, and that everything was going to go my way. I was wrong. While in Japan, I realized just how much I didn’t know. While trying to hold conversations, I often had to stop who I was speaking with and either ask them to speak slower, or define a word they used with simpler terms. It was completely unexpected coming into the program in the advanced program. I also did not expect such little free time we got. We typically had two homework assignments per night, in total normallytaking one to two hours. I expected this. What I did not expect was to be doing events until on average 5 pm at night, and then having people want to go out afterward. Wanting to make the most of the experience, I went out most nights, and got all my homework in on time, but I had to skip out on a couple of invitations to go out and stay at home to finish my work. However, this cycle taught me to do all of my work due for the week on Sunday, and make the most of my experiences throughout the week. When I implemented this thought process, I began to have so much more fun, all while quickly beginning to comprehend what was being said around me. In taking this intensive course, I can confidently say I have learned more Japanese than I ever thought I would. Being able to go to Japan and learn nuances in pronunciation and dialect was a major highlight of my journey. I did not expect just how many differences I would encounter. From g’ s sounding like n’ s to entire words being different, the differences were immense. Every prefecture had its own culture, and learning about each one fascinated me. Our first two weeks were in Shimane, where we took three-hour classes every week day and had activities scheduled after to teach us about the culture. Going into the program, I thought I wouldn’t enjoy Shimane as much as I would Yokohama because of the proximity to Tokyo. However, Shimane proved to be rich with culture and religion. Every block had a new temple, and every temple worshipped a different deity. I learned a wealth of new information from teachers and students alike about the Shinto religion and its culture. In Yokohama, there weren’t as many shrines or temples for the Shinto religion, but there were for Buddhism. It was interesting to learn the differences in how religion affects culture throughout two prefectures. However, Yokohama– being more urban– was more tourist-friendly, so there was less culture that could be seen in the area. I enjoyed both places, but the culture-rich environment of Shimane couldn’t be topped by Yokohama’s tourist attractions.Overall, my studies in Japan were filled with culture, religion, and language immersion, and I was able to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in Japan, where it is offered twice a year. I truly believe this experience has prepared me in all the best ways for completing my minor, as well as allowing me to connect with staff members from the Japanese department