During the program, we visited the Kumamoto Castle and it was one of the coolest things I ever saw in Japan. I have been to Japan quite a few times but it was my first time visiting a Japanese castle. What I liked about Kumamoto Castle is how the structure of the castle is built to prepare for a battle. For example, the stone walls of the castles are at an angle so that attackers would have difficulty climbing. Also, windows were placed strategically to drop stones and space for archers. I was also amazed by the location of the castles. There used to be a hill that extended to the north and the castle was built right at the tip of the hill. To prevent attackers from the north side, they dug up the hill so that it made it impossible to move from the north. It was built on a hill and it made it possible for the castle to be surrounded by three-sided cliffs. Also, there were rivers on the east and south sides of the castle so it even made it harder to attack. Only the east side is available to attack. But the person who built the castle made the east side flat so that it attracts attackers and ambushes them from high grounds. Before coming to the Kumamoto castle, I thought all these fancy stone walls and the architecture of the building were just for looks but it had a greater meaning to it. After the program, because I enjoyed the Kumamoto castle, I went to three different castles in Japan. Another thing I liked about Japanese castles was how different each castle was. The history behind the construction of the castles and the different tactics it was used. One of the castles I visited that was different from other castles was the Matsue Castle, located in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. Of course, there were defensive systems in the interior and exterior of the castle but there were also schemes in the town that surrounded the castle. The 4-way intersection of the towns was purposely built so that you actually can’t see the opposite side of the road. So that it makes a blind spot for attackers which makes them confused. The Matue Castle also focused heavily on the towns to slow down the attack to prepare for the actual battle at the castle. There are still hundreds of castles in Japan so I hope I get to see them all.

Before coming to the US, I was raised in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. On March 11, 2011, there was a huge earthquake and tsunami in the northeast region of Japan. Miyagi Prefecture was one of the prefectures that suffered damages from the earthquake and tsunami. Luckily, the place where I lived was on a higher elevation so I only experienced the earthquake. But I still remember the time the earthquake hit. I was a kindergarten at that time so I only remember the sensation of the strong shake of the earthquake. I always wanted to ask about the situation me and my parents had to face during that time but I once heard my mother telling her sister that she doesn’t like talking about what happened. Because I heard her say that, I hesitated to ask my mother and tried to forget about the incident. But I saw the schedule of the study abroad program, the trip to Miyagi to learn about the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. I thought this was my chance to understand the situation back then and learn. I am so grateful for participating in this program. When visiting Okawa Elementary School, the school that was destroyed by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, I was purely sad. As I was looking around, I sometimes imagined what the students and the faculties had to experience, which made me sadder. While we were leaving the elementary school, I started to cry. Thinking back, so many people passed away from the earthquake and tsunami. I think I was lucky to be alive from the earthquake and tsunami. If the place I lived was different at the time it hit, maybe I would not be alive right now. I felt different emotions such as sadness, relief, and also fear from the thoughts that I could’ve died on March 11, 2011. The whole experience at the Okawa Elementary School was something I will cherish forever. But there is something I regret not doing while visiting the Okawa Elementary School. I wish I talked more with the person who gave us lectures on the incident at the school. His daughter was a student at Okawa Elementary School and sadly passed away. I wish I had spoken to him more as a person who experienced the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami at a young age and tell him that I would live strongly even for the children who lost their lives.

It was my first time traveling alone to Japan. I go to Japan once every two years with my parents. The first thing I noticed while traveling alone is how flexible you can move around. I didn’t need to wait on someone and not have to spend time choosing where to visit and eat. In most of our trips to Japan, me and my parents usually don’t travel to urban places like Tokyo so I was amazed by everything. The first thing I noticed was the people. They were stylish with clothes that I wouldn’t see in the US or other rural areas in Japan. The buildings were so tall and I kept looking up every time I saw a huge skyscraper. However, during my stay in Japan alone, I was struggling with public transportation. The subway stations were packed with so many people, making me dizzy. Even getting on the train, the whole train was full of people like canned sardines. Also figuring out what subway line to get on was difficult, especially subway stations with multiple lines. The building structure of urban subway stations was like a maze. The stations also sometimes had shopping malls and other facilities that had nothing to do with the subway, making it more confusing. When trying to leave the station, multiple exits lead to completely different places so I had to choose which exits to leave from wisely to get to where I want to go. Even though there were lots of struggles with traveling alone in Japan I was able to enjoy it. When I was trying to find the train I needed to get on, a kind lady approached me and gave directions to where I needed to go. The station workers were kind as well. They helped me get a train ticket and directed me to the right train. For problems on which exits to choose from, at a subway station where tourists use a lot, some maps list what famous tourist spots can be visited for each exit. I think that helped me a lot. Of course, traveling alone is fun, especially in a place like Japan where it is fairly safe compared to other countries but, it also reminded me how much I relied on my parents a lot not just traveling but times in the US as well. Being alone in spaces that I am not used to, improved my self-reliance.