For my STEP Signature Project, I completed a 3-week study abroad program in May in Japan called “Public Health Perspectives: Japan”. During the program, I was able to travel to Tokyo, Toyama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Minamata, and Sendai. The program focused on public health concepts which enabled me to identify similarities and differences between public health concerns in Japan vs the US.
While in Japan, I learned a lot about myself and noticed changes in my assumptions and views of the world. One thing I discovered about myself is that I am much more adventurous, independent, and capable than I had previously thought. Although I had prior traveling experience, I had never been out of the country without my family before this trip so I was excited and a bit nervous all at the same time. However, after a few days, I was able to navigate my way through Tokyo and create detailed itineraries for my friends and me to make the most of our trip. I also was able to manage the language barrier since many people we interacted with at restaurants, stores, and universities did not speak English. I was very proud of myself and my ability to work with my group to figure everything out on our own.
It was an amazing experience to immerse myself in a new culture since I was able to stay for 3 weeks and travel to different parts of Japan. Since this was my first time in Asia, I experienced a bit of culture shock when I first arrived. However, I tried my best to embrace everything and soon after I was not only able to feel comfortable in a new country, but I also learned so much about Japanese culture. Seeing and learning how people live their lives in a country that is very far from home broadened my perspective of the world and made me appreciate the unique elements of different cultures. It also made me realize the similarities and I was very thankful for the opportunity to experience a new culture.
During my stay in Japan, I had several opportunities to try new things and I welcomed these opportunities with open arms. Part of the reason I was so excited to embark on this journey was to be able to embrace a different culture and to immerse myself as much as possible. One new activity that made me feel very connected to Japanese culture was visiting public baths. By the end of the trip, I had visited four different public baths and each one was unique in its own way. The first public bath I visited, which ended up being my favorite, was located near Tokyo Skytree and was called Mikokuyu. Although my friends and I had done some research on different public baths, we were slightly nervous when we first got there. At first it felt very different to be naked in front of many strangers and I found myself trying to hide my body, but after about 5 minutes I felt very comfortable and greatly enjoyed the experience. Every person there was super kind and helped us when we were confused about what to do. One woman offered her hair tie when she saw we didn’t have an extra one to put our hair up and another told us not to be embarrassed. There were several different baths of different temperatures and minerals that all felt amazing, especially after a long day of walking. Surprisingly one of my favorite baths was the cold bath as I found the most peace and quiet while sitting there meditatively. Overall, using the public baths was unlike anything I have ever done before, but quickly became one of my favorite activities during the trip. It also made me realize that certain things that might seem weird or strange in another culture are completely normal in a different one which made me eager to learn more about other cultures. I was also adventurous with the foods I tried and kept an open mind throughout the trip. In general, I was very excited and open to trying new things with a positive attitude which was a catalyst in my personal transformation.
Additional experiences that contributed to my personal growth and change in perspective were my interactions with the students at the University of Tokyo and Azabu University as well as our TA who was from Japan but had just completed a year-long study abroad at Ohio State. We stayed in Tokyo for the first 10 days of the program and were able to attend lectures at the University of Tokyo and Azabu University. During these lectures, we were able to meet and speak with several students which was not only fun but very informational. The students would show us their favorite lunch spots, tell us what school and student life is like in Japan, and answer all of our questions about Japan while we answered their questions about the US. It was a very cool experience to be able to speak with students my age and learn about how similar and different our lives were. Everyone was so friendly and it was really difficult to say goodbye on our last day of lectures. I also greatly enjoyed exploring the city with our TA since she was able to give us more information about the culture that we most likely would not have learned as regular tourists. I felt more connected to Japan and was able to enjoy more authentic traditions because of the friendships I had with the students and our TA.
Lastly, my personal transformation and change in perspective were impacted by our visits to many museums, sites of significant events in Japanese history, and culturally significant places such as shrines and temples. Since this was a public health program, we visited several museums that conveyed the history of events that impacted public health in Japan such as natural disasters and diseases. Some of the places we visited included the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (which was impacted by the 2011 tsunami), Minamata Disease Municipal Museum, Toyama Prefecture Itai-Itai Disease Museum, and Okawa Elementary School. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Okawa Elementary School (which was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami) were especially impactful for me since it was a very different experience being able to stand at the site of a tragic event and hear from storytellers rather than reading about it online. These were very emotional experiences and really changed my perspective moving forward. It made me want to be a better biomedical engineer in order to help people, a more informed and aware individual, and a better human in general. It was absolutely devastating but I think it was a very important part of my program and made a lasting impact on my life and outlook moving forward. Additionally, visiting many shrines and temples in various cities was an amazing experience since they are filled with history. I really enjoyed participating in all the customs and activities at the shrines and temples and it made me appreciate Japan even more.
Through participation in this program, I was able to draw connections between current public health issues in Japan and socioeconomic, cultural, and political factors. It helped me to establish similar connections on an international scale. Additionally, I now have a better understanding of public health in terms of health determinants and risk factors. This will allow me to better fulfill my goals of improving the quality of life of individuals by first gaining a firm grasp of pressing international public health concerns and the factors that influence them. Acquiring this knowledge through experiential learning has allowed me to enter the biomedical industry with a more holistic perspective. I will carry the knowledge I gained both inside and outside the classroom to develop solutions to public health concerns.
In terms of my personal growth, I felt like a new person when I returned to the US because I have a new perspective on life. I will approach situations with an open mind and try new things that I was nervous or anxious about previously. I gained confidence in myself on this trip as well and feel more self-sufficient as I am nearing the end of my college career. The lessons I have learned from participating in this program and traveling to Japan will stay with me forever.
