In January, I had a great opportunity
to visit Japan through a program called “Kakehashi Project”, funded by JICE
(Japan International Cooperation Center). Kakehashi, means bridge in Japanese,
indicated that the program is a bridge between Japan and other countries. The purpose
of this program is to make lifelong friendships, develop lasting connections
with Japan and tell our friends and families about our experiences in Japan.
Most importantly, is to encourage an understanding of Japan and convey information
about Japan to the public through participants of this project.
There were plenty of pleasant experiences
throughout our trip. One of them is homestay. Before we met our homestay
family, me and the other 2 girls were a little intimidated because we knew
nothing about the family and we only knew that they a couple in age 71. We concerned
our age differences and worried that we might have some barriers in
communication. However, all the worries were gone as soon as we met them. The
couple was super nice and welcoming. We spent the most wonderful two days with them,
and I learned a lot about Japanese cultures. Other than learning cultures, we
also got to know Japanese society more on micro-level. Unlike what we learned
in Canada’s classroom, we actually got a chance to learn what is like to live
in Japan and be familiar with Japanese’s daily lifestyle. 
Besides homestay, we also visited some
museums such as Edo Tokyo museum and Hokkaido museum. I’ve always had great
interest in different kind of museums, therefore it was such a wonderful
experience for me when we visited these museums. In these museums, I learned
more about Japanese history and traditions. It was awesome to see how Japan
developed economically and politically. And it was also great to see how Japanese
people lived their life throughout the times. Everything we saw in the museums
was all fascinating to me. 
I’m so glad that I participated
this program and truly honoured that I could show people what I’ve experienced
and learned in Japan. Till today, I will still share my experiences with people
I met. This trip also makes me want to visit japan couple more times just
because I think there are more for me to explore in Japan.
See you! Japan!