By Shawma Brown

Imagine stepping into a world that made you uncomfortable, but excited at the same time. That is the only way I can describe my visit to the Japanese Embassy. I never experienced another culture upfront. I was extremely nervous. I literally felt butterflies in my stomach. Ms. Sally assured me that there was nothing to be nervous about.

When we first got there all you could see was officers in their uniforms with their wives. Everyone was dressed so elegantly. I felt like an oddball, as the only person with jeans on. It reminded me of the fairytale “Cinderella.” The part in the story where Cinderella goes to the ball and sees all people dressed so gracefully. It was like a more modern ball. I paid attention to Japanese people’s interaction, which was so formal.

The food looked really weird but it was so good. I think my favorite dish was the tempura. I met many Japanese people. I even got to use some of my Japanese I had learned. I interacted with many military officers from all over the world. The thing that struck my attention was how the military officers from different countries had ties with Japan.

I learned about the ties between Japan and the United States. After World War 2 the Japanese no longer had a military. Now the US is aiding the Japanese as if they were their military. Even though the US and Japan had a rocky start, it led to them becoming really good friends.