By Chamiya Carnathan

Have you ever embarked on the journey of learning a new language only to find yourself drowning in doubts along the way? Were you plagued with questions like, “Am I really getting this right?” or “Will I ever be able to hold a conversation?” For me, learning Japanese has been a rollercoaster of doubt and determination. As I delved deeper into the language, doubts lingered as I was absorbing new material. Could I actually speak Japanese? 

On Saturday, March 30th, Japanese students from the TOMODACHI Amway Japan Foundation Tohoku Future Leader Program came to Washington DC. They were from the Tohoku area and I had the opportunity to immerse myself in their company. I spent the day with them from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

In the beginning, I found myself in an unexpected situation. Due to an odd number of Japanese Plus students, I wasn’t paired with a DC partner. Instead, I was thrust into conversations with two or three Japanese peers at a time without an English-speaking partner of my own. It was nerve wracking at first, however, it was thrilling. I realized that I could indeed hold my own conversation. I used new vocabulary such as “おすすめ” (recommend) and “みなさん” (everyone). It was really fun figuring out the extent to how much I understood from the Japanese students. Our conversations ranged from what type of music we like to listen to, to recommending each other different places to visit in our hometowns. 

For one of the activities, we were tasked with a challenge to design a virtual adventure tour for the American students, showcasing sightseeing spots from Tohoku. This activity was aimed to bridge cultural gaps and give us a taste of rural Japan. I was grouped with 3 Japanese students and my classmate, Kori. They were really eager to tailor their experience to our interests and asked us, “Would you want to hike? Do you want to eat traditional Japanese breakfast in the morning? Do you want to wake up early?” Based on me and Kori’s responses, they crafted the start of a morning. We would wake up at 5 am and journey to the top of Mountain Iwate to watch the sunrise. Afterwards, we would eat a traditional Japanese breakfast that consisted of Miso soup, rice, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), and fish. During the activity, what struck the most was their choice that consisted of natural beauty and local traditions over the conventional tourist attractions such as museums and restaurants. It gave me a glimpse into the life of Tohoku.

After the activity, there was a panel to discuss the tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011 and how it affected Tohoku. The panel featured three Japanese adults, each sharing their perspectives on the disaster’s impact and the recovery efforts that followed. One of the panel discussions that I found interesting revolved around a disconnected landline phone, known as the “Phone of the Wind”. The phone is situated in a small white phone booth which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. However, it offers those left behind the opportunity to communicate with loved ones lost to the disaster. This discussion was interesting to me because it highlights how different cultures approach healing and remembrance. It not only shed light on Japan’s cultural response to disaster and loss, but also underscored the universal need for emotional outlets and communal healing, 

As the day unfolded, our adventures took us to the White House and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Every step of the way, I seized the opportunity to engage with as many Japanese students as possible, from creating a TikTok video to delving into a myriad of topics.

In those moments, doubts melted away, replaced by a newfound confidence in my abilities. It was a revelation, a tangible proof of progress that fueled my determination to continue this journey of language learning. This experience not only served as a communication revelation, but gave me more insight into Japan’s culture.