Category: Zitlaly Hernandez

A Visit to “Recapturing Happiness” at the JICC

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Jennifer Pineda

On March 11th, some Japanese Plus colleagues and I visited the “Recapturing Happiness: The Enduring Spirit of Ishinomaki” exhibit at the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC). The JICC holds events free to the public to learn more about Japan, Japanese culture, and Japan relations. I was informed that the exhibit was about 3/11, the earthquake that caused a tsunami in Tohoku, Japan in 2011.

When entering the exhibit I was shocked to see a lot of happy photos. Before coming to the exhibit I expected to see sad photos about the damages that were done and a small section of how they’ve rebuilt. But to my surprise that was not the case. A lot of the exhibit was different stories about how people overcame the tragedy and how they are continuing to have hope and resilience despite the damages that were done, and how they cope.

A story that stood out to me was about a couple that lost their three children. They built a playground and commemorated them in different seasons and the photos captured the bright colors to remember them in different seasons and weather conditions. They related rainbows to the spirits of the children and every time they saw a rainbow it reminded them of their children. After speaking with Ms. Shanti (Shoji) she explained further that the couple is tired of news teams interviewing them and sadly talking about their kids. They rather people realize of course they miss their kids, and see how they are doing well and see the positive side of things and that is exactly what the photographer captures in the photos. The bright colors help us see the brighter side of the story and see the happiness and progress.


I enjoyed the exhibit and seeing the happy memories within the stories, but also commemorating loved ones. The exhibition was meant to show the happiness and recovery from the tragedy and not dwell on the past.

Zion Daodu

On 11 March 2011, at 14:46 JST, an undersea earthquake occurred 72 km east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region in Japan. The earthquake was followed by a tsunami. In Japan, this is referred to as the “Great East Japan Earthquake.” The impact was catastrophic, resulting in widespread destruction of infrastructure, homes, and communities, and claiming the lives of over 18,000 people. Many families were torn apart while also faced with unimaginable loss and displacement, as entire towns were swept away by the tsunami’s powerful waves.

The JICC organized an exhibit titled: Recapturing Happiness: The Enduring Spirit of Ishinomaki, featuring photographs by Mr. Keisuke Hirai. It is an exhibition that conveys the resilience of the human spirit, the joy of community, and the moments of happiness that persisted in Ishinomaki following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Photographer Keisuke Hirai (center) with staff from exhibit sponsors Japan Information and Culture Center and Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Of the many people featured in the exhibit, the Amano family, and woodworkers Shinichi and Ryoko Endo, among others, stuck out to me, because of their incredible journey and how they overcame it. Following the tragedy, survivors faced a lengthy and difficult healing process as they attempted to come to terms with their loss, their trauma, and the major undertaking of starting over. After the tragedy, families that had been split apart have been gradually reestablishing their ties and seeking comfort and support in one another’s company. But these brittle reunions were cut short when the COVID epidemic struck, leaving many families to face a fresh round of uncertainty and loneliness. As the eldest son of the Amano family wrote, they were not always close but after the earthquake and their mother‘s death in 2020 they began to cherish the memories they were creating with each other.

The inability to be together during the pandemic brought an additional layer of grief and frustration for those who had already lost loved ones or were still looking for missing relatives from the 2011 disaster, adding to the emotional toll of both tragedies. Family members found it difficult, if not impossible, to continue their efforts to physically gather due to travel limitations, lockdowns, and health issues, but woodworkers Shinichi and Ryoko Endo made the 480-km drive from Tokyo to take their long-awaited photo with their daughter and her husband in front of the Ishinomori Manga Museum.


A source of strength, families were reminded of their ties and the value of helping one another through hardship by their common experiences of resiliency and survival following the Tōhoku tragedy. Even though there were clearly challenges brought about by the pandemic, it also brought to light the families’ steadfast endurance and inspired a fresh appreciation for the times they were able to spend together, whether in person or virtually.

Zitlaly Hernandez

When I first entered the exhibit I was kind of nervous because there were important people around and I’m not good at socializing. As I walked around I noticed before and after photos, photos from the past or the present or both depending on the story.

One story that really got to me was one about an older sister and how she had missed the times when she would spend with her sister. It also got to me because her story touched on how she was grateful for her family and how she was thankful for all the things they’ve done for her. This resonated with me because I’m really close with my family and although it’s small, we love big. This is something that Kokoro, the author of the story I’m talking about, illustrated in her story.


Felipe Lemos

What I enjoyed most about the exhibit at the JICC was the fact that it focused more on the stories of the people and how they recovered over time rather than the tragedy itself. Some of the exhibits had pictures from the time of the disaster that were taken in the same spot 10 years later. Some of the exhibits told stories of the changes and improvements in people’s lives, all of which occurred after the disaster. But the shared message that I took away is that the world didn’t end after the earthquake. People’s lives went on and they were able to create stories and memories that were passed on through the exhibit.

One of my favorites was the story of a family who took a photo of themselves in 2012 shortly after the earthquake, and then went back to the same place to take a family picture again. Seeing the people who aged, the children who were now adults, the new members of the family, the background behind them changing to be a clean, new building, it all adds to this sentiment that pushing through adversity and having a positive mindset can lead to happiness long term.

Special thanks to the staff of the JICC for offering extended viewing hours so our students could visit this moving exhibit after school. It’s wonderful to be so warmly greeted.

Dinner afterwards at Donburi in the neighborhood. It was great to be joined by Takahashi-sensei and Nishant Annu (who both lived and worked in Tohoku) and local TOMODACHI alumni Jeffrey Jenkins and Tenaj Gueory.

Remembering 3-11

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Photo from our 2018 TOMODACHI US-Japan Youth Exchange Program in Tohoku.

NOTE FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR: On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the Tohoku region of Japan, causing tremendous loss of life and widespread destruction of homes and communities. For six years Globalize DC was privileged to participate in the TOMODACHI US-Japan Youth Exchange Program, which allowed DC high school students to visit towns and cities directly affected by the earthquake, and to meet and engage with their Japanese peers in the region. These experiences have been deeply affecting and informative to all of us. So each year we take a few moments to recall the events of 3-11, to learn, and to reflect. This year our Japanese Plus students watched the emotionally riveting film, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, which vividly documents the events of that day and the aftermath. These are some of our students’ reflections after viewing the film.


Chamiya

It was hard to watch the film about the tsunami that hit Tohoku on 3-11. Watching people lose their lives and witnessing survivors lose hope after experiencing a devastating tragedy was devastating to me. One guy said that he doesn’t want clothes or home, or anything material. He wanted his friend back, and that is something that I relate to. I admire these people for finding hope in the cherry blossoms. Finding something to look forward to, as something as small as watching the cherry blossoms bloom is admirable.

Zitlaly

It was hard to hear of the tragedies and how everyone had to accept the fact that the tsunami changed everything. Despite the fact that many lost what they would consider their lives/reason for living, they still continued to stay positive, to have some type of hope. I admire Japan for persevering and finding something or someone to hold onto during this hard and excruciating experience for so many. Also, I admire that many looked at the blooming of the cherry blossoms as a form of a new beginning, a remembrance, “rebirth,” hope, and a push to keep on going. Despite that, some felt envy for the blooming.

PS. May those who have not been found find serenity.

Felipe

One thing that stood out to me in the film was the man who lost his best friend. At the beginning he was distraught and at one point said that he had lost the meaning of his life and everything that was a part of it. However, once reflecting on the cherry blossoms and what they represented, he realized everybody was trying to bounce back because they were still alive and they shouldn’t give up. Another thing I found inspiring was what the woman at the end of the film was saying. She said she would photograph how the town was rebuilding but she also mentioned how the yearly blossoming of the cherry trees was giving her hope for the future. She said that the next time the trees blossomed, the town would be more rebuilt and the year after that even more. This made me reflect on how time is continuous and things will improve over time if you keep looking forward.

Mai

  • For many people in Tohoku they couldn’t believe that a tsunami was actually happening right before their eyes.
  • How easy it was for the tsunami to destroy and swallow their homes and loved ones. They could only watch, not being able to help.
  • “Nature is filled with beauty and terror but sometimes we forget about the terrors.”
  • The cherry blossoms have different meanings depending on how we feel and what memories we associate with them. They are goodbyes and new beginnings.
  • There was a tree that has lived for more than 80 years. When the Tohoku people saw the cherry blossoms, they felt healed, allowing them to have hope and motivation to rebuild their homes.
  • Cherry blossom trees have steps of growth: ichibu-zaki (which is the first step of the cherry blossoms growing) and maichiru (when the cherry blossom flowers begin to fall).
  • Sakura are yuuga (beautiful but not too showy). The Japanese people have a kanji for the concept of yuuga: 優雅

Jennifer

Although the cherry blossom trees also suffered the tsunami, they managed to strive to be alive. It became a hope to most and a reflection to those who survived. The tsunami hit them hard. Some grew from it, some resented it. The cherry blossoms give a sort of reflection on how they feel about the tsunami and what they feel about the future.

Elias

I noticed the destruction which caused the deaths of many friends and families who mourned for them after the disaster. Going through something as traumatizing as a tsunami taking your home and friends and families led people to lose everything, giving them a sense of emptiness from their tragic losses.

D’Amonie Armstrong

I believe that going through something like this is absolutely devastating and will have long-lasting impact on the people of Tohoku. To see visual evidence of such disaster and watching as people tried to get to a safe haven was very disheartening. The people showed extreme bravery for abandoning or deciding to try to salvage their belongings. Many people suffered badly. However, during this time, the cherry blossoms were also almost in bloom, and that was used to bring hope for a better future. Every year that they bloom around that time, it is seen as a reason to keep going and how with each passing year, the rebuilding gets better and better.

Zion

It was heartbreaking to see the people holding out hope that their families were still alive. Children having to watch their parents get swept away. The people that just watched knowing they could not do anything to save them. The people that were just coming out of their homes, the ones that could have died if they had waited just one second longer and the many other stories of the people who had relatives that died or were missing. I could not imagine going through what they went through and I hope that the people featured in the documentary are still alive.

Margarita

It was interesting to see how much cherry blossoms are integrated into Japanese culture and life. Many people in the film mentioned how they grew up alongside the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms were viewed as hope when they start blooming, not long after the disaster of March 11. The film showed how the family of one of the victims had planted their own cherry tree before the tsunami, which had started to bloom afterwards. The difference between showing solidarity compared to America is also very interesting. Unlike in Japan when natural disasters happen or any kind of devastation, in the United States the news and solidarity usually remains local. Across all of Japan people were grieving, which shows just how devastating the event was. I can’t imagine how traumatizing it must have been for everyone affected.

About Days of the Week

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By Zitlaly Hernandez

When learning the days of the week, it was fun  . . . . Usually I struggle with what we’re learning. However this lesson was one of the lessons I was easily able to understand. In addition, it was one of my favorite lessons because we were able to listen to a music video that helped us memorize (in a way) the days of the week.

月ようび– Monday
火ようび – Tuesday
水ようび – Wednesday
木ようび – Thursday
金ようび – Friday
土ようび – Saturday
日ようび – Sunday

When we listened to the song for the first time, we tried to keep up. It was funny seeing my classmates and I try to sing it.

We’re Back Together Again!

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Saturday, September 30 was a happy day for us! The second year of our citywide afterschool program, Japanese Plus, launched at Columbia Heights Education Campus, with 14 returning students and a new Japanese teacher, Chihiro Takahashi. These super-dedicated DC public high school students will be meeting twice a week from now through the end of May – studying Japanese; exploring Japanese culture, history, and potential college/career pathways; and engaging in cultural exchange with peers and others in the US-Japan space. In other words, soaking up all things Japanese. Excitement is the operative word.

So what were they thinking on this first day back?

D’Amonie

In this present moment, I am very excited to be back. I have looked forward to this time again. I still love learning languages and I’ve been very proud of my Japanese learning journey thus far. Being able to go places and read the hiragana and katakana on Japanese products is so exciting for me, but there’s more to learn, which is why I am back. I am confident that I will get to my goal of natural conversational Japanese this year. I can’t wait to go to the next level. I can’t wait for more exchanges and interactions. And I can’t wait to go out and explore firsthand.

Zitlaly

As I was going through the metal detector here at CHEC, it hadn’t hit me that I’d soon be sitting in my Japanese class. I guess you can say it felt surreal. I’ve always been hesitant to push myself beyond limits, especially  with languages. Though due to my past year experience, I feel as I can finally reach my language goals in Japanese. So I’m not as nervous nor scared to admit when I need help. I wish myself the best of luck this year especially because I’m a senior and REALLY BUSY!!  

Elias

It’s the start of Japanese learning level 2 and honestly I feel good. I’m not particularly nervous. It’s more of a joyful, can’t wait type of feeling. But now that I’m also thinking about my senior year, that sorta does slow me down a little bit but I can manage. Learning through all the challenges and going to places relating to Japanese and Japanese culture keeps me motivated. And because of that, I’ll continue to push through in order to learn Japanese and experience the culture and more.

Aaron

I’m very excited for this year of Japanese Plus. I’ve gotten to see some friends from the class that I’ve missed. I hope to find a way to incorporate my knowledge and learning of the Japanese language into my college courses next year. My dream is to be able to tour my music in Japan or the UK one day.


Kori

I am looking forward to learn more about Japanese culture as well as being able to extend my language. I feel confident that I’ll learn more than I did before, and meet new people, like how I met a Congressman, and traveled to the Embassy of Japan during the summer, which helped me learn more on the history of the persons and embassy. I want to be able to experience more than what I’ve done like the tea ceremony, and being able to try on a traditional outfit.

Aitana

I’m looking forward to the new possibilities year two has to offer to our Japanese class this semester. After my time in Japan these last four months, I am excited to share all about my experiences with my classmates and hopefully inspire them to want to study abroad too. Overall, my goals this year are to maintain my Japanese skills, stay connected with the Japanese community in DC, and seek out new exciting opportunities.

Zion

Coming back to Japanese Plus is like remembering the first time I walked through the doors of our room for Japanese 1. I was late for my first class on Japanese, remembering my first teacher, our first exchange program with Japanese students where we all got to practice our Japanese with native Japanese speakers. It is sort of like going from middle school to high school, with all that I have learned from Japanese 1. I plan to take that knowledge with me to Japanese 2 to further expand my knowledge.

Mai

I am feeling really excited and happy coming into my 2nd year at Japanese Plus, to improve my Japanese skills that obtained last year. This year I am looking forward to learning and understanding daily life Japanese conversations, such as being able to talk about our day and things we like. I also look forward to building complex sentences using kanji. Outside the language aspect of the program, I hope to engage with the Japanese culture such as learning to play taiko drums, Japanese festival, and host again a Japanese high school exchange program.


Felipe

I’m now a level 2 Japanese student which makes me happy but nervous at the same time. I feel like I came out of last year with a good understanding of the language but I think level 2 will ramp up the pace a lot quicker and I’m gonna have to keep up. Luckily I went to Japan over the summer for 3 weeks which definitely helped with keeping my Japanese memorized. I was able to get some speaking and reading practice in as well as just being surrounded by language. This year I’m looking forward to hopefully get to a basic conversational level of Japanese and start learning some kanji.

Chamiya

My main goal for the year is to converse and meet Japanese students. While I was in Japan over the summer, I had the opportunity to practice and learn more Japanese. However, I wasn’t able to talk to students who were my age except for my host sister. Talking in a different language to converse with someone from a different culture was super fun and exciting to me. I learned so many different aspects of their culture and I was able to teach my own culture. There were similarities too and I wish to do it again. That is my goal for this year – to converse with a Japanese student and learn about their culture.

Margarita

Glad to be back!!! Seeing my friends and using Japanese again is making me feel so excited. Although I need to review some things, I am glad I get to do it with a new teacher. Hopefully this year we all grow closer as a class now that we will spend more time in person, and expand our knowledge of Japanese language and culture. I am excited to see how much Kanji we can learn this year and hopefully be able to use it with more Japanese people.

Jennifer

Coming into my second year of Japanese Plus I feel a bit nervous and excited. I feel nervous because I think my Japanese skills aren’t good enough but then I reflect on where I started. I knew nothing but here I am having small conversations and I know how to introduce myself. I am excited to continue learning. I aspire to be fluent so that it may better prepare me for college. I hope to study abroad and this program helped me seek opportunities in which I can. I also hope to get a better understanding of Japanese culture, the language, making connections, and growing with my peers.

Penelope

Although it’s been a while since our last Japanese class, I’m looking forward to picking up where we left off and advancing our language skills even further. I hope that this year we can go to more events around DC to experience Japanese culture, because I enjoyed so many of the ones we attended last year, like Sakura Matsuri and the exhibit at the JICC. I’m also looking forward to learning more kanji, and, of course, working with our new teacher!

Tristan

When I first came back to the program I was surprised by how my peers had changed over the past five months. Along with this I felt a bit awkward initially re-entering the program. I hadn’t many opportunities to practice Japanese over the break, so I felt a bit rusty almost as if I were lagging behind. With that said it would be a lie to say that I didn’t miss the program.

Zitlaly’s Reflection

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By Zitlaly Hernandez

Japanese Plus is an after school program for DC students who are interested in Japan, its culture, and language. However, for me personally and probably for most of my peers, it became more than just an after school program. Personally, Japanese Plus allowed me to identify parts of myself that I didn’t even know were there. And parts of DC that I had never explored. For example, I had never gone to the Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art, but one of our out of class trips was to go. And it was very interesting; we got to see traditional/historic art from Japanese artists.


In addition, I was known to be shy or that I kept to myself but I figured out that in order to make connections with others both parties have to be willing. I have always been shy and quiet but once I get comfortable I’ve been known to reveal more of my personality. But despite the fact, Japanese Plus helped me put my shy persona to the side in order to take charge and create relationships with Japanese students, adults that can help open new doors to opportunities, and others who would be interested in tutoring/advising us on how to improve our linguistic skills.


Another example would be when we went to the Hana Market near U Street and I bought my first bento box and 2 onigiris. Though the Hana Market was small, it was fun exploring the variety of foods that are a part of the Japanese or the AAPI (Asian-American Pacific Islander) community as a whole. It’s to say that Japanese Plus was a journey that I wish to continue next year.

おりがみ (Origami)

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By Zitlaly Hernandez

This poem is based on my experience at the JCAW New Year’s Festival I attended on January 29 in downtown DC. When making the origami, I was able to create relationships. Also, when creating these relationships, we were able to all laugh and joke about how we couldn’t for the life of us create the origamis, well not without help at least. My friends Soyeon and Seunga decided to look for an “easier” way to create a heart origami. We laughed about how we felt embarrassed to have to look up an “easier” version.

This is how my experience went but the poem talks about what origami can bring into your life and what it is. When making origami, you can connect with someone and who knows, you might make new friends or create a better relationship with those you’re already friends with. This poem was how I wanted to briefly explain but describe my experience when making Origami with these lovely people who I still keep in contact with til this day.

A beautiful art. 
A control of technique.
A test of patience.
An art of focus.
A test of trusting the process, yourself, and your capabilities
A way to connect with others through the complex forms of this beautiful art. 

Feeling nervous . . . and then

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By Zitlaly Hernandez

You know when you feel nervous when entering a new school year, or entering a restaurant where you feel pressured and overwhelmed by the menu? If you do, that’s how I felt when I entered the Z-Burger and saw the Japanese students ordering and talking with their friends. If you don’t, I don’t know another way to explain it…sorry. When I entered the Z-Burger I was so nervous not from the fact that there were Japanese students in my presence, but from the idea that I would forget every conversation starter that I practiced with D’Amonie on the way there. Not only did I forget, but I felt bad when I didn’t know how to start a conversation with them. 

I know they were able to tell how nervous I was. But I had nothing to worry about in the end, because they were really friendly, not only that but they were understanding. When I was eating lunch Ayana, one of the first people I met, was open to talking to me in English to help me out. We laughed mostly because she could tell that I was nervous, but she was nice about it. 

When we arrived at the church, I was less tense and started to get more comfortable. It’s not that I wasn’t comfortable, it was just that my anxiety was getting to me so I didn’t really feel good. But again, when on the way to the church, I had a chance to calm myself down. During our visit at the church, we learned more about Japan and the United States relationship after the atomic bombing. When we were walking and observing the hallways, where the art of kids who were victims of the atomic bombing was displayed, we had a chance to converse with each other on what we thought about the art. In addition, we talked about how complex it is to answer a question from being outside of the situation. For example, we were asked, “How do you think Japan and the United States come to have a good relationship, especially since the United States was the one who ordered the atomic bomb to be sent?” My group, which consisted of 4 Japanese students and 3 Globalize DC students, we all agreed that it was a difficult question to answer. 

During the end of our visitation, my group and I were told to try to converse in Japanese to help us (1) get to know each other, and (2) to help us (Globalize DC students) with our Japanese. At first I started to get anxious again and started stuttering. Though I was anxious, the fact that Koua, Tomoya and the rest of our group were willing to share their likes and dislikes. Me and Tomoya bonded the most since he was the person closest, especially since we both like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande.

In the end, I found myself finding it funny how I was so anxious about meeting them, but in the end I found myself upset at the fact that we had limited time together and how that time was coming to an end. 

We all waved goodbye and went our separate ways, but not before promising to each other that we’ll keep in touch. All in all, it was an experience that I will never forget! 

How are we doing?

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From the Director:

Learning Japanese isn’t easy. Listen to our Japanese Plus students to get an idea of what it’s like – the ups, the downs, the triumphs, and the challenges.


By Margarita:

Hiragana. One of the three Japanese alphabets. I thought it would take me years to learn it, but I was wrong. Hiragana actually sounds a lot like Spanish, so it was easy to remember the pronunciation. Every time we would learn a new character, it felt like art class, drawing the long and curvy lines actually felt calming. Writing the simplest word in Hiragana made me feel like I was making a masterpiece though I’m still memorizing some characters, it will never not be fun.


By Chamiya

I have always wanted to travel to anywhere and everywhere ever since I traveled to Thailand. And of course, Japan is on my bucket list. But ever since I started learning Japanese, I’ve been wanting to go more. I like the aspect of learning a new language and immersing myself in a completely different culture from my own. And I especially like converting names to katakana. If you look on my phone contacts, half of the contacts are in Japanese. Katakana is so cool to look at, to read, and to figure out what the word is in English. My own family can’t figure out what the words mean but once I say it to them, they can understand it completely fine. It’s really cool immersing myself in another language and I can’t wait to travel to Japan one day.


By Thalia

For me learning Japanese has been such a fun experience. I’ve met new people who I can connect to. I think trying to learn all the Hiragana at once has been a struggle because some letters look similar. I was having a hard time with M-N but once I got it, it was so easy and made it easier to read.


By Penelope

I’m still really enjoying Japanese class. Recently, we started learning about family and kinship terms, and I like this because it’s fun to be able to ask about other peoples’ lives and to have longer conversations. Something I find particularly interesting is that there are different words for your own relatives and for others’. This is because politeness is very important in Japan, so you have to use a more respectful term if you’re inquiring about someone else’s family. I find it interesting how language and culture are intertwined and how they affect each other, and this is a cool example of that.


By Zitlaly

Japanese . . . is a whole obstacle course you have to go through these hurdles just to go through the same hurdle, and another one and . . . another one. But through time you start to comprehend and memorize the hurdle and get through them way easier than the time before. But if you don’t adjust, you’ll only start to get tired and stressed from how many times you keep falling/failing.

By Mei

During these last few months of being in Japanese class I learned so many things about the Japanese language. One of the things that stood out to me is the different terms to have a conversation with someone. Having a conversation or even addressing someone depends on your relationship with that person and if that person is older than you. In English, people almost always talk in a casual way to their friends, teachers, family, and even to strangers. But in Japan, this shifts into a formal manner when addressing someone older than you. For example, in English we only have one way to thank someone no matter their age or status and that’s by saying “thank you.” But in Japan when thanking someone close like a friend or family they will say “arigoto,” but when thanking a teacher, co-worker, boss, stranger, or just someone older they will say “arigato gozaimasu.”