Visit to Tamagawa Seigakuin!

I never really realized that there were so many Christian schools in Tokyo. So, when my teacher, Morita Sensei, invited me and other students to join him on his visit to a Japanese Christian High-school, I was extremely excited. I knew that it would absolutely be a great time interacting with the students and sharing pieces of my home country, India.

So, imagine my surprise, when Sensei invited me once again this year, to join him a second time. Of course, I was ecstatic and looking forward to it, all over again. The visit turned out to be just as great as the first time, except that I could now interact and connect with the students even better! I was able to experience a piece of Japanese high school life again and even learn from the students through their unique perspectives and open minds.

Myself and two other international students, James (a junior) and Isabella (a freshman) together visited Tamagawa Seigakuin, to share about the culture and lifestyle of our own respective countries, as Morita Sensei shared about the reality of stereotypes in our everyday lives. Sensei taught the class about the images people tend to have unconsciously, and helped the students learn more about understanding diverse cultures.

I spoke about India’s geography, foods, traditional clothes, and common festivals. It was also fun and eye-opening to hear their impressions of India and learning about the things that most Japanese people connect to India. Hearing the student’s point of view, was interesting, since I could learn about the differences in cultures between Japan and India, and was even able to self-reflect on myself and my stay in Japan!

As an Indian living in Japan, I am happy to have heard the impressions Japanese youth have of India, and to have been able to share the realities of India as a country and the daily life of Indians.

I was inspired by how friendly and welcoming the students were. We were able to have an enjoyable time of conversation through their support and good nature. As I discussed with them about the topics of cultures and conventional images as taught in the class. I admired how willing and open they were to learn and share their own views while also accepting the new and different ideas that were being presented.

I was able to tell them outside of the class time during the break, and also simply connect with them about daily life, sharing and understanding the differences and similarities of India and Japan. I am so happy to have been a part of this experience for the students where they could freely experience pieces of various lifestyles and traditions.

I could see that this was a wonderful learning experience for the students, but it was also an amazing experience for myself, since I was able to witness new and different perspectives of my own country! Through the opinions of the students, I could see how India is viewed in Japan. This opportunity is one that I will treasure since I have been able to gain so much from this visit to the high school, and I am so glad to have been able to share my culture with others!

By Joanne