They say time passes when you’re having fun, and that is, without a doubt, what happened during my time with the Sophia University Students. I looked forward to every event that we had planned with them and I enjoyed every moment that we had together. Throughout the time we spent with the Sophia students I was full of happiness and love towards everyone in the group each time we saw them.
The first day they arrived, they spent the first half of their day getting a tour of our campus while a group of us set up decor at the Mbongi spot. While setting up, I was nervous and excited because we had only spent a few hours with them in Japan, and it felt like we were meeting them for the first time again. When they arrived at the Mbongi spot, we talked and gave our presentation about LMU, which led to our icebreaker of Red light, Green light. Fast forward to Japanese Culture Night, where we introduced them to the Nikkei Student Union E-Board. It was cool to introduce everyone to the Japanese and Japanese American community that we have on campus. It was also cool to show the students how we celebrate and appreciate Japanese culture on campus and in America. After visiting JCN for about an hour, we returned to the Mbongi spot and introduced them to Mexican food. We had carne asada, chicken, chips and guacamole, lettuce, corn tortillas, beans, rice and much more! It was awesome to share this with them because it shows some of our scholars’ culture, also many of them had never had Mexican food or soft shell tacos. After eating dinner, we talked about how their trip was to LA, their first impressions of the food, and then we bid farewell the next day.
On Tuesday, the students presented on different Japanese culture topics, such as Origami, bento boxes, and gashapon. I really enjoyed watching this presentation because, although I knew of some of the things they presented, I learned new things about each and from their perspective. I enjoyed their presentation because it was interactive, and they brought things to demonstrate the items from their presentation. For example, when we cut out the designs in the seaweed that they provided, I enjoyed doing this activity because I had seen this done but had never done it personally. It was another great time when everyone was socializing and getting to know each other more. I really relished talking and getting to everyone more during this time!
Wednesday! Before the Japan Currents Seminar, we all had the opportunity to talk and get to know each other even more. At this pre-reception, there were several different American snacks offered. This sparked different conversations about the snacks we had tried in Japan and those they had tried here in America. At the 2024 Japan Currents Public Affairs Seminar, we all listened to the speakers, Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, Admiral Harry Harris, and Dr. Saori Katada, while they discussed the relations and policies of the US with Japan and other international countries. After the seminar, I reflected on the content of the seminar and what it may have been like for someone who is Japanese to learn about the relations from an American perspective It was interesting to learn about these issues, but at the same time, I was not as interested as someone with a political science background/ interest. Despite that, it was extremely fun talking about the seminar and their trip so far after the reception and eating all of the catered food. I was sad that they weren’t able to stay longer and knew that our time together was coming to an end.
Thursday! Such a fun day but also such a sad one. On Thursday, I rushed to class, wishing I could have lunch with the students. Luckily, they ended up having lunch at the Crimson Lion, which was right around the corner to my class, and my professor let us out early! So luckily, I was able to join everyone for lunch a little late! I was so glad that I was able to catch lunch with everyone and spend more time together on our last day. Over lunch, I sat near Hinata, Kaila, and Reimi, and we compared some cultural and geographical things here in Los Angeles compared to Japan. Kaila and I asked them about their all-time favorite places to visit in Japan. It was interesting to hear about different places that have similar activities going on in Japan but must be so different than in LA. From there we all went up to the conference room where their final reporting session would take place. While walking up, we stopped to take several group photos together, and it was sweet to see how enthusiastic everyone was to document these memories together.
While I watched the presentations, it was amusing to see what they discovered about the US compared to Japan. For example, many have noticed that America is much dirtier and there is much more trash on the ground than in Japan. Another part of their presentations I really enjoyed was seeing how this trip made them realize things about themselves. After their presentations we transitioned into the farewell party we had prepared. We had cake, pastries, many American snacks, and different drinks. Everyone was so excited to see some of their favorite American snacks! One thing I love about food is that it brings people from different cultures all over the world, together. I like to ask people from different culture’s what their favorite food or dish is. This last farewell party was so bittersweet because it felt like everyone was just starting to get very close to one another, but it was their last day here. During the party, I asked several students how they enjoyed their time here in America and what their favorite parts were. A majority of the students wished that they could’ve gone to the beach or spent more time in Hollywood, but a lot agreed that the weather and the environment were what excited them. The students had planned to attend Olive Garden for their last meal here. I wanted to spend more time with them, even though I had a general meeting for my club later that night! From the time to dinner and when the party began to die down, both the Sophia and LMU students coordinated to meet at the mall and walk around before dinner. So, I and a few of the other girls who wanted to join them ventured off to the mall soon after the party. Walking around the mall all together was very fun because everyone was chatting and looking to buy something. I really enjoyed this part because it was in a much more casual setting, and it was fun to see everyone looking to buy something to take back to Japan. It reminded me of us in Japan. Whenever we had time to go shopping we tried to get something to bring back. Though from what I’ve heard they didn’t have as many opportunities to shop as we did. Finally, we made it to Olive Garden to have our last meal together. At dinner, I was able to sit with some of the Sophia students, whom I hadn’t gotten to talk to as much. It was fun because we started to have some banter and inside jokes amongst each other, which I really enjoyed. After all, it felt like we were getting closer and closer. Though the end of dinner came too soon, and it seemed we had just started our trip and were already saying our goodbyes. Saying goodbye to everyone was so sad, and I only wished we had spent more time together recreationally. I hugged everyone goodbye, and when we began to walk away, we all began waving to each other, trying to prolong our goodbyes.
The next day, I felt a sense of emptiness from not having the Sophia students there. I reflect on our time together in Japan and Los Angeles. I was so grateful that I had the opportunity to host the girls here in Los Angeles and show them where we go to school and live for most of the year. This whole trip and experience encouraged me to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Whether it was in Japan or here, I pushed myself to step out of my comfort zone and learn about myself and others. I enjoyed learning and hearing about their experiences while living in Japan. I am thankful for the conversations that I had with the students and all that I have learned with them. Spending time with them enlightened me and made me realize things about America from a different perspective. The kindness and love they extended to us while we hosted them were memorable and motivated me to continue acting this way to others. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity I had with them in Los Angeles and Japan, and this experience has encouraged me to continue learning about Japanese culture and language. I look forward to the day that we can all hang out together again, whether it be in Japan or America.
Farewell,
Julia Jaffe
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