The interest that I have in Japanese culture stems from way before I entered Clemson University and committed to the Language and International Business program. Since the young age of five I have always had a fascination with traveling and immersing myself with other cultures, connecting with different people from all ages and experiences, and taking what I’ve learned to define who I am today. My childhood was split between places such as Germany,France, Prague, Austria, and Arizona, California, but more than having experiences living in many different places, I have had a big interest in East Asian culture. During high school I was very interested in Korean pop, Korean dramas, and was a big shojo anime enthusiast. After looking at my life and hobbies as a whole it became clear that it was only natural that I became interested in discovering places outside the United States because from a very young age I was aware that there is more to the world than just where I was born.

 

 During the Summer of 2024 and the Spring semester of 2025 I had the amazing opportunity to further satisfy my wanderlust. My first study abroad experience was at Kansai University located in Osaka, Japan and this program was over the course of 5 weeks. The curriculum contained intensive language classes taught by Kansai University professors as well as a course taught by Clemson faculty that surrounded the cultural aspects of Japan. My second study abroad experience happened during the 2025 Spring semester at Chukyo University where I also had the opportunity to further my Japanese language skill through intensive language courses three times a week and further my cultural understanding within the Global Media & culture class that Chukyo offered. 

 

Goals

 

Before any of my study abroad experiences I had the overarching goal of improving my language skills and making more connections with people from around the world. The study abroad program at Chukyo University was the perfect opportunity to practice my target language with native speakers as well as make Japanese friends to ask questions I was curious about from an outsider perspective. 

 

During my study abroad I strengthened my language skills and my confidence. While the language classes play a big part in that, I have to give most of the credit to the Japanese student body for helping me develop my confidence to speak Japanese without being worried about messing up. Every time I would talk to the Japanese students I would always go over how long i had been studying japanese and they would always tell me “wow your japanese is so good” and that was despite if I misspoke, misspronounced, or blanked on a word, they were the most encouraging peers and it was evident that they were appreciative of great effort to communicate.

 

Cultural Differences

 

One of my favorite aspects of studying abroad would be the many cultural differences that I had a chance to see and experience in person. This allowed me to learn more in depth about japanese culture and take that experience with me back to Clemson to further apply it to my cultural and or Japanese related classes. 

 

When I did my study abroad in the Summer of 2025 we were assigned a group project in the beginning of the trip and the project could be a topic of our liking but it had to be a topic about Japanese Culture that you could visibly see and analyze throughout the trip. So while we were all out having fun touring Himeji Castle or visiting Itsukushima shrine, every student was subconsciously thinking about their topic actively analysing the environment around them. 

 

Now, the topic that me and my group chose revolved around the differences in American fashion and Japanese fashion. Our topic explored the many different fashion subcultures within Japan and how this is significantly different from back where everyone in our group was raised, America. One of the biggest differences that our research noted was that in Japan people wake up and dress themselves for the day but not in the same was as in America. What we meant by this was that In Japan people rarely wear pajamas or athletic wear out and if they are wearing athletic clothing it is being used for its intended purpose, that person is or has been working out but in America people wear athletic clothing such as lulu lemon even without the pursuit of leisurely activities, people in America wear it for fashion rather than functionality. 

 

Another big difference that we noted is this more abundant existence of personalization within Japan. One of the best examples to look at is the personalization of purses or bags. For instance, in high school there is a standardized bag that everyone must use in order to be in compliance with school regulations, but when every student is using the same bag it can start to feel that it limits individuality. One of the ways to combat this feeling is to make yourself different, but different in a way that still adheres to the school rules and that is to personalize your school bag. I observed the many different ways high school students were decorating their bags, they would personalize and draw whatever they wanted on the side of their bags with paint pens or they would deck out their bag in key chains that were representative of their interests.  This not only stopped at school bags but we later observed and concluded that this culture of personalization also happens with adult women and purses and supersedes that of high school bags after graduation. 

 

Reflection 

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My time in Japan allowed me to continue to grow myself in ways that I didn’t think were possible. I have had an amazing opportunity to excel my language skills all the while also making connections with people from all walks of life. Both of my study abroad experiences have given me experiences and knowledge that I would not have otherwise and I am eternally grateful for that.