2019 GEN-J INVITATIONAL TOUR FOR Chicago HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

From April 13th through April 20th, 20 students from Chicago participated in the GEN-J Invitational Tour for High School Students. The schools included Amundsen High School, and Whitney Young High School and they visited the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto during their week long tour of Japan during spring break. Below is a compilation of their experiences during the trip.

When all of us started high school, none of us could have thought that we would have the opportunity to take a trip to Japan during spring break. We all had our own reasons to take Japanese as our foreign language. Some of us were already interested in Japanese culture and wanted to explore it further. Whether it came from watching anime with our friends and family or getting a small taste of Japanese food, it has led to some of us to one day getting to travel to Japan and experience the culture first hand, such as seeing cherry blossoms or eating authentic Japanese food. Others just saw Japanese stand out from the options that were given to us and decided to join out of curiosity. At first, we were a little nervous, knowing that Japanese was not the easiest language to learn. However, our teacher, was able to make our classes engaging and fun not only learning the language but also getting to understand the culture. When it was announced we would get a chance to go to Japan, we were shocked and very excited. We didn’t see this coming and it was a pleasant surprise, especially for most of us starting high school.

When the day finally came for us to leave for Japan, we couldn’t have been more thrilled. For some of us, this would have been the farthest we have been away from home or even our first experience out of the state/country. After an exhausting 14 hour flight, we finally landed in Tokyo. Words could not describe how happy we were to finally be in Japan. We were even more excited to see what was going to be in store for us during our stay. While a lot of the trip mostly consisted of amazing sightseeing, it was quite educational as well. One of the most surprising visits during our trip was at Osaka City Hall. We could have not had expected us to visit such crucial political figures in the city of Osaka. We are honored to have such important people take the time to meet us and celebrate the sister relationship between our two cities. We also visited a big company in Japan, Suntory. To our surprise, Suntory is responsible for many of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in Japan as well as other food and cultural mediums in the country. It was also interesting to know that Suntory also has many connections with not only American companies, such as Pepsi, but many other companies globally, while also sporting the catchphrase “Yatte Minahare (Go for it).” It’s amazing just how Japan puts a lot of emphasis on creating close bonds with countries around the world.

Additionally, we met someone from Chicago who was working at the Suntory Company. It was really inspiring to see someone who had took their interest in Japanese and made something with it, and it gave us hope that we could be like that one day.

Following the visit to Suntory, we had the honor of being invited to Osaka City Hall where we met city officials in the VIP room. For the second time that day we were in a very professional setting. It was important that we not only had fun, but had a valuable learning experience. As we drank traditional green tea, the city officials discussed with us our trip and promoted the numerous things Japan had to offer. In this moment many of us realized the magnitude of the opportunity that had been given to us. Our tour guide mentioned that even she had never been inside the VIP room at City Hall. To be treated with such respect was a great honor, and although the atmosphere was quite serious, it was very exciting all the same.

Throughout the trip, we visited many tourist locations such as temples, the Sky Tree, museums, and shopping centers. But visiting Suntory and the Osaka City Hall was just as vital in our journey for a better understanding the importance of US Japan relations. We could easily see the values of the Japanese people in Osaka City Hall and Suntory, such as resilience, entrepreneurship, hospitality, kindness, organization, and the willingness to break boundaries. We also learned about our role in the GEN-J program. As young people, we have the power to challenge the status quo, and get back up even during the hardest of times, just like Suntory. We also have the chance to promote love and friendship between the United States and Japan, and share the unique, vibrant culture of each country with the other. As students learning Japanese, so many doors have been opened for us, and as young ambassadors in the beautiful City Hall of Osaka, we learned of all the opportunities and blessings that lay ahead of us.

One of the most memorable stops during our trip was visiting Sano and Fuse High Schools in Osaka. We first stopped by Sano HS and that was our first opportunity to interact with Japanese people our age. It was surprising to see that the students at the school were just as excited and nervous as we were. We had a good time talking to the Japanese students, getting to know each other, and getting a tour around their school. Our visit ended with an amazing performance by the school’s brass band and they were incredible. The only thing we wish was different about that visit was that it was longer. We didn’t get as much time to talk to the students as much as we hoped for. Our stop at Fuse HS was different as we spent the entire day there. It started with assisting some of the students during their English class. We all had our own experiences working with each of our partners, but it was fun to talk to the students regardless. That was only the beginning. During our visit to Fuse, we had many opportunities to interact with the students such as during lunch or during the after-school activity we picked. We cannot express how important this visit was for us. Not only did it test our Japanese when it came to talking to the students, but getting to be with people of a different culture. Even though we are divided by a language barrier, these students are trying just as hard as we were to talk to each other, even if it was just saying “hi” to each other, it was a step closer to connecting us even if we live thousands of miles away. Language barriers divide nations of different cultures and it cuts us off from a relationship with someone that you could potentially have a lot in common with. That’s why foreign exchanges like this are crucial in our lives. Having even just the littlest understanding of one’s culture and engaging in small discussions makes such a big impact on you and the person you are trying to communicate with; cause at the end of the day, they’re just like you. Someone trying to reach out to others to get a better understanding of the people around them.

It was hard leaving Japan, but all great things must come to an end at some point. This trip has been one of the most amazing experiences we’ve gotten to experience in our lives. To be given this opportunity to visit another country was incredible. This trip has helped us appreciate the importance of connecting with those that are of different culture and ethnicity. We shouldn’t let language barriers stop us from creating bonds with other people around the world. This experience also helped us understand the value of learning a new language. Learning Japanese, or any new language, is more than just learning another language, it’s about understanding a new culture, thus bringing us closer to the countries all over the world and thus improving our society.  Therefore, we would like to thank everyone who helped make the trip possible, especially individuals from the GEN-J program. This was an amazing experience and we hope that we can have another opportunity like this to bring us even closer for years to come.