Japan Blog

Authored by Shannon Coryell

“Don’t be nervous, it's going to be awesome,” is what my Dad said when he dropped me off at the Chicago airport. I knew my study abroad experience was going to be incredible, but why couldn’t I shake the 43 butterflies flying around my stomach? 

I hugged my Dad goodbye and 17 hours later I landed in KIX Osaka. Those 43 butterflies vanished when I found other CIEE students at the meeting point. While we waited for more students to fly in, we explored the airport, bought 7/11 snacks, and talked about our lives back home. Little did I know that this moment would be the start of lifelong memories, amazing friendships, and the coolest six weeks of my life. 

When the bus dropped us off I couldn’t believe how perfectly located the CIEE Kyoto Center was! My dorm room was a short elevator ride to the classroom. The nearest convenience store, only a 30 second walk away! The nearest train station was a two minute walk away, and downtown Kyoto—also known as Teramachi- was a 20 minute walk away. CIEE Kyoto could not be located any better!

Although I only spent one block in Japan, I crammed a lot of adventures in! The first weekend I took a solo trip to Ise, which is a small town Southeast of Kyoto. In Ise I explored shrines like Kotai Jingu and Futamiokitama, I walked through Okage Yokocho street, and I ate ramen with some locals. It was so cool communicating through translation apps. Even though I didn’t speak Japanese and the locals didn’t speak much English, we had a whole conversation using our phones. 

The next weekend some friends and I visited Tokyo! We went to the Art Aquarium Museum and Tokyo Skytree. We visited Senso-ji and Gotoku-ji Temple. We shopped at Don Quijote and walked across Shibuya Crossing. And on our last day we watched a sumo wrestling tournament. Before heading back to Kyoto we stopped at a yunessun in Hakone. IT WAS A BLAST! This yunessun had several scented pools. One smelt like coffee, and another smelt like green tea. They even had a chocolate one! But nothing beat the view from the top of the waterslides. I will never forget how beautiful the sunset over the mountains looked. Shades of pastel pinks, oranges, and blues covered the whole sky. 

Before leaving Hakone we made the best spontaneous decision to ever exist—stay in Fuji for a night, and see Mt. Fuji in the morning before heading back to Kyoto for classes. But just like in life, things don’t always go the way you want them to while studying abroad. We woke up the next morning and Mt. Fuji was completely covered by clouds. Not to mention we almost missed our Shinkansen back to Kyoto! Although things didn’t go as planned I wouldn’t change this experience in the slightest. Experiencing a Japanese hotel and talking with my friends in the room were highlights of the trip. And although it was stressful sprinting to the train station and frantically buying a Shinkansen ticket, it’s an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. 

While I adored traveling around Japan, living in Kyoto felt like a dream. After classes my friends and I tried new restaurants. We frequented the sushi conveyor belts, and tried many foods that we normally wouldn’t eat in the States. We shopped in Termachi and went to popular attractions like the Samurai Museum and the MiPig cafe.The MiPig cafe was my absolute favorite thing to do in Kyoto! We also visited shrines and temples in Kyoto like Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Heian-jingu, and Byodo-in. Even the mundane things felt fun like buying 7/11 snacks during class breaks, and doing homework sessions in the common room. 

My living experience in Japan wouldn’t have been the same if it weren’t for the staff at CIEE Kyoto. If I ever needed anything they were there to help me. Aside from answering all of my questions, they supported me with knowledge about restaurant recommendations, travel accommodations, emotional support, and academic work. I am so grateful that I had this team to support me while navigating new territory abroad. Overall, my study abroad experience in Japan was genuinely the best experience I’ve ever had. I met so many amazing people, did so many cool things, and learned a ton about Japanese culture, life, and myself. I can’t wait until next time, but until then sayonara Japan!