Changing Impressions of Japan

This has been my fourth time in Japan, but this has been my longest journey here because I am here for half year exchange. However, I renewed for extension, so I am hoping to stay here next semester for grand total of almost a full year.

I really love Japan, or else I would not be coming back here so often. My first few times in Japan were to see Japanese friends who I made over the internet, and then my third time to bring my American friends here as a fun summer trip that we planned. But now, this trip had a totally different purpose, for I to finally come here and study abroad. I did not want to return to Japan as a tourist but as a student. So, I made sure that it would happen with lots of work. My return trip to Japan will be as a graduate student or for a job, which is the next I will return for even longer.

My impressions on Japan have always changed depending on situation. Coming to Kansai Gaidai is a totally different experience because I am finally studying Japanese here, and I have the chance to interact with many Japanese and foreign students from around the world.

I was not sure how Kansai would be at first. I was wondering whether or not it would meet my expectations  as study abroad school, but I think it has. It changed my impression on Japan. I finally learned to communicate better with people in Japanese, which has led to an easier life in Japan. Communication is the number one way to properly make good impressions on people. If I want people to know who I am, I must overcome the language barrier. Overcoming the language will make my life easier and change my past impressions to better ones. When I came here and interacted with friends, some could not speak English well, and my Japanese as well was terrible, so I felt as though I was making bad impressions, but if my Japanese becomes better, than I will make better impressions on them as well. Moreover, we can finally communicate to each other effectively, and my impression of Japanese people will change.

Not being able to communicate at all leaves bad impressions for me. I feel stupid at times, and I ask myself "why am I here?!," "I could be enjoying a great conversation but can't..." I hope this will change finally or at least improve to some extent. Thus, my impressions of Japanese people will be better, and I won't feel left out of all the important and unimportant conversations.
So, my impressions of Japan will be good instead of bad like they once were.

Old photo from a few years ago in Nara.