Memories of Japan

"So, where in Japan were you based?"


This was naturally the first question at a recent get-together of Barcelona-based alumni of the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program (JET).

Sponsored by the Japanese government, JET took us to Japan to teach English when we were fresh out of university.

Turns out, our little group - meeting for the first time - was spread out across the country, from small islands and peninsulas, to towns on the coast or nestled inland.

Teaching at junior highs and high schools, to which we bussed over mountains or biked through rice fields.

As we swapped stories, a pattern emerged of the things that stayed with us:

🌸 The beauty of Japan - and people's reverence for nature
🤝 The kindness and hospitality of our hosts
👥 The camaraderie of fellow teachers
🔗 The privilege of sharing our culture with people eager to learn about it
🌍 The richness – and challenges - of immersing ourselves in another culture and learning its language.

It made me reflect on how stories – which are always about people – are so often timeless. Our experiences may have been decades apart (yup, I was the veteran alumnus!), but had much in common.

It was a great reminder of the power of connection and shared experience.

And of the lasting impact of our adventures.

Photo by Yuri Shirota on Unsplash