Author: Olivia Dausch

Location: Japan

Pronouns: They/Them

I’ve lived in Japan for about a month now. I’ve had a blast every second, but I’ve also noticed some glaring differences compared to America. One of the most important cultural identities of Japan comes from the seasons. Japan is beautiful during every season, and they know it. There are seasonal
foods, snacks, and drinks, more than in America.

Since the seasons are changing now, there are many new seasonal drinks and snacks releasing in convenience stores across the nation. In America, there are themed packaging, but the product mostly remains the same. The only seasonal food I can think of is the spooky cereal brands that show up every year. However, in Japan, there are new flavors released all season long for every season. In my local drug store, I saw Halloween candies and snacks on the shelves half-way through September. In 7-Eleven, there was a new flavor of Fanta available (Blood Orange flavor), as well as a new flavor of water (Japanese Pear flavor). Since the season officially changed today, I can’t wait to see what else becomes available.

Another important part of Japanese culture is festivals. A few days after I arrived, there was a small, local festival held near city hall. There were children’s games, food stalls, and a concert. One of the first things I bought there was a staple of Japanese summer: Kakigori (shaved ice with sweetened condensed milk). It is sold everywhere during summer and is usually made apparent by the blue flag with the red kanji for ice. Another popular street food is kushi (skewers). They either have cooked meat or deep-fried meat and vegetables, depending on where you go. At the festival, I bought a grilled beef skewer (gyu-kushi), which was amazingly tender and flavorful, even though they only put salt and pepper on it. I saw both again when I went to a temple in Kyoto.

Since Kansai Gaidai University is next to a station, students have access to three major cities, all about an hour away: Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. There are several festivals hosted in these cities throughout the year, especially in Kyoto and Nara. Since both were Japan’s capitals before, there are a
lot of cultural and historical events available.

Among these events includes both flower and leaf viewing festivals in April and October, respectively. One of the events the local students planned this semester includes going to Kyoto to see the red leaves. Another event local students plan is the University Festival, held in late October or early November. It kicks of fall break, one of the only breaks we have this semester. Since the schedule for exchange students is intentionally easy, with a minimum of 4 classes being highly recommended by staff, this break fits in as a well-needed break.

Speaking of classes, since I couldn’t find anything about it before I came here, I’d like to mention how classes are structured here. Classes are divided into five blocks. Each class is an hour and a half long, fitting into these blocks. The first two blocks start at 9 am and 10:45 am, respectively, on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday are set aside for Japanese classes since there are four sections per level. After block two, there is an hour for lunch that is very reminiscent of Valpo’s chapel break. The next block starts at 1:15 pm, and then there are two more blocks after that, ending at 6:10 pm. Since Japanese has to be before lunch, and there are probably no more than four other classes to fill the other spots, it is fairly easy to find free time.

That free time can be used to go around the city. Hirakata is a unique city since it is the meeting point among three major cities. Even on the walk to Nakamiya campus, there are a lot of interesting shops. There is a traditional Japanese sweets shop, a grocery store, several hair salons, and even more doctors offices. Closer to the station, there is an entire mall. I have only been there once, but I plan to go again soon. It has books, CDs, movies, and clothes, all things great for gifts. There are a lot of places nearby that I haven’t been to yet. Once I get settled into my schedule here, I’ll definitely become more adventurous.