TABULA RASA - Week One

Hey everyone! So I finally made it to Japan! And let me tell you, it was a rollercoaster of emotions getting here. Also, I wanted to let you know that I’m going to be making compilation videos of all the pictures and videos I'm getting each week just so that I can share them with everyone easier. They’ll be attached at the end of each blog post and on the videos page of my blog.

The first step of my journey was actually getting here. This is what I was most anxious about. It was my first time traveling alone as well as my first time ever leaving the country. I left early in the morning and headed to the airport, as my flight for Chicago left at 7:30 am. I was accompanied by my parents, sister, and sister-in-law. It was a bittersweet experience since I knew this would be the last time I saw them for a while, yet I was excited to finally venture out into the world on my own. Eventually, I had to part with my family before TSA, and then I was on my own.

Everything went well and I was able to make it to Chicago ok. Then I had a five-hour layover before my long, 13-hour flight to Japan, and boy let me tell you did I underestimate how long 13 hours was. Before the flight, I had prepared some things to help keep me entertained on my flight, but in hindsight, I had not prepared nearly enough. They also offered Wi-Fi on the plane for $10, which I will definitely be purchasing the next time around. All-in-all the flight was brutal. I did get lucky though and got to sit next to empty seats on all my flights getting here. It was also cool to see out the window and various parts of the world from above but the flight seemed to last forever.

Eventually, I landed in Tokyo and it was such a surreal experience. I had to go through immigration and customs which was such a confusing and anxiety-inducing experience but I made it through! Also, Japan's use of technology is way beyond anything I've seen in America and I realized that only moments after getting on the plane. They scanned my face and my bags so many times without me even having to do anything through the use of cameras, sensors, and AI. It was very neat to experience.

After getting through immigration and customs I was free in Japan. I immediately rushed to find the hotel I had booked as I was in desperate need of a shower. Walking through the huge airport with hundreds of people going about every which way was a very shocking experience to have after being cooped up in a plane for 13 hours.

Once I made it to the hotel, I was able to check in with no problems using my very broken Japanese. I made it to my room and it was incredible and very bougie. I showered and then went to find food. I knew they had restaurants in the terminal I was in, as well as an Edo period-inspired area showing off various historical and cultural items of Japan. It was very cool to see it all in person. I was so anxious to try and get food since there were so many people, so I walked around the same area for about 45 minutes before I found a restaurant where I could take my food with me back to my hotel so that I could eat in private. I went up and tried to order in Japanese and this is when one of the main issues that I still am dealing with presented itself. I am able to speak and understand a lot of Japanese and I can get my message across to the person I’m speaking to, but from my experience so far, they speak so quickly and use words I’ve never heard that I have trouble understanding what they’re saying. So I usually sit there with a stumped look on my face until they rephrase what they said or start to speak English. Somehow I was able to get my food and take it back to my room and after that, I passed out so quickly it's not even funny. I mean I didn't even have time to charge my phone because as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.

Luckily for me, I woke up in the middle of the night and was able to set some alarms as I had to be up the next morning to catch a flight to Osaka. This however was very terrifying because I barely understood how American airports worked, let alone airports in Japan. I was able to take a free shuttle bus from my terminal to another and made my way to the airline that I flew with’s, Starflyer, counter. I asked the woman in Japanese if she spoke English and she said only a little. However, it was not a problem and she was able to help explain to me what to do. Then, I made it through the airport and flew to Osaka. I was also very proud of myself because, on the flight, I was seated in the aisle seat. I realized that there was no one sitting next to me on the plane so I asked one of the flight attendants in Japanese if I could move to the window seat if no one came. Once again she responded with something incomprehensible to me. I said I didn't understand and she told me in English that she would check and see if it was ok. I ended up being able to move to the window seat and I got some amazing views of Japan!

After we landed I got my bags and made my way to the train station, where I was to meet my friend Tam, who is attending the same program as me, at Namba Station in Osaka. At first, everything went seamlessly. I got my train ticket, got on the train, and rode for about an hour to Namba Station. I loved being able to get out of the airport and actually see some of Japan. I had such a moment on the train because I was able to see so many different people just going about their daily lives. I finally was able to comprehend just how big the world actually is and that all of these people are living their lives unbothered by what's happening in America or out west at all for that matter. They’re just living their lives and doing their own thing. I know this sounds pretty obvious and I knew this before, but by actually being in person and seeing it first hand I was able to finally comprehend the depth of this concept. You can know and understand something like this, but seeing it in real life is so different. When I finally arrived at the station, things started to get interesting and intense, to say the least.

Our first issue was finding each other. I think we did not realize the size of the station and we ended up being on opposite sides of the huge complex. We also were lugging our huge suitcases around so it was virtually impossible to communicate with each other and walk at the same time. We wasted about 30 minutes running around the place sweating and stressed and having to pee before we found each other. We then realized that this set us back 30 minutes, so we would be late to arrive at Doshisha to meet with the guides that would take us to the school. Then, just my luck, one of the wheels broke off of my suitcase and then I hit my ankle so hard with my suitcase it bruised.

And get this, after all this, we ended up getting on the wrong train which set us back another 30 minutes! Talk about 大変！ It was still going towards Kyoto but took much longer than the train we needed to get on. After riding this train until the end of its line, we got off and were trying to figure out which one to get on next. We stood there for a moment before a very sweet station attendant came up to us and asked us where we were going. She was truly a blessing from God because she was able to direct us to which train we actually needed to get on. From there we were able to make it to Kyoto and the school with little issue aside from having to lug around our huge suitcases.

We took the subway to the school since there is a station directly beneath the school that lets out onto campus mainly for university students. We made our way to the guide service meeting place where the guides, current students at the university, and international student coordinators were patiently waiting for us. I felt so bad that we had made them wait yet they were so kind about it and I could tell they were truly worried for us! My guide was super sweet and he walked me and another exchange student from England to our dorm. The path we took to get there went straight through the grounds of a temple which was awesome in the most literal sense of the word. This temple, Shokoku-ji, is apparently a very historical sight and they even found ancient artifacts from battles from long ago which are now in the university’s museum. I can't wait to explore the campus and see them.

When we finally arrived at the dorm I was introduced to the caretaker of the building, Mayumi. She is an older Japanese woman and she is incredibly nice and hospitable. And I'm very surprised I can understand almost all of her Japanese! She speaks little English but she’s very caring and willing to help when needed. They gave me a tour of my dorm and showed me to my room and I have to say, I really lucked out with this one. My room faces directly toward a mountain and I have an incredible view! My guide also helped me set my futon up before leaving to give me some time to rest.

I talked to my mom on the phone and then went to leave my room when I realized I didn’t have my key. I instantly went into panic mode. How could I have lost my key when I just got there!? I swear I searched every corner of my room. I hadn’t even unpacked yet so how could I have lost it!? I searched every inch of the room before coming to the conclusion that my guide must’ve accidentally grabbed it. I messaged him on Instagram and he didn’t respond for thirty minutes while I stressed and panicked. Turns out, he had it. I don’t know why but the universe must’ve just wanted to play with my emotions that day. He returned my key and apologized immensely. I was just grateful to know that I didn’t have to pay the ~$120 fee to get the key replaced. I felt so bad because he invited me to go to Karaoke with him and some guys later but I was so exhausted I ended up just walking to the 7/11 down the street from my dorm and getting a bento to eat for dinner. Then I proceeded to pass out like a light once again.

The next morning I went with my friend to get breakfast and we went to the cutest little cafe ever. The croissant and iced coffee I got were delicious. We wanted to go to a popular supermarket called Daiso to get some stuff for our dorms, but they didn’t open for a while longer. so, we walked to the Kamogawa River and sat and talked for a while. The weather was amazing and it was good to have some time to stop and reflect. During this, I realized how nice this experience really is. I’m really getting to start with a clean slate with a whole new group of people and experience life from an entirely different perspective. This trip is already opening my worldview and I’ve been here only for about a week.

We then went to a huge mall and got ourselves Wi-fi routers because the access to the internet is very slow unless you can get your own router and connect to the LAN port in your dorm. I actually went back there with some guys from my dorm a few days later and we had a blast looking around at all the stuff.

I’m writing this on my fourth day in Japan and I am so proud of myself for how far I’ve come and how much my Japanese is improving. At first, I was really worried about speaking to people but it’s getting easier and easier to say what I want and to understand what is said back to me. I first realized I knew a lot more Japanese than I thought I did when I tried to pay my rent for the dorm. To pay the rent, you take an invoice that’s given to you from the dorm to the post office right down the street and use a machine to pay it. I didn’t know how the process worked, so I went up to the counter and was able to ask in Japanese how to pay and the woman helped me through the process. And it's true, the people here have been so insanely helpful, nice, and hospitable to me! Any time I ask for help I am always greeted with kindness so far. There was an issue with my invoice because I didn’t have a phone number on it, I didn’t know what to put and we were able to figure it out and she helped me get everything settled. I also had a similar moment when I was at a Muji store with some guys from my dorm. We wanted to know how much a pillow was so I asked one of the employees. She was very helpful and even showed me how to get a discount coupon on the app. This was all in Japanese but I was able to understand it!

Also, as I’ve kind of mentioned, I’ve met some guys from my dorm and everyone is really nice and cool! They had a welcome party for us the other night since almost everyone in the dorm is new this semester. There are a handful of boys that were here last semester and they’ve been extremely helpful and welcoming.

So far I’m having an amazing time here and I can’t wait to see where I’ll be in terms of my Japanese language skills and worldview by the end of the trip! Next week some guys from my dorm are planning a hike up one of the mountains, Mount Digimon, which I can actually see from my dorm room! And later today, I’m going to visit a few famous temples and shrines with a guy from my dorm. I also got my student ID card from the university and some booklets and such regarding student life in Kyoto and at Doshisha. I’m actually very excited for the semester to begin!

Well that's all for now, I know this was long but I’ve been very busy and wanted to let everyone know what I’ve been up to. Thank you for reading and make sure you check out the video! I’ve also been posting a bit on my Instagram @Drake_Landon, so make sure to check there too for photos! Bye now!

VIDEO COMPILATION