Kyoto Article

Authored by Oscar Alvarez 

One of the most challenging parts of studying abroad is choosing the location to study in. I did one block in Argentina, another in Germany, and lastly in Japan. From the beginning, Japan was the country I was most looking forward to studying in. Japan had so much to offer, and I only scratched the surface.

Although I used public transportation in other countries, nothing prepared me for the bustling subway stations in Kyoto. Since I did not know Japanese, Google Maps came in clutch as I navigated the station searching, for the JR and the subway lines. During my first few days trying to get around Kyoto station, I would step into the station, get overwhelmed, and walk right out to get some fresh air. The trains were always on time, so people would hustle to get to the platform. After about a week, I felt like a local the way I would navigate the station.

During my stay in Japan, I lived with a host family in Shiga, which was about a 30-minute train ride from Kyoto station. Although the journey was long, I would leave home early to walk along Kamo River to get to school. The walk was one of my favorite times of the day as I saw locals biking, sitting, walking along the river eating their Onigiri or snacks during their breaks. I was able to see the leaves change as I did the same walk every day. After school, I would arrive home with my host family in the kitchen with dinner on the table. My host dad and I communicated through a translator app and my host mom spoke some English, although there was a language barrier, I could feel the warmth and love from my host family every day.

Every day had something new to offer. There were plenty of temples or shrines to visit. My favorite place that I visited would be between Nara Park and Fushimi Inari Taisha. I heard how the deer would bow if you were to give them a treat, but no one told me how aggressive they would be if you tried getting away from them. I would have never thought I would get rammed by a deer. Being able to feed the deer was a surreal experience. While in Fushimi Inari, I felt as if I was transported to another world. My friends and I woke up at 5 am to get the first train to both locations to beat the crowd, and I would recommend doing the same if taking excellent pictures is one of the goals.

The staff in CIEE Kyoto were friendly and helpful people. Many people in Japan are friendly towards foreigners and will help you even if you don’t know the language. The city is immaculate, and the convenience stores are ahead of their time. One of the staff said their favorite time of year in Japan is during Autumn; after a short time in Japan, I would have to agree as I fell in love with the changing colors of the Maple trees. I dream about going back and can’t wait to spend another season in Japan.