Ganbatte, the Japanese Art of Moving Forward

I didn’t write that title; it’s a book by Albert Liebermann, and I saw it on the table in the bookstore downstairs from where students have their language classes. I bought it, though, and am really looking forward to reading it.

Japan has in an inherent cultural value of がんばる (ganbaru). The word doesn’t translate well, but comes something close to “committing oneself fully to a task and to bringing that task to an end.” There’s an emphasis on grit and perseverance that can’t be fully conveyed through translation. But we know that things can get tough, and that just means we, too, need to be tough, even for just a moment.

Some of the nuances of the Japanese language that CIEE students have been picking up are invaluable for conveying this sense of “moving forward.” Even the Japanese expression for “I’m going to win” is more commonly expressed as “I won’t lose” - less an emphasis on being the top achiever, and more an expression of perseverance and personal growth.

We’ve had an amazing month here in Kyoto. We’ve twisted ourselves into yukata, thrown shuriken, drank tea, tried making traditional sweets, played games at the arcade, got lost on trains, visited Hiroshima, drank more tea, and visited the Pokemon Center more times than is probably financially healthy to do. We’ve made friends, we've played janken to win the right to choose the day's pose with beloved Japanese teachers. We’ve laughed at funny tshirts and attempted karaoke in K-pop as well as J-pop. We’ve made dinners with host families, failed miserably at getting the beat of a taiko drum, and been swarmed by the infamous Nara deer. We’ve spent far too much money “gambling” on the gacha toy machines trying to get that ONE Gojo-sensei (thank you, you know who you are 😀). We have more omamori than we probably need and we’ve asked plenty of Shinto deities for their continued grace.

Just a few snippets:

“When Sam made a mess of his houjicha warabimochi dessert and then I tried to eat it and Abby made me laugh too hard so I spit it all over the Shinkansen.” -Sara

“Jonas having one too many Monsters to stay awake.” -Oscar

“One of my favorite memories with CIEE was the ninja and samurai museum! It was so fun learning the proper way to greet samurai and how to throw ninja stars! Our tour guide asked many questions which made the experience more memorable. I will definitely be telling my family all about my experiences when I return.” -Mari

There is no way to sufficiently sum up a program with so many memories and so many incredible people. I hope each of you has something wonderful to take home, and has learned something of the がんばる spirit: that we committed ourselves fully to this task and have brought it successfully to an end, and that we are now ready to move forward. 

You are, all of you, 最高。

みんな、お疲れ様です！