Half a Year in Japan

Commended Entry: "Half a Year in Japan" by Alfred Bowden from Scotland/ UK

This article was submitted in the Kids World Travel Guide Essay Competition 2022 in the Senior Category 12 - 15 years.

Half a Year in Japan

I live in Japan because of my father’s job and my life has changed a lot. For example, in school, I now have 7-hour long days, instead of 8, but even so, but I spend even more time in school in after school clubs.

I now live in a smaller home in a bigger city. Large personal differences for me are that elements of my life that make me different in Scotland as half Chinese and half English, make me blend into Japan because I have dark hair, and look semi-Asian. This is not the case when people talk to me. But fortunately for me, many of my classmates at my science specialty school are taught and speak English very well, so this makes me feel at home.

Apart from things like the way people speak, other differences in my school include what is considered normal; everyone standing up to greet the teacher, after school clubs run by students instead of lunch time clubs run by teachers etc. Then there are things outside of school such as the side of the road people walk down, not wearing shoes indoors, and always, always obeying traffic lights.

One of my favourite experiences was a school festival, where every class and most clubs, changed rooms and made features to turn the school into a theme park. Our class made a haunted house, and the highlight was dressing as a ghost and scaring an elderly man out of the room. The festival was amazing, with many performances on a stage and amazing opening/closing ceremonies. It was open for two days, but we worked on it through the whole week before. In addition to being a ghost I helped the English-speaking society’s debates (they also had a Cinderella performance). Due to Covid-19, the last 2 festivals were lesser, so I was glad to offer help and participate in this one, and I consider it a wonderful experience.

In Scotland, I wake at seven and my mother drives me to school for 20 minutes. I now climb a mountainside for 40 minutes to get to school, and it is annoying to do so, but it's also quite relaxing. Climbing a mountain every day is really nice and calming. (The mountain is home to many people). While the weather is sometimes hot, mostly it is bearable, and getting to see the mountains, and the city are worth it. Looking down at the city from the mountainside, I realize that in the UK, I took for granted living next to a beach, but now I realize that not everywhere has accessible open, natural spaces.

I believe my time in Japan was a very meaningful experience that brought me closer to those around me, both people I know, the new faces I never met before and even people I miss. I would encourage anyone given the opportunity to live or study abroad, to take the opportunity.

Congratulations on your essay "Half a Year in Japan", Aelfred. Such an insightful essay! Well composed and skillfully written. Thank you! Well done!

Aelfred Bowden is from Aberdeen/ Scotland. English and Mandarin Chinese are his home languages.