My New Life in Japan

With a famous large cherry blossom tree in Kyoto

A matcha & cherry blossom parfait in Kyoto

At Nunobiki Falls in Kobe.

I arrived in Japan without any problems on March 28! My furnished apartment, provided by the school for very low rent, is spacious and fairly new. It may be the nicest apartment I have ever lived in! It has one bedroom and an office room that can function as an additional bedroom when guests come. There is also a small outdoor area (4 feet wide, 20 feet long), half of which is paved. I’m excited to sit out there when it is warmer, and to be able to plant a few things. 

The school where I teach, Kobe College High School, seems great. It is a private, prestigious all girls’ school and includes 7^th through 12^th grade. I teach all the 7^th graders (145 girls), along with an elective course for 9^th graders. The campus is very beautiful. My desk is in the English department office, along with 3 other international teachers and 6 or so Japanese English teachers. We even have a secretary fluent in English! I am a club advisor for the junior high “English Speaking Society.” They perform musicals in English. Our school focuses on independence, so the students lead their own clubs. Advisors are there for general supervision and when the students want advice or help with pronunciation. We will also go to club camp together in August. 

I teach much fewer classes than when I was in Korea- 14 (45 minute) classes a week. That’s more than half of what I was doing in Korea! I do have plenty of papers to grade and will coach students individually for speeches, and I’ve been told I will have plenty of work to do. I appreciate that I am treated like a “real” teacher- I have a variety of responsibilities, I am told what is going on, and I attend bi-monthly teachers’ meetings, in Japanese. We also attend chapel every morning, which is in Japanese, unless one of the international teachers is speaking. Most of the staff and students are not Christian, but since the school is Christian, I have freedom to speak about my faith at chapel or in class. I look forward to speaking in chapel next month! 

I have visited a few different churches and am discerning which would be best for me. I have met a few new Japanese and Korean friends through a language learning application called “Hello Talk.” Mark and Stephanie Bartsch, Americans who have lived in Japan for many years and who are close friends of my parents, live less than 30 minutes from me. It is comforting having someone I know I can trust so close. 

My adjustment has been much easier than expected, and I’m grateful. I’m sure having lived and worked in Japan before contributes to that. My Japanese is also actually better than I thought, and has been improving quickly. I’m so glad that I was taking Japanese classes and doing language exchange for the last year and a half. I found a Japanese teacher and have picked up some good study materials at the bookstore. 

My prayer requests would be for when I share in chapel on May 16^th and wisdom in choosing a church, especially because I had a bad experience at a church in Japan before and I have some anxiety about that. Also that I can make close friends and have wisdom in my relationships, both personal and at work. 

I have 10 days off for “Golden Week” (April 27 through May 6), and I look forward to hosting Kaia, an American friend I know from Korea, and traveling to my dad’s wedding in Kansas.