“Will I be able to communicate?” “Will I make any friends?” Before any new challenge, it’s natural to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. Let the real voices of students who have traveled from all over the world to study in Japan give you the gentle push you need.
“My host family became my real family!”
“At first, I was worried about the language barrier and couldn’t express what I wanted to say. But my host family was always smiling, trying their best to understand me with dictionaries and gestures. When it was time to say goodbye, I couldn’t stop crying. They are my Japanese family, and we still keep in touch.”
– Sophia (from the USA / 1-year exchange in Osaka)
“Selling takoyaki at the culture festival was the best memory!”
“My class decided to run a takoyaki stall for the culture festival. We went shopping for ingredients together after school and made signs. It was super busy on the day of the festival, but when customers told us it was ‘oishii!’ (delicious!), I was so happy. It was a moment where our class truly became one.”
– Alex (from Canada / 6-month exchange in Fukuoka)
“As an anime fan, it was heaven for me!”
“I joined the Anime Research Club and made a ton of friends with the same hobby. On weekends, we would go to Akihabara together or stay up all night talking about the latest shows. It was the best experience, one I could only have had by coming to Japan.”
– Leo (from France / 1-year exchange in Tokyo)
Now, it’s your turn! We’re waiting for your story on Teen Trails Japan.