Orientation in Chicago

Today we spent the entire day learning what to expect when we get to Japan and just how we should get along as visitors in Japan. Here we are playing Memory with Japanese kanji characters. It was hard, but fun!



We had three speakers come in and make presentations. The first one spoke about Japan's view of WWII and the Yasukuni Shrine for Japanese soldiers who have died in battle, including Kamikaze pilots. (The Shrine is not held in favor by all Japanese.) We will visit the shrine when we are in Tokyo!

Our second and third speakers were a mother, who was born in Japan and now lives in the US, and her adult daughter who is Japanese-American. They moved back to Japan for 2 years when the daughter was 8-10 yrs. old. She talked with us about how it was to live in Japan as a Japanese-American and go to school. It was difficult for her, because even though she looks the same as the other students, she was bullied and discriminated against. They moved back to the US, and then the daughter went back to Japan for graduate school. Their presentation was so interesting!

We fly to Japan tomorrow afternoon. I'll write more in this blog once we settle in Tokyo! I. CAN'T. WAIT. :)

Location:Chicago, IL