By Alana Correa, Teen Summer Language Camp Japan-Fukuoka Summer 2024
Something that I found really different in Japan rather than in the US was their culture and how locals go about certain things. Of course, all these things took a while to get used to, but by the end of my stay they almost felt natural. Therefore, when I first returned home I experienced a sort of reverse culture shock with the way many things are done in the U.S. and I saw American culture in a different light than I did before.
One of my first examples would be the trains in Japan. First of all, they were always on time, they would leave the station at the exact time that was shown on the screen. However, the rules inside of the train were my biggest shock. Everything was extremely clean. There was no trash to be seen.
Another thing was the noise – on the train, or in any place such as cafes or restaurants was minimal. There was absolutely no talking on the train in Fukuoka, and there were even signs to not answer phone calls while riding. At restaurants me and my friends had to keep reminding ourselves to lower our voices and keep in mind the fact that we were talking too loudly.
There was always a sense of order in the city. Before a train arrived at the station people would form lines to enter it, and no one would try to get ahead of others. This to me was completely different from where I live, New York City, where everyone is always rushing, cutting lines, and yelling at each other. Therefore, I found that people in Fukuoka were very respectful towards others, and this definitely helped me become more comfortable in the city.
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