I graduated from Austin College in May 2006 with majors in Asian Studies and History. I was accepted to the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme for the 2006-2007 year and in August arrived in my host town of Karakuwa.

The JET Programme informed me about Karakuwa prior to my departure. Situated in the northeast corner of the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi, occupying a small peninsula that juts into Taiheiyō, the Pacific Ocean, Karakuwa is a small, remote village of about 8,000 people.

1Karakuwa's location on map of Japan 2Karakuwa's location within Miyagi Prefecture

Fishing and sea farming, the cultivation of sea plants, have long been the mainstays of the local economy. From the moment I learned this basic information, I was enthusiastic about living and working in an area that seemed so culturally and economically reminiscent of Japan's traditional, bucolic past. Upon my arrival, as if to affirm that I had come to the right place, Karakuwa's stunning aesthetic beauty seemed to say, "You will like it here."

The Board of Education provided me with an apartment that looked out on the ocean.

The quiet, comforting sound of the waves and the clean smell of the air, as well as the year-round moderate temperatures an ocean provides are things that I never grew tired of or took for granted. The rocky coastline below my apartment was part of a national park, the Rikuchu Kaigan National Park, which stretches many miles along the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan's main island. Walking trails, some near the water and some along the peninsula's hilly spine, wound through pine trees and bamboo forests to ancient Shinto shrines.

3View from my apartment

4Path into a bamboo forest

Karakuwa fit right into its idyllic surroundings. The town had all the amenities - a post office, a grocery store, a convenience store, a drug store, a hardware store, a clinic - and all were within a kilometer of my apartment. The restaurants in town were small, family-owned operations that served delicious miso soup, udon noodles, and Japanese-style curry. Homes were large and wooden with Japanese-style sloped roofs and sliding doors. Many had well-tended gardens stocked with seasonal flowers and small, twisty trees. Most families also maintained plots devoted to rice or vegetables.

5Karakuwa and surrounding hills

My job, Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), took me to Karakuwa's three elementary schools and two junior high schools. Through songs and games, I assisted other teachers in the instruction of English. The classes were fun and the children were (mostly) well-behaved, but my favorite moments were those outside of the classroom when I was able to participate in educational activities that related to Karakuwa's traditional culture. In rural Japan, many schools teach students the basics of farming, sea farming and fishing. I was able to try my hand at tending daikon (a large Japanese radish), drying seaweed and shucking oysters. Schools are also responsible for handing down local traditions to each new generation of children. I got to don traditional clothing and learn regional songs and dances, some that only Karakuwa's people perform. The children often laughed good-naturedly at my relative ineptitude in the fields and on the stage, but such times provided a helpful context of commonality in which both parties could learn about the other's culture and language. The JET Programme calls that "grassroots internationalization," and it is the ALT's most important job.

6Teaching at a junior high school

7Harvesting sweet potatoes with students

8Learning a traditional song and dance with students

I found that, for me, one year would have been too short a time on JET. I wanted to continue to improve my Japanese language abilities and enjoy more of what Karakuwa and Japan had to offer. I decided to stay on through the 2007-2008 JET year. In my second year I traveled extensively within Japan, strengthened my friendships with people in Karakuwa and ALTs from around the world, and continued to enjoy the day-to-day of living abroad.

My background in Asian Studies served me very well in Japan, and my experiences there greatly augmented my understanding of the nation. I was prepared to see the world from a different cultural viewpoint and to appreciate Japan on Japan's terms. In my interactions with my coworkers, the students and the people in the community I saw constant examples of communalism, saving face and filial piety. Familiarity with these concepts not only made it easier for me to understand my cultural environment, but gave me the tools necessary to make myself a part of it.

Still, many things about Japan surprised me – things, perhaps, that one must experience directly. An example that comes to mind concerns rice paddies. Many times I had read about paddy fields, I had even written about them in papers for classes. But never until my first springtime in Japan had I heard mention of one salient fact about them, something that is important to know if you live near them and keep your windows open in the warm evenings around planting time: rice paddies are loud. The shallow, standing water attracts all manner of amphibian and insect species, and their cacophony lasts until dawn. Seems obvious, doesn't it?

9Rice paddy in Karakuwa

Following up an Asian Studies major with two great years on the JET Programme gave me many unforgettable hands-on experiences that related to my area of interest. I would recommend such a program to anybody pursuing an Asian Studies degree, as I would recommend Asian Studies courses to anyone considering a move to Asia.