2024/7/30 - DoTTS Faculty 教員コラム
Summer Vacation Plans…. (Lisa Gayle Bond)
Back in April, 2024 and April, 2023, I asked the 1st year students to get in groups and write down their “goals” for things they wanted to do during their 4 years in university. There was ONE common WORD found on each group’s piece of paper – “ABROAD”. Study abroad or travel abroad were goals that each group had, and of course that is something to be expected.
Unfortunately, what was NOT expected was the devaluation of the YEN. Over the past year, the Japanese yen has shrunk in value – both abroad and here in Japan. It has shrunk to the point that for many of us, myself included, trips abroad and in Japan, are becoming just TOO expensive. Yet, we still have those goals, those lists (for me my bucket list!), that we want to accomplish. So for those of you that are staying in Japan and saving for “next year”, I have some ideas on how to have a good time while working on your listening (and maybe even speaking) skills of both English and any other foreign language you might be working on.
First, take a trip to Akiba or Shibuya. In Akiba, make a trip to that very inexpensive discount shop. You know the one! As you walk the aisles and go up and down to the various floors, you will find lots of fun gadgets and goods representative of “COOL JAPAN”. You will also find what guests from outside of Japan are fascinated with. (Spoiler alert … KitKats in the sweets section are still a VERY popular item!) This store is one of the top shopping destinations for shoppers from abroad on a budget. (Of course, those who do not have a budget go to Ginza, but that is NOT as fun!) Many foreign guests get their souvenirs at this shop to take home to their friends and family. You can hear LOTS of different languages while you shop, and you can maybe even communicate with some of the other shoppers while you are shopping.
Now, if you go to Shibuya, you can also go to that same very inexpensive discount shop as there is a store located there in Shibuya. But there are also other famous stores that are big hits with everyone. Just about any of the shops close to Shibuya crossing can be a fun “window” shopping experience that can prove to be interactive as you bump into people from all over the world. One of the best places to view the Shibuya crossing is that famous coffee shop looking down on the crossing. Now it may take some time to get seats close to the window so you can watch all the people zig-zag their way across the street. BUT if you can get a “front row seat”, it is well worth the expensive sugary drink you will have bought! It is quite entertaining to “people watch” and see just how crazy some people become, both from Japan and abroad, once they get to the Shibuya Crossing.
Of course, the new Azabudai Hills is a wonderful place for sightseeing and experiencing the interactive art museum with lots of people around the world. If you go there, install a language app other than Japanese and see how much you understand! Installing guide apps in foreign languages to the various places you are visiting is always a fun way to improve your listening skills. With Japanese signs all around you, you will be able to have some helpful hints on what you are listening to! Visiting a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan is almost a sure way to experience the site and learn about its history in a foreign language.
If you have a chance to travel outside of the Tokyo metropolitan area, then you might want to consider staying at a “backpackers’ lodge” or hostel instead of a business hotel. You may have to share a room with other guests, but in most cases you will be sharing rooms with young foreign guests. In the evening you can listen to their stories and adventures around Japan. You might even be able to get tips on where to go and stay when you travel in Japan or abroad. **A travel tip for hostels and backpackers’ lodges is to travel light and keep your personal items close by. These are good travel habits to develop while in Japan before traveling abroad. You and your personal items will be safe, both here and there!
Traveling to the mountains in Nagano last year with my family, we noticed that almost all the lodges had employed people from Australia to help run the various shops and lodges. My daughters ended up translating for some Japanese guests that were not able to make their needs understood in Japanese at the lodge where we stayed. It was quite the “international experience” in Nagano. I have heard that if one travels to the mountainous areas around Japan, that one will encounter not only Japan’s beautiful nature but also some very interesting, outdoor / eco-friendly guests from abroad that want to slow down and savor Japan’s beauty without all the hustle, bustle and crowded “tourist attractions”.
Don’t let a weak YEN slow you down or put a rain cloud over your summer vacation. Get out, if even for half a day, and enjoy the area around you. If you can, communicate with others in a foreign language. You might find that you will make new friends and see new aspects of Japan that you have never seen before. And most importantly … Make those plans! Dream those dreams! And if you are like me, save those 500-yen coins for your dream destination – either in Japan or abroad – when travel becomes more affordable for many of us!
Have a wonderful summer!!!
＊All photos and screenshots herein have been taken by the author.
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