Life After JET: Rare Skill

Living in a small, rural Japanese village made me stronger.

It’s like this. Now, after Japan, I train American students to prepare for the culture shock they will experience while living abroad. So, in small groups, I have them throw a tennis ball around to each other with one eye closed, using their bad throwing hand. This is awesome at first. Fun. They laugh.

Then I say to the students, “What if I asked you to do that for a year?”

“I’d get annoyed and want to open my eyes and throw with my normal hand,” they say.

Well, this is an analogy for culture shock. At first, when I went to Japan, I was like “Woo Hoo! Life is a crazy train of fabulousness!” Then, after a while, I had to adapt to the difficulties involving Japanese language, social norms, and daily life, and – as if I was asked to close my eyes and throw with my bad hand for a very long time – I became a bit annoyed and tired after the initial fun-filled period was over.

My point is that living in Japan for a long period of time is a skill. You have to adapt and improve yourself to do it well. So, if you don’t give up, and can function like a normal human being in Japanese society after one or more years, you’ve acquired a skill: Cultural Adaptability. You’re stronger now in ways others who stayed at home are not.

I had a networking phone interview with an executive coach from a major business in America, and he said, “Well, Brian, I look at your resume and I think, ‘Gee, this kid has had some neat experiences, and now he’s trying to make sense of it and turn it into a career.’” ‘Neat?’ It’s lucky for me he couldn’t see the “You did not just say that” expression on my face. In Japan, I learned completely new ways to communicate – verbally, culturally, and physically – and I learned to stand on my own two feet when everyone and everything I ever knew were no longer there to support me. I am strong. That explanation’s a bit long for the ‘skill’ section on my resume, and I can’t just write down “I am strong” as a skill. But I am strong. And so are you. You who are reading this. Or, you will be after a year. Stronger. Sturdier on your own two feet.

I’m finished saying the word ‘strong’ now, because I know you get the point already. Sometimes though, people just need to be reminded of how great they are. That’s why I’m writing. Sure, living in Japan won’t help you with the skills you’d receive in grad school, or at a good job back home. But you can still get a good job or go to grad school later. For now though, you have the opportunity to sharpen different skills. Take it. Stay in Japan for a year or longer. Re-contract, if you want, because sticking it out will only help you, as long as you meet your challenges head-on. If you threw a ball with your bad hand and one eye closed everyday for a year, you would be better at that. Well, everyday in Japan, you stick with a situation that tests your communication skills, habits, perspectives, stomach, patience, and social identity. The skills you learn from Japan are rare, and make you a more capable human being. I want to see what you’re capable of next.