Amit Jethanandani is a junior in biochemistry and was presented with the opportunity to take the Japanese 100 course through a third party study abroad program sponsored by the University of Minnesota in the summer of 2007.  He studied the Japanese language from June 7 to July 22, but his experience still replays in his thoughts today.

A 14-hour plane ride kicked off his summer of Japanese language studies.  The long and monotonous ride with minimal leg room seemed to set the tone for a long and boring trip, but little did Jethanandani know that he would bond with students from across America and Japan to construct a life-long memorable experience.

Most of what I learned required shifting momentum, not utilizing strength.  I guess that is why an elderly man was able to throw and pin me to the ground in a position to snap my arm in half. Amit Jethanandani

"Well, I didn't really know much about Japan before I went.  I'd taken a Government of Japan class my sophomore fall semester, so I knew a bit about the structure of their political system," Jethanandani said. 

He first arrived at Tokyo where the class actually took place.  His new home was at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center, where other students also stayed for the duration of the program.

Taught by professors from Emory and Harvard, the class met three times a day, five days a week.  Weekends were usually jam packed with activities that the program sponsored scheduled. 

"We were not required to learn hiragana and katakana and about 10 kanji before the program started, but I did so the adjustment would be easier" Jethanandani said. 

Hiragana is the Japanese alphabet, Katakana is Japanese for foreign words and Kanji are the Chinese characters that were adopted in to Japanese culture.  Jethanandani explained that you have to memorize around 2,000 kanji to be considered literate enough to read a newspaper.

The program also scheduled a rural city experience.  After only one week in Tokyo, Jethanandani lived with a homestay family that consisted of two teachers, a grandmother, a 16-year-old high school student and a tabby cat. 

However, this was not a vacation for Jethanandani, as Katou sensei, his professor, prepared weeklong homework assignments for the class's brief stay in rural Japan.

During a free day with his homestay family, Jethanandani helped prepare a traditional Japanese bar-b-que and learned some defensive techniques at an Aikido dojo. 

"Most of what I learned required shifting momentum, not utilizing strength.  I guess that is why an elderly man was able to throw and pin me to the ground in a position to snap my arm in half," Jethanandani said.

Jethanandani wished he could have spent more time with his homestay family, but the program scheduled many scavenger hunts, presentations, guest lectures, field trips and other activities for all the students to enjoy and learn.

He explained the events of a specific day where the group explored the town of Mobara where they visited two high schools, participated in Tanabata dances with the city hall ensemble and even learned how to prepare their own sushi lunch.

He also explored the city of Nikko over a weekend field trip.   Nikko is a mountainous region about an hour away from Tokyo.  They visited temples and hiked "dragon" trails.  The students stayed in a luxurious resort for a day, which was enough time to see the famous Kegon, a large breathtaking waterfall.

Shopping in Japan is another popular activity for both visitors and residents. While there are many video game stores, Jethanandani prefers the clothes and accessories boutiques in Aoyama, Naka Meguro and Daikanyama.  Jethanandani said he hated the Harajuku hype scene, which mainly consists of lame 90s streetwear. 

"Americans often associate Japan and its people with epilepsy-inducing animations and confusing video games, but the country's rich cultural history cannot be described only by its technology," Jethanandani said.

Jethanandani returned to America from his international trip filled with a new language and culture only having gotten lost three times in Japan.  He cherishes his many memories of new friendships along with his new territory of Japan as a lifelong experience.

"Because Japan is such an isolated, homogenous nation lacking widespread ethnic diversity, community development is emphasized.  Social responsibilities, and, more importantly, social norms govern lifestyles," Jethanandani said.  "However, individualism is not suppressed. Creativity - especially academically and athletically - is always supported."