Sophomore Erika Smead Goes to Japan

Sophomore student Erika Smead had been planning to go to Japan over winter break and finally, she and her family were able to visit and have a good time. Japan is one of the most beautiful countries in the world because of its culture, food, and especially nature and scenery. And since America is so different from other parts of the world sometimes we forget or simply never experience different ways of life than ours.

Erika visited the Shibuya and Ginza district and expressed how much healthier the nature was and how fresh the food is. “The scenery and food were so different from America but it was very enjoyable,” Erika states. She also says “everybody in Japan was very skinny and healthy because the food over there is fresh and organic.” She tells us about how Japanese foods that contain fish or eggs are usually raw because the food is so fresh that it is safe to eat raw egg or fish, which makes it so different and delicious.

Additionally, Japan is such an interesting place to visit for an outsider because as Erika explains “everybody looks the same, as in they all have the same hair, the girls all do the same type of makeup. Everybody has the same work clothes and even the same height. It’s very interesting to see because in America, everybody has different hair and dresses differently.” Erika found this part of Japan to be really fascinating because there is so many kinds of diversity she sees in America that it must’ve been shocking being in a place where everybody had the same style, hair, and makeup.

When in Japan she also experienced their refined culture and how they run things differently. “The people in Japan were so nice, they bowed to you wherever they went and were very kind to us even though we were foreigners,” she says. Japan definitely welcomed Erika and her family with open arms, the kindness and culture in Japan is something you will never find anywhere else in the world, which is why it should be widely appreciated.

The biggest thing Erika noticed about Japan is how you’re not supposed to tip waiters at all. “It was definitely a shock when we found out you’re not supposed to tip waiters or even anyone for that matter and they will even try to give you your money back.” she explains. This was the most drastic difference she noticed between Japan and America. Erika also talks about how everybody was Japanese and there were almost no tourists. “I saw only one other family that were tourists in our hotel, and definitely didn’t see any outside.” she says. This is a surprising fact because anyone would think that Japan would be flooded with tourists because of how unique the place is but Erika firsthand experienced Japan with almost no tourists except for her and her family.

It’s not every day that someone gets to experience the culture, food, and people of japan which is why Erika’s experience is so special. As most people stay home during winter break or go on small trips, Erika and her family went all out and were delighted to share their firsthand experience in one of the most beautiful, unique, and interesting places in the world.