For me Japan provided me with ‘experience’ in the Japanese work environment, how kids in Japan grow up and how it translates in their adult lives. Sure, Hokkaido, and certainly up North where we were is no ‘typical’ environment for generalisation, but it did provide much-needed context.

More internally it helped me build the self-confidence I desperately needed in my own abilities to learn and grow, and it ultimately provided a healthy break from virtually everything I’d conceived to be ‘normal’. That includes meeting non-South Africans as well mind you. Even Chris and Heather provided a completely new frame of reference outside of dealing with South or Southern Africans, and it was, I think, a great learning experience personally and professionally.

Halfway through my ALT year I was having difficulty understanding just what the fuck the benefit was of me wasting my time 8-5 every day teaching dumbed-down retarded-syllabus English, but then I realised that the year enabled me to appreciate the world I lived in, my place in it, and just how much further I had to grow.

When I came back to Johannesburg and stopped by the professor who’d initially suggested the JET programme in 2006, he welcomed me back and said “I’m glad you only spent one year there.” If you settle in one place just because it’s comfy, then something’s deeply wrong with it all. At least, for me that’s the case. I’m sure some folks only seek comfort and are happy in that bubble. My professor meant that spending too long in Japan can kinda suck you into a vortex, out of which one emerges realising that the better part of their youth was spent chasing a dream. Just a year or two and you learn to appreciate what’s there, but leave with nothing but the best impressions of the city, town or hamlet you lived in for a year.

Japan tested every single boundary I had created in my 22 years in SA, and at the end of the year I came out imminently grateful for being able to learn from it. Any more and I’d just be sticking it out for the salary and the kawaii :p

Haven’t been to the blog for a long time. Glad to find you’re still doing good work. I completely agree with the specialization part. I’d be intrigued if you could develop more what “niche skillset” you got from Japan.

Peace,
Charlie