Cross-Cultural Engineering - Kyoto, Japan

I was given the opportunity of a lifetime in 2024 by having the privilege of living and working in Kyoto for 3 month from May to July. While there, I learned a great deal about the differences in culture between America and Japan. The language barrier forced me to pick up and practice some Japanese and the new culture made me adopt a more proactive and day-to-day lifestyle where each day had a different routine and activity, hardly ever did I do nothing. While there, I took two classes: Cross Cultural Engineering and 3D Models in Practice. The first class honed in on the importance and differences seen while working in different cultures and the second class focused on making a game based on disaster prevention, something important for the Japanese people.

Tokyo

The Journey

Before going to Kyoto, I decided to take my own trip to Tokyo. Tough I had been before, I saw it fun to go again and explore the city to its fullest, the small areas, the streets, the major districts and all the stores. I took my travel book, did my research, and set off. I took the greater half of 2 days to land in Haneda airport and began my exploration. I visited Shibuya, Ginza, Shinjuku, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Akasaka, and Odaiba to name a few places. In my 9 days there, I grew accustomed to the fast paced life of Japan. Every day had a purpose. I bought food every morning, afternoon, ad evening to cook or eat, would always have an activity to do, and learned the art of taking the subway and trains everywhere alongside walking (different than the suburban, car-required lifestyle of the US). I loved seeing all the rich culture I have grown up on with a new mindset. After this trip, I took the shinkansen to Kyoto.

Life In Japan

Upon arriving in Kyoto, I began my student life. Unlike in UF, life is very different in Japan. People there live day-to-day, focusing and taking great pride in their signs of respect, amicability, and work. As a new temporary resident of Japan, I got to learn first hand this lifestyle. I was given a small room that had a kitchenet, Japanese style bathroom, and bed. The culture shock set in quick with a smaller version of everything I was used to, a new style of bathing, and different social norms. Pleasantries were almost required there, people were very patient, respectful, and well-mannered, shopping was different with very specific tailored stores instead of 1 large chain making up most of the commerce, rich night life far removed from simple clubs and bars, and a very open, nature rich, walkable city. I took some time but I grew to appreciate and adapt to this life.

While there I studied in Kyoto University (Kyodai) which was about a 40 min bus ride from our home in central Kyoto. The school was smaller than most universities both the main and Katsura campus we studied in. I took two classes where I learned about cultural difference and where I made a game. Balancing exploration, fun, work, and stress proved to be a new experience for me and taught me a lot about time management and reaching out for help. During most days, I would commute to school early, study until around 4pm, and commute to downtown, outskirts, or central Kyoto to explore and find new experiences to do.

Kyoto

Osaka

Nara

Hiroshima

Exploration and Learning

I discovered a lot about myself during my time in Japan. One thing I discovered was my love for adventure and appreciation for the small things in life. During the afternoons and weekends, I would find myself exploring all parts of Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Nara trying to understand and experience as much as I could. In Kyoto, I would venture into the bamboo forests of Arashiyama, explore and pray at shrines and temples, play arcade games and sing at the famous Japanese arcades, shop in downtown, wear yukatas and participate in summer festivals, walk the backstreets while listening to music, dine in local joints, or just appreciate the scenery. The same could be said for the other cities, I'd go from major attraction to smaller things to take it all in.

I learned the value of being alone. Though it can be scary and oftentimes sad to be alone, I found an appreciation for walking, enjoying, and taking things at my own pace. I learned to look after my own needs in a country where you must look after your own mental and physical well being because everyone else has their own life and difficulties. Being alone let me think and reflect without outside intervention and let me do what I wanted to do.

Lastly, I learned about differences. Not just cultural although I did pick up a lot of that and have since incorporated a mix of Japanese and American lifestyle upon my return, but differences amongst people. This is came from my time working in groups and interacting with people along my journey. Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has a reasons for doing what they do, and everyone has a will and dream to fight for. It's easy to forget this sometimes and assume the worst and clash ideals with others. This trip helped me realize this truth and through many conversations and struggles, I have developed a deep appreciation for interpersonal transparency, conversations, and honesty to assure that both you and the people around you are happy and comfortable.

International Coursework

CEN4930 - Cross Cultural Design

Definitely the easier of the two courses, this class was taught in Japan by Professor Jeremiah Blanchard and had us reading a lot of Japanese and American literature that compared and contrasted the ideals, values, and ways of life between the two countries. Here we learned how anything from walking, greetings, mindsets, service, and even transportation varies heavily depending where we are. I learned a solid bit about not only cultural differences and ways to handle culture shock and reverse culture shock, but I also discovred a bit of myself. A lot of our readings tackled ideas such as isolation, mindsets, and perseverance that I took on a more personal level. It helped me realize that things aren't inherently bad just because they're not the same as they have always been. Change is a scary thing, but it can be a force for good. It just takes a positive outlook and a little bit of will.

CEN4930 - 3D Engines in Practice

This course was taught by Nick Heitzman and Jeremiah Blanchard together. Here, we learned about game design, the process of using the Unity Game Engine, and the pipeline of making team and delivering a product. This course put a lot of my skills to the test such as time management, communication, and working effectively. I joined a group with 4 other classmates and we got together to make a game called ShiTaku. This title revolved around the theme of disaster prevention where you played as a social worker who goes around a disaster prone town and helps evacuate and prepare a town for an incoming tsunami. You had a small number of actions per day and a limited number of days before the wave hits so you had to choose the actions that would bring about the best net benefit for the highest score. Each map was procedurally generated and yielded a new game experience. This class, though very "outside the classroom", helped me dive into the game design field which I have taken a liking towards and helped me figure out a lot more aspects of my character and me as a groupmate that I've since improved upon/.

Back At Home

I kept the spirit of my travels alive and well upon my return home. Today, I help run UF's anime club as an officer. There I help foster a fun, playful, and safe space for our members to come together and talk about and share their love for Japanese media without being scared of ridicule. My time in Japan showed me a lot of new avenues to take the club such as more hands on activities such as festivals, group reading session, and adventure. I have continued my work as an officer to make club fun and a piece of Japan that people can appreciate.

Aside from Gator Anime, I find myself participating in a lot more Japanese activities. I walk a lot more now, to and from school, around my city, and for fun. I try to keep myself busy everyday with activities planned all throughout the day. I also started attending events like Spring Festivals hosted by local Japanese Culture clubs and picking up a bit of Japanese on my free time.