Selected Essays
from Fifth Competition
(2009-2010) 36



A World Apart
Gen Ishikawa (Syosset High School)
I can clearly remember before every trip that my family and I have made to Japan, that I would always
dread the 15 hour plane ride from New York to Narita International Airport that awaited me. Ever since my
grandparents had become too elderly to travel to the States, my family and I had decided to travel to Japan
instead. My parents believed that a trip to Japan would be beneficial in that it would make my grandparents
lives a bit easier, and I would also be able to “catch up” on my Japanese heritage. This was because; my
parents are strict about preserving my identity as a Japanese individual. Although I did consider myself
American, I believed without doubt that I knew about Japanese culture equally as well. I reassured my
parents, “Mom, dad, I know enough about Japanese culture, I mean come on, I am Japanese! What could I
possibly not know?” But, when they began to question me about simple Japanese values, beliefs, and
culture, I had not a single clue. This put me on the same level as the kids that I despised who believed that
Japan was nothing more than sushi and Sony electronics. I was disappointed in my hypocritical self, and at
that point, I began to develop a desire to learn more about Japanese culture. I viewed going to Japan as an
opportunity. An opportunity that allowed me to realize the “culture shock” between my life in America, and
a life in Japan.

The second I set foot in Japan, I realized that I was in a place world apart from America. We lived in
Kami-Itabashi, Tokyo, a town right outside of Ikebukuro, Tokyo. The most noticeable difference that stood
out most to me at first was the environment. There was no grass to be seen for miles, vending machines that
dispensed cigarettes, and game centers on nearly every single block. I soon realized that I was getting
strange looks from people, as if they were ostracizing me from Japan, and placing me as a “gaijin” or an
outsider. My parents then explained to me that what you wear in public is a very important aspect of life in
Japan. I asked, “What’s wrong about shorts and a t-shirt?” but as I looked around, despite the fact that it
was nearly 100 degrees outside, there was not a single person wearing shorts. Rather, everyone was well
over dressed in jeans and suits. I could not get myself to comprehend this as in America; it is socially
acceptable to do so. I could not believe that this was the case in Japan, and I finally began to acquire a taste
of how different the culture in Japan was from what I knew.

However, the culture shocks that impacted me the most were the ones that dealt with human relations.

An experience that I will never forget was when I was walking the streets of Shinjuku, and I realized that
there was not a single piece of litter to be seen on the streets. When I accidentally dropped a hi-chew
wrapper, someone around me picked it up for me! I was truly astonished as this was something that would
never happen in New York, something unimaginable. However, what allowed this to happen was the
Japanese belief in respecting the individuals around you. I further realized the extent of this virtue when my
parents explained to me that you couldn’t cause a raucous within your household as your neighbor’s house
is within a few feet. A loud disturbance within your household would be likely cause a disturbance for your
neighbor as well, which would be a selfish act. Japanese people live their day-to-day lives thinking not only
about themselves, but for others as well. A virtue that does not exist as strongly in America as it does in
Japan. Thinking about others, or placing them before you is an important virtue that should be embraced
not only in Japan but throughout the entire world as well. With this in mind, I was able to bring it back to
America where I began a new life. A life that is “a world apart”, different from my previous, where all that
used to matter to me was myself. Not only have my trips to Japan allowed me to gain a better
understanding of my culture, but the virtues that I did not realize before have helped me to become better as
a person.

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