This summer I participated in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program. The program is sponsored by the Japanese government and takes 200 teachers from the United States to Japan to learn about their culture and education system. There were teachers from every state in the country, including 3 from Utah. While in Japan we stayed in Tokyo for one week before splitting into smaller groups and going to cities throughout the country of Japan. I went with a group of 20 to Ogi, in Saga Prefecture (a prefecture is similar to a state). Saga is on the Island of Kyushu, just south of the main island of Japan. While in Ogi, we visited local schools and museums and even spent two days and a night with a Japanese host family. After the stay in Ogi, we returned to Tokyo for three days so we could share experiences with the other teachers that went to different places. The experience was incredible! The Japanese people were extremely kind and hospitable. This blog will give you a small peak into my experience in Japan.

Day 1: San Francisco

Getting off the plane in San Francisco was quite the experience. I was soon surrounded by people from all over the United States that I didn’t know. We all had name tags and quickly became friends as we talked about where we came from and the experience ahead. We spent one day in San Francisco, learning about basic customs and meeting the people that would be part of our smaller groups.