AFS Japan Summer 2010!

I spent six weeks last summer as an exchange student in Japan through AFS. This video is a compilation of film clips and photographs I took there, portraying my experience there, a mixture of things both familiar and mundane and those uniquely Japanese.

Every country is exciting and has its own unique and wonderful experiences to offer, but my interest in Japanese art and history led me to pursue an exchange program there, and I would have gone a full year were it not for the IB diploma... but I loved every moment. A year seems like forever, but not when you're there--my six weeks flew by like the swallows that lived under our roof.

I hope this movie helps inspire you to take your own trip abroad!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• summer
• japan
• 2010
• nagoya
• AFS
• exchange
• trip
• slideshow

[lizzlovesnickjonas]

For the summer program how does that work ? Do you stay with a host family aswell ? Did u go to trips or something? and do they teach you japanese like the afs people ? Im confused about it ..

[sarurunkamui]

@lizzlovesnickjonas Yes to all of those. You do stay with a host family, which is probably the most fun and most valuable part of the experience. There's a four-week intensive language program too. You'll be sorted into a class depending on your skill. The more language you know before you go, the better, but it's not at all necessary.

And you do get to go on trips. Any big trips will be done with your host family, like my trip to Kyoto. Otherwise your class will take some field trips.

[VampireSasuGurl]

Really? The website says that's like how much the year program is |DD

[sarurunkamui]

@VampireSasuGurl It's true... pretty crazy, maybe because the summer classes are expensive? Anyway, go for a long time if you can, because six weeks will leave you craving more (and probably missing your host family a lot!). Plus you could see Japan in fall/spring. Summer is beautiful, but fall and spring must be absolutely gorgeous.

[katttttttttttttie]

hey, I'm really interested in doing this, but do you have to pay? And if so how much? Plus are you allowed to go in groups or by yourself and how old do you have to be, arigatou :)

[sarurunkamui]

@ashdog37 No problem! Tanoshinde ne. ;)

[ashdog37]

@sarurunkamui Thank you for your answers!:) I'm glad i don't have to know japanese very well to go! I'm 15 and i can't wait to go to Japan! :D

[sarurunkamui]

@ashdog37 Also, I was 17 when I went. (The age cap is 18 with AFS.)

If you want a more solid grasp of basic language skills before you go, I recommend books such as "Japanese in 10 Minutes a Day". You won't learn how to read/write kana (that's pretty easy on your own though), but it's great speaking practice. Phrasebooks and dictionaries are also useful.

[sarurunkamui]

@ashdog37 It is a good program! It was the most fun thing I've ever done. This particular program is designed for Japanese-speakers of any level, so you can go even if you know nothing of the language. You'll take four weeks of classes while you're there, so with immersion you can learn a lot! The semester and year programs don't have classes, so you need to figure out the language on your own. It's hard, but for the time and experiences you get, it might be more worth your money.

[ashdog37]

was this a good program to do this? because i'm going to do this in 2012 maybe and i don't know if this is a good program or not...its a little expensive....and also how old were you when u went? one last question, did you speak japanese when u went? if i don't speak well and know very very little do you think i should still go for the summer?

[sarurunkamui]

@VampireSasuGurl I would have loved to go longer, but I couldn't because of school. The full year or even a semester would totally be worth it, though!