Thing that I've learn in the past 5 years in Japan and from the Japanese

I have been staying in Tokyo for 5 and a half years. And I have learned a lot from the locals and us culture. 

I first came to Japan in end of March 2015. The fresh breeze of Spring touched my face gently as if it is welcoming me to this land of rising sun. The sun was hiding behind the clouds shyly as it only showed part of itself. It was slight windy and cloudy yet the sky is bright enough. I wanted to come to Japan just to seek for a better future, not saying that I dislike my country, it is just that I don't see where my future is going if I choose to stay at a place where systematic racism is applied.  

Living in Japan has taught me numbers of lessons in the past 5 years here. First, do not do things halfhearted, finish where you began. Never give up easily. I am a person who do things and give up halfway, which is not good. I rarely completed a complicated task successfully as I refuse to think the ways to finish it completely. I watch how my Japanese friends solve problems and see how they achieve small success since freshman. I have learned that for everything I do, I need to complete it as much as possible. Well, maybe I can pick up saxophone again where I left off after graduating from high school. 

There are plenty of things to do in our life than just studying. I was born in a Chinese background family where my mother gave me enough freedom to do whatever I want yet hoping that I could study well and achieve distinction. It is just like what other kids with Chinese background is expected to achieve excellent grades for having a brighter future. My life until high school was boring. Most of things I did was studying and hanging out with friends once in a while, did nothing helpful much back then. I realize I have nothing to look back for my past memories. I see friends around me in Japan are doing something meaningful. I used to refuse all activities away. Now I know participating in something new can gain life experience and help oneself grow. 

Empathy for others is also another thing I have learned in Japan. I am one of the foreigners in Japan and I have also met other foreigners who are facing hardships, in both social and culture. We all came from different background and it feels warm that there are people having the same problem as I did. Many people here are having hard time on how to get along with the locals as there are people with open-minded and easy going, and of course there are people who are very strict on rules. Some people can be meticulous where we might find them hard to get along on work or school. I also understand how it feels that the fact of many locals here doesn’t really open their heart and treat us differently. Talking to so many people, I started to learn how to feel compassionate to them, as I have been in the same situation before. 

There are many rules here, but we can choose not to follow sometimes. I find too many rules, some people may consider it as etiquette, can be irritating sometimes. For example, eating while walking on the streets is against the manner. I personally find this is one of the most incomprehensible things I have heard in Japan.  Maybe the reason that they have this rule is to make sure the street stays clean and don’t cause any troubles to others. Well, I had some bad bloods and I tend to break these weird rules in Japan.  

Another thing I have learned is Japanese aesthetics. Wabi-Sabi is one of the famous words to describe Japanese aesthetics. It is hard to definite this word, it describes calm yet beautifulness in the loneliness in a space. It is about the simplicity and minimalism. This concept is quite hard to find in a big city like Tokyo, but it can be seen in Japan’s former capital, Kyoto. It enhances the simplicity of architecture and art that represents Japan.  

So, in these past 5 years, I know that we have to know how to be more compassionate with people and still learning, knowing that rules only made to maintain the order in this world. I know that my life isn’t just about studying although I am not a A-student. Also, I have learned about the Japanese art. There are many things yet for me to learn. Learning has no boundary. The next thing I need to learn is always stay positive when facing challenges. I have experienced some many things in my life, adding a little bit more spice isn’t bad either.