I heard about the opportunity to go to Japan in April of last year and was immediately excited. I had never been to a foreign country and could not wait to go. Some of my closest friends that I wanted to go on the trip decided not to go and it made me question the decision. I can say confidently that going on the trip despite not having my closest friends go with me was one of the greatest decisions that I have made in college.
I was not sure what to expect when going international. I went to Puerto Rico when I was in middle school on a mission trip, but I was not doing any direct interaction with people that did not speak English. Japan was proving to be a journey of a lifetime before boarding the plane. I chose to do research before I left on the language and the cultural customs with the goal of being familiar before departure. My intentionality in research before departure allowed me to embrace the moment and fully experience the culture while in Japan.




Tokyo was unlike anywhere that I have ever been. I saw similarities between the tall buildings and Los Angeles, and crosswalks that seemed like Times Square in New York City. The city embraced many of my favorite parts of big city tourist destinations into one. A simple subway system (thank you google maps), great food, and many different sights to see. The subways were a necessary tool to move a great number of people to all different parts of the city. Food was very different from the United States. It felt clean and healthy with a freshness that was not replicated in Chattanooga. The sights we visited included temples, museums, and famous landmarks. There were other options but those were most relevant to me. The city environment was so busy but there was organization in the chaos. People walked on their side of the sidewalk and the line to enter the train started in the same place.
After almost a week in Tokyo, we boarded the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Kyoto was a quieter, slower moving place. Kyoto was the former capital and the history in the place was still evident. Despite being in Japan for 12 days, our group was able to see both sides of the nation. We were able to see a city that doesn’t sleep and the country sides that seemed to move slower.
A couple of things that stood out to me during my time there was the general health and the respect of the people there. The amount of walking that we did daily was more than I had completed in a day in the United States in a long time. I’ve been encouraged by this to continue to eat healthy and move in a way that promotes health. The Japanese also have a great deal of respect for each other and their history. As someone that loves learning history, I enjoyed seeing people treated with respect and many tributes to the elements of old Japan.
In conclusion, I’m very glad that I went. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I hope to remember it and embrace some of the things I learned. To the students that are thinking about going abroad with UTC, do it because you will not regret it even if your friends do not go.
Jacob Gould (BS Management) spent December 2024 studying abroad in Japan with the Rollins College of Business. Jacob had the following to say about studying abroad, “Studying abroad is one of the greatest decisions that I have made. The opportunity to observe other cultures in such a real and personal way cannot be replicated online. If you are given the chance to study abroad, take it!“
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