Joshua Does Japan

I’ve been working in a Junior High School in Japan for three weeks now, and I’ll preface everything I’m about to say with this: this is hands down the best job I’ve ever had. The competition wasn’t exactly stiff; between the factory jobs and administrative/data entry office roles I can’t say I’ve had a whirlwind of excitement in my professional life so far.  However, considering the radical changes to my life, working in both an entirely new environment and country, I expected there to be a longer adjustment period (plus, I had only applied 5 months ago). After a week of initial training, a week to settle in and a week with the local Board of Education, it was finally time to start at my school. I’d already met my co-workers, 10 minutes professionally during my introduction, and 4 hours slightly less professionally during the drinking party and karaoke. In hindsight that’s a terrifying thought.  I was once again ushered into the teacher’s room, shown to my desk and given...

This week I was invited to the welcoming Enkai (party) for new staff members at my school. A testament to how seriously they are taken in Japan, I was invited to the Enkai before I was even informed when I would be visiting the school for my Aisatsu (introduction) - just two hours prior to the Enkai. Meeting someone new can be stressful. Meeting around 40 new people is somewhat more stressful. Meeting 40 new people, most of whom don’t speak your language, with the knowledge that you will be spending a few hours drinking heavily with them before spending the next year working alongside them… My Aisatsu was in the late afternoon, when the few students who were coming in early to prepare for club activities and get a head start on their studies had left for the day. I was ushered into the main entrance, changing into my indoor shoes and leaving my outdoor shoes in a box which was unsurprisingly just a little bit too snug for my UK size 15s. This type of thing becomes a trend when...