Participants / Impression / Osaka

Having never really heard much about Osaka except for the research I did before I came, this city absolutely blew me away. I was awestruck by its beauty, both in its exciting metropolitan lights and billboards and also in its areas of green, and particularly in the shrines we visited. To have such contrast and diversity within a city really surprised me, but it seems to be the norm in Japan! However, even more than the scenery, the Osakans, themselves, were absolutely wonderful to be around. I never could have expected to feel so welcome amongst the native people. In England, our impression of Japanese people is that they are stoic and unemotional, and I honestly could not have been proven more wrong by the Osakans.

I definitely think I have changed, and even the adults on the trip noticed. I think I definitely became more confident and self-assured, which probably comes from taking photos of people and actively making friends with them. The way my language skills improved have really helped me in school and again have built up my self-confidence and my willingness to take risks.

• |   Sitepolicy
• |   Sitemap   |