By Brandon CHA

In Japan, foreigners often feel uncomfortable by the immense generosity shown by Japanese. More shopping bags full of gifts are loaded to your luggage as you meet more and more Japanese. In fact, itﾕs one of the best scenarios that could happen while you are staying in Japan. Foreigners from western culture are not used to taking gifts from new acquaintances. Sometimes itﾕs hard to understand the Japanese way of showing guests kindness. The fundamental differences of expressing hospitality can easily cause unpleasant feelings between the hosting family and the foreign guest.

Prevalent Japanese stereotypes about American families hosting Japanese is believed to be discouraging to many Japanese who wish to experience a home-stay in America. Many who have spent time with American families may have felt that American families are not as kind or generous to them as they expected. Typical American families value an individualﾕs freedom to choose rather than deciding for them what they will do. The American families may take the foreign guest out for a meal or take him around the town on the first meeting, but the families are more likely to leave the guest alone. It is only a different way to show their hospitality by giving the guest as much freedom as the family can.

Japanese families often show their hospitality in very unique ways that American guests are not used to. The families do not like to leave the guest alone; they are likely to give you tours and buy you gifts, and in certain cases, there are fancy foods and free transportation fees.

Over this summer, I visited various types of Japanese families and experienced what it is like to be a guest in Japan. My first journey took place in Kitami, where I was taken to a fancy beer restaurant; call Okhotsuku, right when I got off the train. Their great hospitality wasnﾕt just enough to satisfy themselves. Even their family relatives took a day off to take me around for spectacular sightseeing. Before I landed in Oosaka, the last place of the journey 30 days after I left my apartment, I visited 3 more families. I have gone from Asiaﾕs famous hot spring hotel resort in Noboribetsu to a luxurious ancient mansion in Niigata. All the trips were almost free because the families paid for the most part. I was truly overwhelmed by the great hospitality from all the families I met.

I came back to my apartment after 40 days of non-stop vacationing. Financial difficulties, however, struck me hard, forcing me to move out of my apartment. There was again, a family who was willing to take me in for the rest of my stay in Japan. I call them mom and dad rather than calling them Mr. & Mrs. Kanno, because I feel at home as if they are my own family. There are countless numbers of people, who either I know or donﾕt know, who have helped me in a great deal, and showed me their great hospitality. In December, Iﾕll look back on all the memories I had in Japan when on the plane going back to America. I would like to address my special thanks to the Sawano family in Kitami and their relatives, the Terada family in Noboribetsu, the Shimizu family in Niigata, the Kaneko family in Tonden, the Ozawa family in Osaka, and my host family, Mr. & Mrs. Kanno.