Off to Japan!
The process of getting to Japan began halfway through my last year of university. The fact that my plane left on the morning of September 11, 2001 ensured that the trip would be eventful.
Each of the following sections is constructed from key correspondence sent at the time.
Several days before departing for Japan, the only thing on my shopping list was 'pants.'
Thanks to 9/11, the first thing I had to do when I got to Japan was assure everyone that I was still alive.
Getting lost, getting cash, getting 'gaijinned,' and getting used to the fact that students don't always want to talk.
Meeting people and trying to flex the gaijin muscle, with ambivalent results.
My first awful day at work is tempered by the Rodin exhibit at the Shizuoka Museum of Art.
Once I settled in, it was time to look for a different kind of work.