In Japan; Shizuoka, Japan

ishikawa · (#1 (**permalink**))

Has anybody been there?

City or Prefecture, doesn't matter to me.

My grandma is probably going to send me there to live with my aunt(who only speaks Japanese) for 9th grade. I'm scared, as I don't know ANY Japanese at all. Neither in writing/reading or speaking. Well, I know a little but it's VERY little. Plus, I think my grandmother will be sending me to a normal Japanese school..for a year. :/

I would be happy and excited. But I'm also very scared, well. Not scared I guess but afraid about what might happen since I'm American born but Japanese as well as not being able to speak Japanese and what not. I don't know how I'm going to get around.. o.o

Anyway. I can ask my grandma about manners and such. But I want to know if anybody has been there and what to expect, or such along those lines.

samurai007 · (#2 (**permalink**))

I passed through Shizuoka prefecture on my way back from Tokyo to Wakayama prefecture, but I didn't stop except for lunch. It had some nice scenery as I recall... Mt Fuji is in the prefecture, I believe.

As for living there and not speaking the language, I was able to do it for 2 years on the JET program. All I knew before I left was arigato, and not much else. But I learned enough to get by, and you might be surprised by how much you can do with just minimal Japanese... I took an 8 day trip through western Japan to Nagasaki and back by myself less than 6 months after I arrived, and had no problems.

Try to look at it as a learning experience and a great adventure, and later in life you'll look back on your time there and really appreciate the opportunity you had. I know I do.

spicytuna · (#3 (**permalink**))

My fathers side is from Hamamatsu so I've been to Shizuoka prefecture many times. It's a beautiful area which is only a few hours away from both Tokyo and Osaka.

What do you mean by a normal school? A Japanese school with Japanese students? Or is it an international school?

Pexster · (#4 (**permalink**))

Me and my friend Tohruchan was supposed to go to
japan for School, and graduate there, but it really didn't
turnout.

ishikawa · (#5 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by spicytuna

My fathers side is from Hamamatsu so I've been to Shizuoka prefecture many times. It's a beautiful area which is only a few hours away from both Tokyo and Osaka.

What do you mean by a normal school? A Japanese school with Japanese students? Or is it an international school?

A Japanese school with japanese students.