Week 1

This weekend marks the end of my first week as a Fulbright fellow. It was so busy, but so exciting. Here are some of my highlights:

今週末で、フルブライト研究員としての最初の1週間が終わります。とても忙しかったですが、とてもわくわくする1週間でもありました。ここでは、今週のハイライトをいくつか紹介します。

September 7-8

We arrived in Japan on the 7th, and got to the hotel as soon as we could. I had a dinner scheduled with my cohort at 6:30, and we did not arrive at the hotel until 6! Although we had to rush, I got the chance to get to know my fellow Fulbrighters over dinner. Their projects were all very interesting. We got kaitenzushi for dinner, which is a type of sushi restaraunt where you order from a tablet and the plates are served on a conveyor belt.

September 8 was our rest day, but it was still very busy. I got my Hanko, which is a personal seal used to sign documents, and some business clothes to wear for orientation.

September 9-10: Orientation

This is when things got very busy! September 9, orientation began. The day started with a presentation about the Japanese higher education system. I learned some very interesting history and statistics. From a quote from the Charter Oath, “Knowledge shall be sought throughout the world”.

After the first presentation, we had lunch, and I got to meet more of the Fulbright staff. They were all so nice and welcoming. Afterwards, we had another presentation from a Fulbright Japan alumni, and he gave us some very good tips. Next, we got ready for the most exciting event: The welcome reception at Meiji Kinenkan!

Reception

The reception was so cool. It is definitely the fanciest place I have ever been to. At the reception, I got to meet many people, including the Fulbright commission, alumni, members of the U.S. embassy, and politicians.

One of the commission members graduated from Jichi, which is the medical school that is hosting me! He told me more about how the rotating healthcare system works. Another one of the commission members told me that his wife actually went to Mizzou (my alma mater) as an exchange student! It really is a small world.

I got to meet many interesting Fulbright alumni as well, and made some new friends. One young alumnae that I met is creating a wellness retreat for couples and people to build their intimacy! She invited me to attend one of her pilot sessions, which I am very excited about.

Music and Medicine

Another alumni I met, Dr. Adam Tucker, is the son of a doctor whose research I learned about in college! Again, small world. He is a neurosurgeon working in Japan, and his Fulbright was related to learning Shakuhachi, a Japanese flute. He created an album called Bamboo Soul, which features his shakuhachi playing and other instruments, blending genres. He is now a part of a new preventative medicine clinic called Gocln, and he invited us to check it out. So on the 10th, after my briefings were over, we went to his clinic!

“Gocln” is a clinic that opened recently that promotes preventative medicine and whole-person health. Dr. Tucker showed us around the facility, which was super nice! The orchids in the background in the first photo are opening gifts from other clinics, which I think is a very nice tradition. Below the clinic is a Crossfit gym that his business partner owns, where he treated us to some very delicious protein smoothies. We chatted about health and music while walking around Roppongi and eating a nice meal from the department store. Since I have been in Japan, we have experience so much kindness and hospitality from others, and this day was a prime example of that. I am very grateful for everyone I have met so far here in Japan.

September 11: Arrival in Shimotsuke

On September 11, checked out of our Tokyo hotel and rode to Shimotsuke, which is my home for the next 10 months and the location of my host, Jichi Medical University. It has been very busy, so I don’t have many pictures yet! We got the keys for our apartment, and took a tour of the hospital and school. Satoh-san showed me my desk at the lab, where I found a teru-teru bozu she made for us! They are meant to ward off rain and bring clear skies, which we need! (It has been raining every day since we got here!) I also got to meet one of my advisors, Dr. Matsubara. Monday, we will have a meeting about my research and have an orientation. Until then, we have been mostly settling in, doing paperwork, signing up for utilities, and buying household goods. Overall, I had a great, and very busy, first week in Japan. I am very excited to be here, and I look foward to officially starting my research.

Thank you for reading, and see you next week!