Hi everyone,
I'm a 16-year-old high school student from France, currently in my second-to-last year, and I'm planning to do a one-year exchange abroad, mostly to discover a new culture, gain independence, and learn a new language.
At this point, I’m seriously considering going to Japan. It’s a country we’ve been fascinated with for a long time, me and my parents, and the idea of living there, going to high school, and staying with a host family really excites me. It feels like a unique opportunity to immerse myself in a very different culture.
That said, I do have some concerns, particularly about how I might be received as a foreigner. I'm not especially sensitive, and I rarely take offense; I’ve also already traveled in China, where people often stared or asked questions out of simple curiosity, and that didn’t bother me at all. But in this case, the context is different: I wouldn’t just be passing through or minding my own business, I’d be going to school, living in a family, and trying to really integrate with Japanese students and daily life for a full year.
Because of that, I’m wondering: if I end up in a rural or less international area (which seems quite likely), could certain forms of racism or exclusion make the experience frustrating or isolating? I’ve heard that Japan can sometimes be closed off to outsiders, especially in places where people aren’t used to seeing foreigners, and even more so if you don’t fit the usual “Western” image. I’m French, but I have a darker skin tone, and people often assume I’m Latino, Arab, or Indian.
I don’t expect anyone to roll out the red carpet for me, I just want to know if others have had experiences with long-term exchanges in Japan, especially in high schools and host families, and whether real integration is possible. I’d love to hear from people who’ve lived something similar, or who can speak honestly about what I should be prepared for.
Thanks in advance!
by Vudatudi