This January, I had the privilege of participating in two homestays in Japan: one in Shizuoka city in Shizuoka prefecture and one in Oyama city in Tochigi prefecture. First I went to Shizuoka, where I spent a weekend with the Kouno family, comprising Mr. Kouno, his wife Youko and their son Tomohiro. It was an interesting and delightful experience, partly due to the warmth and hospitality that they offered me, and partly due to the opportunity to experience the ordinary daily life of Japanese people. I saw and learned many things that I could never have experienced as a tourist, from their homemade meals, to their television-watching habits, to their daily bath routine. As I sat with Mr. and Mrs. Kouno on a bench out in the cold of winter, cheering for Tomohiro during his soccer match, I really felt like I had become part of the family. There’s just something inexplicably tender about the atmosphere of a Japanese family, to the point where the ‘goodbye’ I gave them on the final day was one of the loneliest I had ever given. On a happier note, it was wonderful exploring the city of Shizuoka for the first time with my homestay family. I had the chance to practice a lot of Japanese and pick the local strawberries as well.

I spent the next weekend in Oyama with Mr. Shinohara, an employee at the local city hall. Unlike the daily family life I experienced in Shizuoka, my homestay in Oyama was more of a cultural tour where I experienced the charms of the quaint town. In terms of culture, I was granted the opportunity to try on the local Yuki-Tsumugi Kimono, as well as weave my own bracelet at Mamada Strings, the traditional way. But what was really a treat was the HanaOke Katsugi festival exclusive to an area called Samugawa within the city. There, I tried sweet sake and watched three seven year-old girls graduate from being children of god to children of men. The sight of them enduring the freezing temperatures in their traditional costumes was extremely moving. In terms of local delicacies, I visited the local Nishibori Brewery and tried their excellent sake. Not only that, Mr. Shinohara brought me around to try many other local delights such as their famous tomatoes, strawberries, ramen and delicious Wagyu beef. But ultimately, what really blew me away were the Watarase Wetlands. Watching the golden reeds shining under the deep blue sky was awe-inspiring, and I would definitely recommend dropping by Oyama just to check the place out.

I had an unforgettable experience on this journey, making many precious friends and trying many different things for the first time. I really came to appreciate Japanese culture a lot more. It was my first time in both Shizuoka and Tochigi prefectures, and the experience made me realise that there’s so much more to Japan than the big and popular cities like Tokyo and Osaka. There’s so much more wonder to explore off the beaten path, and new flavours of Japan to taste and experience. I want to seek them out, and I would like to urge all the travellers in the world to join me in discovering a Japan yet unseen.

So, where shall I head to next?