Reverse Culture Shock

   I really wanted to enjoy life in the United States a little more, but I'm sorry to return to Japan. There were various reverse culture shocks whem I returned to Japan.

Japan and America

 I have three reasons. First, when I talk to someone in person, I often find it difficult to see my  opponent. For example, In a one-on-one situation, even though I was looking at the other person's eyes and listening, I felt that the conversation often progressed with the other person's gaze at hand or away from her eyes. In the United States, eye contact was a matter of course, but in Japan it is rare to make eye contact. I was used to making eye contact in the United States, so it was very strange not to do it in Japan. Second, the impression of Japanese clothing was that there were many calm colors in general. For instance, many people in the United States wear colorfully designed shirts or fluorescent clothes, but rarely in Japan. Although there were variations in color, I felt that there were many dark tones overall. I thought that I couldn't wear clothes that I could usually wear in the United States because I felt too flashy in Japan. In the United States, personal expression is important, but the Japanese hate being conspicious. Third, as I was used to the size of the United States, I felt again that Japan was a very small country. For example, Spokane had many trees, but Japan has few trees. In addition, while American roads usually have three lanes, Japan has only one lane. There are lots of parking lots in U.S. stores, but there are no more than 10 in some stores in Japan. The area of Japan is smaller than of the United States, so it can't be helped, but I was able to really feel how small my comany is. For these reasons, I was shocked by culture.  It was a good opportunity to learn again what kind of country Japan is.