Five tips for hosting a college-age Japanese student in your country

SoraNews24

2 days ago

From planning what to do to supporting their language development, we share some advice for making your student's stay go as smoothly as possible.
Have you been thinking about hosting an international student, especially one from Japan, at some point? Largely as a result of my experiences teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) as well as teaching Japanese as a foreign language in the U.S., I've hosted a dozen students at various times at my home in rural northeastern U.S. Some have been my own former students from teaching in Japan, some have been Japanese students I've met in the U.S. at the university where I work, and others have been former students of my Japanese teacher friends, whom I'd never met until they were at my doorstep. They've also stayed for various lengths of time, ranging from one night to over a month, but most for the span of 1-2 weeks. While hosting can take lots of time and energy, it's also a mutually beneficial opportunity for cultural exchange and a chance to make a lifelong, meaningful connection.
The following are five little tricks that I've picked up over the years for hosting a successful visit with a particular lens towards Japanese college-age student guests. Of course, it goes without saying that individuals in an even widely uniform country like Japan differ widely from one another, so it's important to take into account your student's own unique personality and interests. Also, while the thoughts and examples expressed here are geared towards my own experiences living in the U.S., I certainly hope that you can apply some of these ideas to your local area. Let's get hosting now!
1. Planning your itinerary
As a resident of a fairly rural area, I like to factor in a mix of both rural and urban experiences as well as on-the-go time and time to rest. If we're visiting a big city one day (in my case, Boston is the usual choice), I try to stay closer to home the next, then go out a bit farther again on the following day. Closer to home doesn't mean doing nothing, though. There's always plenty to do, from walking around town to cooking a meal together. In fact, some of my visitors' self-proclaimed favorite memories have been the times when I invite them to experience seemingly mundane elements of daily life such as going to the post office to walking my dog at the local park. My family still laughs about how my former Student A always eagerly joined us on trips to the local transfer station during her stay!
▼ Student A also loved checking out the local flora and fauna–here's one of her squirrel montages.
Another great idea is to factor in any upcoming holidays or cultural festivals in your country that students would not likely be able to experience authentically in Japan. For instance, while Halloween has picked up steam in Japan in terms of decorations and costumes, the concept of trick-or-treating still isn't really a thing. It's always fun when I bring a Japanese student with me to go trick-or-treating with my friend's children for the very first time.
▼ Student T during her first time trick-or-treating
Meanwhile, Easter is even less visible in Japan. When Student M stayed with me in April of this year, coincidentally the week of Easter, I knew I wanted to build some holiday-related activities into her stay. On the day of the actual holiday, she showcased her artistic skills by dyeing some beautiful eggs, experienced an Easter egg hunt with a few more friends (I even threw a small Starbucks gift card into one of the eggs for a special 'grown-up' surprise!) and enjoyed dessert at my parents' house in the evening.
▼ Student M during her first Easter egg hunt
All in all, you'll definitely want to gauge your student's energy levels throughout their stay, especially if they've just arrived from Japan and may have jet lag. As anyone who's spent significant time abroad in a non-English-speaking country can attest, once the initial excitement of being in a new and different place wears off, it can be exhausting to navigate new ways of doing things and speaking non-stop in a different language. Keep an open mind and be flexible depending on how they're feeling.
BONUS TIPS: Check with your student if they're OK riding in a car for long periods of time. Many urban Japanese dwellers don't need a car to get by in daily life and may not be accustomed to the kinds of long rides that are completely normal for people like me. As a result, I have a couple of Japanese friends who routinely get a little carsick.
Unlike many Americans I know that prefer to shower early in the morning, my Japanese guests almost always prefer to shower at night, as is the typical Japanese bathing culture. Therefore, I always try to keep that in mind when planning things out.
2. You can(not) decide
Now, I've met some very decisive Japanese people (as well as some very indecisive Americans), but in my experience, college-age Japanese adults tend to want to cling more closely to the cultural ideal of harmony and not impose on anyone when it comes to expressing their personal opinions or wishes. In their mind, they might even think that staying at your house is imposing on you enough already. Therefore, whenever opinion questions are involved, I've learned that it's usually much more effective to present them with limited choices rather than to ask wide-open questions such as 'What do you want to do today?' or 'What would you like to eat for dinner?' In response to the those questions, I might receive a non-committal 'Anything is OK' type of response.
Instead, if I ask, 'What sounds better this afternoon–going for a short hike, or going shopping?' and 'Do you feel like trying some local pizza or burgers tonight?' the question is much less overwhelming and they can usually choose one without problem. As the host, you might even try to find out some of their interests ahead of time in order to brainstorm potential options to present. A good trick may be to ask which club activity they were involved with in high school as an indication if they like a particular sport or prefer artistic endeavors. For some reason, a good number of students I've hosted have been part of their schools' basketball clubs in the past (and love the classic sports manga/anime Slam Dunk ), so I've often taken them to see American collegiate basketball games.
▼ They often comment on how American spectators are much louder and crazier than their Japanese counterparts!
Another fun option I've given to several students is to go ice skating, which they may or may not have tried before depending on where they're from in Japan. With the mega-celebrity status of figure skaters such as Yuzuru Hanyu and Kaori Sakamoto in Japan, it can be a fun experience for the students and something they can excitedly talk about with family back home.
▼ Student K doing pretty well on her first skate in several years
BONUS TIPS: Along the same lines as above, I find that my Japanese student guests will rarely admit when they're tired. If I notice that their eyelids are drooping but they insist they're OK, I stop giving them choices and instead say that I need to go take a short rest myself. That often gives them permission to go take a little nap without feeling like they're disturbing anything.
If you're planning to build any museum or tour options into your plans, it may be helpful to ask in advance if there are any Japanese-language pamphlets, audio guides, etc. available. It may be hard for college-age students to comprehend more niche historical or artistic terminology in English.
3. Gastronomic choices
One thing your student will likely already have on their to-do list is to try certain kinds of foods while they're in your country. As an American, I've learned to anticipate that burgers will more than likely be one of those things, and I plan accordingly. While it might be tempting to bring them to every chain restaurant that you can, I find that a balance of eating out and eating in–as time allows–often makes for the best strategy. The longer they're staying with you, the more important it is to be conscious of building in healthy meals, especially if you're from a place where restaurant-bought foods tend to be heavy in nature and large in portion sizes like in the U.S.
▼ Student A delighted in seeking out American sweets that were the size of her face, but she certainly couldn't eat them every day.
My usual rule of thumb is to preemptively stock up on a variety of western-style breakfast foods for the first morning that a student is with me, including a few different kinds of yogurt, breads, cereals (yes, cereal outside of Japan is more than just corn flakes!), and orange juice. Then, on our first day together, we go to one or more supermarkets for them to explore and pick out more things they want to eat for simple meals at home. In fact, Student K I've hosted could easily spend over an hour in the supermarket checking out all of the new foods and brands. She also fell in love with Chobani Greek-style yogurt during her stay and sometimes messages me out of the blue saying how much she misses trying a different flavor every day.
▼ American Greek-style yogurt brand Chobani ended up being the unexpected MVP for one of my students.
Another idea, especially if your student will be in the country for an extended period of study, is to potentially stock up on some basic Japanese ingredients such as miso and Japanese-style white rice. As a special treat for any natto lovers I'm hosting, I often buy a few packs of the fermented soy beans at a local Asian grocery store (where they're often located in a freezer, and not in the refrigerated section like in Japan). It's not an exaggeration to say that one student almost cried after eating natto over a bed of Japanese rice after living off of American university food for a couple of months–that's how happy she was for a little authentic taste of home.
To the extent possible, also try to build in regional or seasonal dishes. For instance, when I visit Boston with students, we almost always stop somewhere for New England clam chowder. When I host students in autumn, we seek out ubiquitous pumpkin spice-flavored things, which are much harder to find in Japan. We may even go apple-picking at an orchard and then bake a regional dessert called apple crisp using those very apples, along with mulling apple cider with spices. It also makes the whole house smell heavenly.
▼ Clam chowder in a cup and in a sourdough bread bowl at the Boston Public Market
Finally, it might be intriguing for your student to sample a localized version of Japanese food in your country at some point. According to Student T who's currently living in the U.S., she's actually grown to enjoy American 'authentic fake sushi.' It tastes much better to her if she doesn't think of it as Japanese sushi in the first place.
▼ 'Authentic fake sushi'
BONUS TIPS: While common in many places in the U.S., Mexican food is fairly rare in Japan, and when you do find it, it's usually not much more than tacos. Consider taking your student to get some authentic Mexican cuisine if you've got a good place near you!
Mint-flavored desserts may be polarizing! I have a few Japanese friends who think that they're OK but even more that can't stand the flavor in food ('it tastes like toothpaste'). Proceed with caution if you were thinking of buying a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
4. Fishing for souvenirs
Don't be surprised if your student arrives and one of the first things they do is present you with a gift from Japan. Omiyage ('souvenir') culture is so ingrained in Japanese culture that shops selling omiyage are ubiquitous in stations, airports, and cities throughout Japan for everyone's souvenir needs. However, while I might think of a typical souvenir in the U.S. as some kind of tchotchke like a magnet or a T-shirt, omiyage in Japan are typically boxes of small, individually wrapped foodstuffs that can be easily distributed to family, friends, and coworkers. Those kinds of items may be harder to find abroad.
▼ During my last trip to Japan, I brought an entire suitcase of American omiyage for friends based on their personal preferences.
Your guests may appreciate you building in opportunities to pick up some souvenirs for family and friends back home. In general, snack packs and bags of candy that can be bought in bulk at the supermarket make for cheap and easily shareable options along with a few specialty items. Consider what foodstuffs are decently famous in your city or region and take your student to get a few.
Here are a few of my usual go-to souvenir ideas representative of the northeastern region of the U.S. based on what my Japanese guests have enjoyed in the past: Local chocolatery assortments: Munson's Chocolates, Lake Champlain Chocolates
Vermont maple syrup in tiny bottles
Stonewall Kitchen mini-size jams
Dunkin' ground coffee
Cape Cod Potato Chips
Tea: Bigelow Tea Company, Harney & Sons
In addition, the following are typical American souvenirs that my Japanese friends often stock up on when they visit the U.S.: Snacks: Goldfish crackers, Cheez-It crackers, Lay's potato chips
Candy/cookies: Unusual flavors of M&M's, Oreos
Betty Crocker brownie and cookie mixes
Microwavable kettle corn packs
Burt's Bees lip balm
Sephora cosmetics
Also, the more limited-edition or seasonal varieties of certain foods that you can find, the better.
BONUS TIPS: American university swag is great for an extra special gift for someone. Anything with a university mascot on it is also a big hit since uni mascots aren't usually a thing in Japan. Plus, many of them are cute (like my local university mascot of a husky)!
Trader Joe's reusable shopping bags, especially the standard cloth tote bags, are all the rage in Japan right now ('torejo' is the store's trendy abbreviated name in Japanese). No, the chain doesn't exist there, but the bags have become a symbol of 'casual American style.' They make for a super cheap souvenir that my Japanese friends continue to request when I visit Japan.
▼ Collecting state-specific versions of Trader Joe's bags, such as this Massachusetts one, has also been popular among friends.
5. Language development
This final tip is geared towards readers who live in primarily English-speaking countries, but even if you don't, you can adapt the following advice for your own local tongue. Especially if it's their first time abroad, your Japanese student may be nervous to use their skills with native English speakers since speaking is generally not emphasized in English language instruction in Japan. Simple, everyday tasks can suddenly become frustrating for them, followed by the strong urge to just give up. Conversely, I remember how nervous I was the first time that I ordered a delivery pizza over the phone in Japan–and subsequently, how relieved I felt when it was done.
I find that providing opportunities to college-age students to practice their English in a safe, supportive environment is key. Especially for their first few one-on-one interactions with locals, stand near them as a friendly support but let them do the talking. Don't interject unless they specifically ask you. The goal is to slowly build their speaking confidence, and the more they can have a meaningful exchange of information, the more they'll be motivated to begin conversations on their own.
Another great thing to do with them for a few minutes every day is to anticipate actual situations that they may encounter and practice helpful language forms for navigating them. For example, if you know that your student will be taking a bus on their own, practice some handy phrases like 'Does this bus go to XX?' and 'How much longer to XX?' before they leave.
▼ 'Does the Orange Line go to my stop?'
▼ When I'm in Japan, I frequently rehearse what I'm going to say in Japanese in my head before speaking to someone, like that time when I didn't know how to use the newly installed smoothie machine at my local 7-Eleven and needed to ask for help.
Finally, assuming that your student is most likely in your country to participate in some kind of short-term or long-term study abroad program, you may want to try creating additional opportunities for them to connect with local university students if those aren't readily available (especially if the student is enrolled in an intensive English program, they might have less direct contact with locals than you think!). A good starting place could be to see if your local university offers any Japanese-language classes. If so, try to get in touch with the course instructors to ask whether any of their students would be interested in taking your student to an on-campus dining hall, event, or other opportunity. Presumably, both sides will be very invested in the language and cultural exchange. This strategy has worked very well for me in the past, and my students have been able to get a glimpse of many facets of American university student life such as living in a dorm, attending a spring weekend concert, and even a good old-fashioned slumber party with sleeping bags as a result of these newly forged friendships. Even better, the students usually stay in touch with each other, and sometimes reunite in Japan at a later time.
BONUS TIPS: When you're eating out for the first time, show your student how to calculate the tip if that's customary in your country. Tipping restaurant servers or other kinds of workers is not a common practice in Japan and the concept may be new to them.
If you have close family or friends nearby, see if you can introduce your student to as many of them as possible to broaden their cultural and linguistic horizons. My former Student A developed a close relationship with my grandparents and still sends them snail mail at holidays from Japan. They always comment on how impressive her written English is.
Thanks for sticking with me to the end. I hope this piece has given you the confidence to successfully host a Japanese college-age student at some point–and forge a lifelong connection in the process.
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