Welcome to The Mikan Mailbox, our community’s anonymous post box!
This is a dedicated space for those bite-sized stories, quiet reflections, and hilarious snapshot moments of life in Japan that might not warrant a full blog post, but are far too good to keep to ourselves.
Peel back the layers with us as we dive into this month’s submissions!
Unpacking?...This one is not the usual unpacking we know…this doesn’t include hanging up our clothes and pulling items out of our luggage. Instead, this is a shoutout to all the kind souls who helped us navigate our emotions– especially during our first few months in Japan (or even until now, for those who have been here for a while). — the lingering feelings of missing people back home, the excitement of having our “firsts,” and the nervous anticipation of starting a fresh life. For those of us who have been here for a while, I’m sure (and I hope) that you have found people who helped you (and are still helping you) unpack these lingering emotions. And for those who have just arrived, I truly hope you find equally amazing people to accompany you through these challenging first few months. Whether it’s literally about unpacking your stuff, or shedding a few tears here and there, I hope you find the warmth you need. Take your time unpacking and may kind souls find their way to you.
I went to see a laser fireworks show by myself last Saturday in Iyo-Doi. It was my first time navigating the train system on my own, and also going somewhere in Japan on my own as well. The fireworks were very nice and pretty -- I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching the fireworks here in Japan; they give me chills every time! Afterwards, while en route to the train station to take the next train to return home--which was about an hour wait time--I randomly stopped by an udon restaurant, where I had the opportunity to chat with some super friendly Japanese people, who even gifted me a free meal and Konjac! That was such an unexpected yet pleasant encounter because up until that point, I was struggling to feel connected with the other ALTs/JETs in my area and felt very boring and lonely amongst them as a result. Being able to light up and really be myself, despite the language barrier, was a moment I'll never forget. I definitely look forward to more moments like those, especially once my Japanese skills level up a bit more, haha!
A huge thank you to everyone who dropped a note into the mailbox this month!
Got a story of your own? The Mikan Mailbox is always open. Drop your submission for next month’s issue here:
Edited by Vince Madriaga