After 31 Years, I’m Going Back to Japan

A Journey That Started in Grade 8

There are few places in the world that have left as lasting an impression on me as Japan.

My connection to Japan began when I was in Grade 8 and was selected to participate in a two-week exchange program in Hokkaido. For a small-town Canadian kid, stepping off the plane into a completely different culture was both exciting and unforgettable. What started as a short exchange quickly became something much bigger.

The host family who welcomed me into their home invited me back the following summer. I returned to Japan, attended school, and experienced daily life beyond what most tourists ever see. Instead of simply visiting Japan, I became part of a Japanese family.

Looking back, I had no idea this country would become such an important part of my story.

The Japan That Shaped My Teen Years

From Tokyo Exchanges to Life in Sendai

Japan continued to find its way back into my life.

In Grade 10, I was selected as part of a British Columbia government exchange program that sent twelve girls and twelve boys to Tokyo for three months. It was an incredible opportunity and one that opened my eyes to a much larger world.

By then, Japan already felt familiar, yet every visit introduced me to something new. The endless energy of Tokyo, the traditions woven into everyday life, the sense of respect and community, and of course the incredible food all left a lasting mark on me.

A few years later, I moved to Sendai to attend school for a year. Four months into the program, I realized I wasn’t learning what I had hoped to. Then, in what can only be described as one of those life-changing chance encounters, I met a young woman on a train ride home.

That conversation led to an introduction to her employer, who offered me a position teaching English at Kumon.

So I returned to Canada, arranged a Working Holiday Visa, and headed right back to Japan.

Sometimes the best opportunities arrive when you least expect them.

Friendships That Last a Lifetime

Thirty Years of Letters, Gifts, and Memories

One of the greatest gifts Japan gave me was not a destination or an experience, but lifelong friendships.

Throughout all these years, I have remained close with my host family in Tokyo. Despite living on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, we have stayed in touch for more than three decades.

We’ve exchanged letters, cards, gifts, photographs, and countless updates about our lives. We still chat several times each year, celebrating milestones together from afar.

In a world where so many connections fade with time, ours never did.

They watched me grow from a teenager into an adult. They celebrated my successes and shared in life’s changes. And now, after more than thirty years, I finally get to see them again in person.

Just writing that sentence feels surreal.

Sharing Japan With My Daughter

A New Generation Discovers an Old Love

This trip is especially meaningful because I won’t be making the journey alone.

My daughter is now twenty-seven years old and will be celebrating her birthday in Japan. Watching her experience the culture, traditions, and places that had such a profound impact on my life feels like a full-circle moment.

I can’t wait to show her the sights that captured my imagination decades ago, introduce her to the people who became my second family, and share the stories behind so many of my memories.

Some places change over time.

Some memories become faded around the edges.

But some connections remain exactly as strong as they were when they began.

Returning to Tokyo

Revisiting Familiar Streets

We’ll begin our adventure with a week in Tokyo.

Part of our time will be spent exploring the city, but the heart of this visit is reconnecting with my Japanese family. After more than thirty years of friendship, we’ll finally be sitting around the same table once again instead of communicating through messages and packages sent across the ocean.

Tokyo has changed enormously since the 1990s. Entire neighborhoods have transformed, technology has advanced beyond anything I could have imagined during my student years, and the city itself never stops evolving.

Yet I suspect some things will feel instantly familiar the moment I step off the train.