Mata-ne, Japan!

It's been a journey.

I never thought a month could go by so fast, yet feel so full of memories. There wasn't a single day that went by wasted. Except for the day I got food sick from eating raw chicken. Regardless, I enjoyed every moment, every meeting, every new place was a treasure in my eyes.

Let's talk about travel. Travel is an amazing thing, no matter who you are and where you go. Experiences that define an individual cannot solely exist in a singular space. It's never about a destination, it's about the journey and the things you experience around it. That's something that I've found to be true through all my travels, Japan no exception. Traveling with a best friend, traveling with a group of strangers, traveling with a group of associates - traveling brings all these souls together to form a sense of camaraderie and by extension; smiles, laughs and friendship that lasts beyond the duration of our stay.

Japan to me is a wonderful place to be because of the vast amount of experiences that create a culture shock and wow factor to a westerner visiting. These experiences make any grand or minuscule detail memorable, whether it be the vast amount of vending machines, browsing the shelves of a convenience store, the beauty of the glowing tall cities, the explosion of epic fireworks or even the frustrating lack of trash cans. Though so different in the details, Japan feels so close to home at the same time. As a first world country, luxuries and commonalities of a day to day life are very similar - for better or worse in certain situations, Japan allows a traveler to experience a brand new world while feeling not too far from home.

As a young mind, seeing the workings of the Japanese medical and pharmaceutical infrastructure left a lasting impression on the difference in type of system we have here in the USA. The medical systems in both countries are a reflection of the health and mentality of the nation's population. Unfortunately, we have much to learn from Japan - however we have the resources to do so. Being in a career that is both the foremost position in pharmaceutical knowledge and the most easily accesible healthcare practitioner, there's much I can do to educate my community in better lifestyle choices.

Japan has left a lasting impression. The generosity of the people, the vast amount of history, the heartbeat of the living nightlife and sharing smiles with travelers and locals alike are only a few of the things that make my trip memorable. "Sayonara" means farewell/a lasting goodbye - but this won't be the last time I visit you, Japan! See you later, another time, "mata ne"!

The reason I decided to join this trip was because I liked how this trip included opportunities to learn about Japan’s pharmacies and healthcare system as well as their culture. It was a great opportunity through the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation (IPSF) with Dr. Katz.

I really enjoyed every single moment, even when the weather was very humid. I met a lot of great, friendly people on our trip, including the Kobe Gakuin University students and faculty, and the Osaka University faculty. The Japanese people in general were friendly too, especially a girl named Nao, who we met at the Osaka station and helped us how to get back to our hotel in Kobe. Everyone we met in Japan was so sweet and friendly that it makes me to want to be more kind as well. I am grateful for the friendships I have made on this trip.

It was a great experience seeing how the community, institutional, and herbal (Kampo) pharmacies in Japan were run differently than in the US. Among those, I enjoyed visiting and learning about herbal pharmacy the most. In a Medicinal Chemistry lecture, we learned that about 50% of drugs are natural products or derived from them. It was fun to compound kakkon-to, which is a traditional herbal tea used for a variety of remedies.

Thank you Dr. Katz for organizing this trip and for taking care of us. I also wanted to thank you for taking us to the Korean memorial in Hiroshima. I did not know that a Korean memorial existed in Hiroshima before this trip. As a Korean, I found the trip even more humbling and meaningful because of this.

Overall, it was a great experience that I will never forget. I hope to visit Japan again! Thanks everyone!

Enjoyed every second in Japan

Right after I returned to Arizona. I started starching for flights to Japan for next summer. This is how much I miss Japan!!!

I started my trip about a week earlier than the group. I arrived in Tokyo first and travel to Mt. Fuji, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe,  Himeji and Hiroshima. I accomplished so much in those 18 days both professionally and personally.

Personally, it was my first backpack trip traveling with friends. I spent about two days on Mt. Fuji and hiked to the top of the crater. The weather was freezing, foggy and rained a lot. I didn't get a chance to see the sunrise, but I overcame the bad weather and high attitude (12.389 feet). I put in lots of perseverance and dedication. The achievement with friends was more than anything else.

During my trip, I received lots of help from KGU faculty, Osaka University faculty, Japanese friends, and strangers. I think I talked to the most strangers in my life during this trip to ask for direction. All of them were willing to help out even though they didn't speak English. I met six people that were helped and walked with me to find the place I wanted to go. I also met up my friends that I knew since my undergraduate career and I had a great time catching up with them in Japan after graduating from U of A.

The hospitality from KGU, OU, friends, and strangers gave us the best time in Japan. I felt very respected, friendly, and happy. Everyone was super nice and sweet. They made my time in Japan warmhearted and wonderful! Yoshie (my pen pal), took me to an awesome hair salon and we went bakery shopping. Without her guidance my experience in Japan wouldn't have been the same.

Professionally, I enjoyed all the lectures we had at KGU. I really enjoyed the time in Kampo pharmacy! I like Kakkonto (葛根湯). I would like to learn more information on herbal medicine in the future.  It was my pleasure to visit clinical pharmacy in Kobe City Hospital and the pharmacists there were very friendly and tried their best to answer our questions.

I am glad I decided to join the Japan trip! Traveling to Japan in the summer of 2016 was truly a life changing experience! My daily schedule in Japan was very packed, yet very meaningful. I enjoyed every second in Japan and did not waste anytime!

And with my deer <3

Thank you, Japan

This trip to Japan was the most humbling trip of my life thus far. The Kobe Gakuin University students and faculty were the kindest people I have ever met. They all made great efforts to make our trip truly fantastic. With that being said, the culture in Japan is truly unlike no where I have visited before; even people that do not know you or speak the language go out of their way to help you! I admire the selflessness of the culture in Japan, it truly is amazing.

When recounting the trip, I am so thankful we had the chance to experience so many different cities in Japan. Living in Kobe for 10 days was such a treat; the city itself was so clean and safe, and felt comfortable navigating the trains after a few days. Kobe city center was also very magical, with many shops and food and ice cream (we loved the ice cream). Speaking of food, I LOVE RAMEN. I wanted it for every meal, regardless of how hot I was.

Some sites I enjoyed the most was Himeji Castle, Todaji Temple, and the Itsukushima Shrine. These places were beautiful and had a certain air of magic and culture to them. My favorite cities were Osaka, Kyoto, and Arima. I liked Osaka for it's bustling city, yet I am a fan of nature so I felt calm and relaxed in Kyoto and Arima.

I am so glad I stuck with my decision to go on this trip, especially because we learned about pharmacy in Japan. As I wrote in my previous post about all the educational opportunities we experienced at KGU in a community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, and kampo pharmacy, those experiences are so unique and valuable to us as student pharmacists. I value all the knowledge the senseis and pharmacists shared with us and I am excited to relate to that knowledge in my career.

Japan tops the list of all the 10 different countries I have traveled to worldwide. I am already planning my trip back to grow the friendships I made and enjoy a country I love again!

Trip of a lifetime!

This trip to Japan was everything and more than what I was expecting. I think the Japan Trip was one of the best trips I've ever went on and was well worth it both academically and personally. I learned so much in such a short period of time about the pharmacy system and history of Japan as a country. It was very interesting to see how different their healthcare was, yet similar at the same time. I would say the pure generosity and kindness of the Japanese people as a whole had the biggest impact on me. Every single moment of every day they were so happy to have us and treated us like family. Even the strangers on the street went out of their way in their busy life to help us when we asked. I will never forget how a complete stranger walked with us for about 15 minutes just to get exactly to the door of a restaurant we were looking for. That is something I will most likely never experience here in America.

I was most surprised at how healthy their society was. Of course there were plenty of sweets and junk food, but almost every person looked to be in shape and not fat. I never realized it until I came back to America that majority of people you see in America are overweight. I believe this because in Japan not many people drive. Instead they are walking to the trains and standing a lot more compared to us in America. I will admit I was pretty tired most days from walking so much and I consider myself to be a young healthy adult here.

Overall, the Japan trip definitely changed me and my view on the world as a whole. After seeing how nice the Japanese people were I again see hope for this world. I now know that there are still good people out there and not everyone is rude or selfish. I'm not saying everyone is rude, selfish, or overweight in America, but after this trip I noticed how much better people can be. My experience in Japan was nothing but amazing from start to finish and I would redo it over if I could. I hope to visit Japan and many more countries across the world in my lifetime.

Thank you Japan for everything.

Missing Japan Already!

I can now officially say I've recovered from the jet lag from our amazing trip to Japan. It is a very bittersweet feeling though since I already want to go back.

Both personally and professionally I gained valuable lessons during our stay. The faculty that hosted us from Kobe Gakuin University and Osaka University were so hospitable and kind enough to share their knowledge of pharmacy life in Japan. I thoroughly enjoyed all the lectures we had, and it was very cool to see the differing techniques that Japanese pharmacists use in practice. Additionally, it was very interesting to learn about their socialized healthcare system and how it works to provide patient care. One thing that was somewhat surprising to me was that Japanese people have the longest life expectancy. With what we learned during lectures, it makes perfect sense with how they take care of their older population with more readily affordable medical services.

I was most impacted by how kind everyone who we encountered was. Whether it be the professors and students taking time from their busy lives and vacations to show us around, or the professors refusing to accept our money for multiple lunches, they all truly put us ahead of themselves. Additionally, Terumi, my Pen Pal, spent 25 hours making the final day slide show for us. Along with him taking me out to a ramen restaurant and showing me the night view of the city with Jason and Kyoichi, he went above and beyond to make me feel welcome. I think that is just the way of the Japanese people. They are kind and thoughtful to their core. We can learn a lot from them.

I was also very impacted by our visit to Hiroshima. Despite the atomic bombing, the people there advocate for peace. It would be very easy to advocate for malice and revenge, but instead they focus their energy on the good in the world. It's easy to overlook this, but visiting the Peace Museum really helped cement this point into me. It's a lesson I will carry with me forever.

Words cannot do this trip justice. It was a truly life changing experience, and I am glad I decided to go on it! I want to give my sincerest thanks to Nakagawa-Sensei, Sho-Sensei, Niki-Sensei (and all the Osaka professors), Terumi, Kyoichi, Kaho, Yui, and all the students from KGU for making this trip unforgettable. I also want to thank Dr. Katz (aka Katz-Sensei) for putting up with all our shenanigans and maintaining a level head throughout. This trip only happens because of him, and I very much appreciate all his work and time!

I am looking forward to when the KGU and Osaka University students visit next year! We are hoping to return the hospitality they showed us---an impossible task but we will strive to do so!

post-thoughts to our pharmily trip

One thing that I really like to pinpoint in regarding to my experiences and thoughts after visiting Japan— The Japanese Culture. It incorporates many aspects, and I’d like to talk about a few.

I have gone to so many places around the world with friends and family, but this semi-professional one with”Pharmily” to Japan was unique and definitely unforgettable. The hospitality of the students /faculties from both KGU and Osaka Univerisity really impressed us; Even the strangers that we ran into for help from day to day act like angels! I have never encountered such amazing kindness/politeness from total strangers. The would physically walk us to our destination even if its out of their way. They would ride with you and change train lines with you because they know it’s confusing to foreigners. The actions of kindness is literally a daily thing! 

The humbleness and the way that we were treated really impact us at a personal level. We all wanted to give back and offer our kindness as well. The culture has influenced the way that I think and the way I act. By the end of our trip. It’s almost natural for us to bowl to anyone we see.

Ingesting while moving, although is not prohibited in Japanese culture, but generally is a no-no. I have a big sweet tooth and I remember myself holding ice cream on my left hand and bakery dessert on the right, walking down a crowded street in Tokyo when I first arrived on my own. Just a bit.. embarrassing to recall……Later on, I realized some street shops have posted signs states something like “finish eating here before take off”; These shops were particularly those nearby popular trouts attraction spots.

Eating while stationary perhaps is their cultural way of showing respect for food. From one of the KGU student, I learned that, each meal begins with saying “Itadakimasu”, which we heard here and there throughout the trip during meal times. "Itadakimasu” means “I humbly receive”; or maybe just simply for the reason to not spill or make a mess? The bottom-line is that you don’t see people snacking or sipping while walking on the streets even with vending machines or fast food places. If you were to do that, you would look out for a place.

Professionally, I really appreciated KGU faculties showing us around the different local pharmacies and hospitals in Japan. I learned that there is no need for residency or special training to work in a Kampo or a traditional Japanese pharmacy. Kampo pharmacy is part of their 6-year pharmacy curruculum after completion of high school education. 

Overall, it was a trip of learning and joy with Pharmily, and I know I will be back!

Japan's Pharmacy Experience Rundown

Our trip was hosted by the lovely Kobe Gakuin University, a college that not only enrolled pharmacy students but a wide variety of degrees as well. They made our trip a fantastic experience and quite memorable with their hospitality. Our first day was a tour of campus - a wide open, modern and very beautiful college with up to date facilities and class rooms. We were treated to a welcome barbecue customary to the entire college where we were able to chat closely with students who we just met at the meet and greet while enjoying some delicious grilled foods. As our lectures began, we learned many things about how much Japan's pharmacy system is than ours.

Our class topics included insurance, hyperlipidemia, common pharmacy practice options, and physical assessment. These were pivotal topics in Japanese Pharmacy curriculum and we just got a short primer on the above. The students here undergo a 6 year program with no undergraduate studies so it is straight to pharmacy after high school. Their years are split similarly to ours with didactic learning followed by clinical experiences. One thing I noticed was that the dependency on medication was not as great in Japan due to their healthy lifestyle. Medications viewed by the population are typically preferred in a powder form, most likely along the lines of the old addage that the more bitter something is the more potent it is. We were shown what is known as an Oblate, a rice paper package which can make taking powder medications easy, very commonly used for children and elderly. In America we prefer syrups and liquids but Japan has eliminated the need for multiple formulations with this invention, at least to their liking. Our tours continued as we experienced a Kampo Chinese Medicine Pharmacy as well as a retail and hospital setting. Hospital was in my opinion the most unique. Hospital pharmacists are very numerous as there are no technicians and they mainly seemed to be doing inpatient dispensing rather than clinical work as we have in the states. Regardless, more and more opportunities are rising in Japan for pharmacists as well as their median salary. Currently they are undervalued and have to go through many tribulations to get paid closely to an American retail pharmacist.

Fell in love with Kyoto

We visited Kyoto on August 12th. I actually went to Kyoto a week ago on my own and with two of my friends. However, I visited different shrine since I knew I am going to visit Kyoto again.

We visited Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺,Golden Pavilion) first.
Kinkaku-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple and the top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf.
This is the most impressive structure I have never seen before!

We went to Ryoan-ji temple (龍安寺). The most famous in Ryoan-hi temple is the rock garden.
The garden's meaning has not been made explicit, therefore, I view this garden as the beauty of nature and Japanese aesthetic-simplicity!

Kiyomizude temple (清水寺）, it's the name from the fall's pure water. It's one of UNESCO world heritage sites.

Jishu-Jinja Shrine is next to Kiyomizude temple. This shrine is famous as matchmaking. If you get a chance to visit this shrine, make sure you walks between the two stones, closing your eyes. If you can reach to one another, it says your love will realize. If you made it by someone's help, you will also need help for the success of love in your life.

Matcha and traditional Japanese sweets are famous in Kyoto. Don't forget to try some!

Nihon arigatou!

Before traveling to Japan I was curious and I asked myself numerous questions. I wanted to know more about the culture, food, and wondered how the Japanese population perceived Americans. Sure I could have read articles online and got the answers to my questions, but I knew that I wanted to get those answers by actually getting first hand experience. This trip was probably one of the best decisions I have made. I am truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel to another country with my classmates, and to experience everything that I did.

When we landed, I knew that this would be a trip that I would never forget. We were greeted and welcomed with open arms not only by the faculty and students from Kobe Gakuin University, but by complete strangers. It is always a challenge to communicate with people  that speak a different language than yourself for the fear of saying the wrong thing, or offending them. However, everyone that I met on my trip was patient with me and were very helpful. There were so many acts of kindness that I witnessed and to me this is probably one of the things I will remember the most. For example, a few of us left later than the group and did not have access to WIFI which made it difficult to find our way back to our hotel. We were using key words and asking strangers for help in hopes to catch the right train back. I was surprised to see how many people were willing to help. Not only did someone tell us how to get back home but she got on the train with us and showed us the way. This is something that I can honestly say I have never encountered. I was speechless and her act of kindness made me want to repay the favor for someone in the future. I also remember seeing an elderly woman standing on the train, so I got up from my seat so that she could sit down. Not only was she thankful for what I did, but she dug through her bag and offered me a piece of fruit. I honestly can say that I do not think that I have experienced such generosity before. Everyone was so humble and kind which makes me want to be a better person. 

When we visited the pharmacies, I was able to compare the role of a pharmacist to ones in the United States. I was excited to see how they ran things, and how the medications were handled. Something that I found interesting was my visit to the pharmacy that specialized in herbal medicine. I was intrigued to see what their beliefs were and how common it was to get herbal medication in Japan. It is always fascinating to compare different professions in different countries, and I found it to be a great learning experience. 

This experience has opened my eyes to many things and I know that everything I have done and seen will help me become a better person. I am thankful for this opportunity and to have met the people that I did, because I know if I hadn't then my trip would not have been the same. When I started my trip, I looked at them as my friends but as the end approached I knew that they were apart of my family.  I was able to learn a lot from them, and plan on repaying the kindness to others around me. This trip was one of the most amazing things I have ever done, and I hope that one day everyone gets the opportunity to experience what I did. 

“People don’t take trips, trips take people” – John Steinbeck

I feel as though there is not a good enough word out there that best describes my trip to Japan. So for now, until I can find a suitable word, I will just use the word amazing. I thought I had an idea of what to expect while in Japan, but once I got there my expectations changed greatly. The whole culture in general had the most impact on me. I have never met more kind and welcoming people. The time and effort the faculty and students took to take care of us was nothing I have ever seen before. They always made sure we were having a great time and went out of their way to make the most of our time in Japan.

Professionally, I had no idea what to expect. I loved that we got to sit in on lectures. I loved learning about the herbal medicines and how they are made. I was surprised when I found out how little pharmacists in Japan make per year compared to pharmacists in America. I was even more shocked when we were told that the highest paying job in Japan are pilots.

This trip makes me want to be a more kind and giving human being. The pharmacy profession can be frustrating at times, but seeing how our hosts conducted themselves showed me the kind of person I want to be not only in my personal life but in my professional life as well.

As a last note I would just like to give a big thanks to everyone that I met on this trip. It was a blast and something I will never forget.

What a Trip!

This trip to Japan has been amazing. I am so glad that I made the decision to go on this trip because I would not have experienced Japan's culture or met some of the nicest and hospitable people I have ever met--the Kobe Gakuin University students. Despite the heat and humidity, I definitely enjoyed every minute of being there. Going around Japan seeing all of these historical places and taking in their culture was so life-changing for me. It's hard for me to say what my favorite place was, but Himeji Castle was definitely one of them. It was cool to be inside the castle walking up some pretty, steep stairs knowing that this castle has been preserved for many centuries.

I was very surprised to see that Japan does not have sushi rolls like in America. They only have nigiri, which was very good! I really liked the revolving sushi restaurant that we went to. I have never really been to one, and I was so excited when we were able to go to one in Japan. I don't think I have ever seen such a high-tech restaurant in my life until this one. That restaurant was so appealing to me that I had 10 plates of sushi, 3 other small dishes, and a matcha dessert. Needless to say, I was very full after all of that!

I thought it was interesting to find out that students in Japan who are interested in pharmacy school started learning the curriculum after high school in a 6-year program. If this was in the United States, this would save a student about two more years of schooling in undergraduate studies. However, if a Japanese student decides that he/she does not want to do pharmacy school anytime during the first four years, it has a more negative impact on the student than if it occurred in America. Many students in America change their majors in their undergraduate years, which are the four years after high school. They do not have to commit to a specific career choice, and it will not have any major impact on their lives. This will just prolong their time in undergraduate studies. Overall, having to choose your career as soon as you leave high school in Japan seems risky.

Lastly, after visiting the various pharmacies in Japan, I realized how relaxed the community pharmacies are. It does not seem like they get a lot of patients coming in to pick up their medications because maybe it is due to Japan's population being more healthier than America's population and/or Japanese people use more herbs to rid themselves of illness. Not only that, but I thought it was surprising to hear that pharmacists in Japan do not get paid as well as pharmacists in America. I can definitely tell that people who choose to be pharmacists in Japan really want to help people and do not choose this career for the money.

Overall, I learned a lot about Japan's culture and gained a better understanding of how Japanese pharmacy differs from American pharmacy.

My thoughts about Japan

I am back in the States and my overall experience in Japan was amazing. I got to meet some incredible people and was also able to experience Japan's food and culture. If I get a chance in the future to come back and visit, I will definitely come back. The people in Japan are wonderful. I was grateful to the residents of Japan for their hospitality and kindness. Whenever we had trouble or got lost, the faculties, students, and even strangers will gladly help us out. For example, we wanted to eat sushi and we didn't know where the restaurant was at. We asked a random stranger how to get there and not only did they tell us where it was, but they also walked us to the place. I was truly breath taken by their act of kindness. I never expected a stranger to be willing to help us to the extent of taking us to the restaurant. I will definitely recommend people to visit Japan! It is a fantastic place and you will certainly enjoy the experience and make some great memories.

Final thoughts on Japan

This trip was one of the best! It was the first time I traveled with so many different people that I knew. I’ve created long lasting memories and had amazing experiences with these people. I’m happy that I was able to explore the wonderful country of Japan with my friends. The best things about Japan were that the food was delicious, the streets were clean, and there were countless things to do both in the daytime and nighttime. My favorite foods throughout the entire trip were the fresh sushi and shabu shabu, which is boiling meats and veggies in a soup right at the table. I think I will miss the food the most after leaving Japan. I also loved every place that we visited and hope I can remember the experiences I’ve shared here for a long time to come. Each place was beautiful, distinct, and memorable in its own way. The things I enjoyed most were Himeji Castle, Akashi where I had Akashiyaki, Nara where I saw families of deer, Kyoto with the beautiful temples, Osaka and its endless streets of food and shopping, and lastly Hiroshima which was one of the most interesting places of all. Reading about Hiroshima in a history book is very different from visiting the place in person and seeing the history of the place and people. It was very sad and heartbreaking to see what happened to such a beautiful place. However, I’m incredibly impressed by the spirit of the people and how they have risen above all that has happened in the past. Japan is an amazing place and the people there are even more inspiring. If given the chance, I would definitely visit Japan again in the future. Goodbye Japan, for now.

Exploring Japan

Japan has so many attractions, it’s hard to keep track of everything. It’s only been a few days and I’m already mixing all my days and places together. The other day we traveled to Nara to visit Todaiji Temple which was beautiful. Nara is covered with trees and traditional looking houses. The temple was huge and one of the oldest temples in Japan. We had a wonderful tour guide who explained the history and meaning behind the features of the castle such as fish tails on the roof and the sacred hole behind a Buddha statue in one of the supporting pillars. We were told the fish tail symbolized the temple being under water because fish have to stay under water while their tail can stay afloat. People believed that if the temple stayed under water, then it will never catch on fire. Thus, it was very surprising to hear that it was rebuilt three times due to fires. Aside from the temple, Nara is most famously known for the deer roaming free around the town. Although they are very cute and adorable, they are not shy about chomping on you or your clothes.

Another wonderful place we visited was Himeji castle. This was the best Japanese castle I’ve seen in Japan. I thought it was a much better experience than the Osaka castle. It was one of the only original castles still standing that wasn’t affected by natural disasters. It was hot and we had to climb six flights of narrow stairs and crouched under low ceilings. But, it was an amazing experience. I was able to step back into time and where samurais and feudal lords worked in the past. The tour guide was the sweetest lady who really made the experience ten times better. She had loads of energy and was one of the most informative guides I’ve ever had.

Kyoto was also a very beautiful place to visit. It was one of the most preserved placed out of all the other cities we’ve visited. It was full of trees and greenery and lots of temples and shrines. We visited a stone garden which is the original representation of mini zen gardens people display in their homes. Out of all the places we’ve visited, I think Himeji castle was one of my favorites. I love the architecture and how it looks both inside and out. The pictures I took with the outside of the castle were amazing.