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!