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.