Today was the first day of my Japanese language immersion program. I woke up a bit early to give myself plenty of time to commute, just in case I missed a train or got lost.

At Motomachi Station, as I waited for my train, another arrived first. A rush of people stepped off, their footsteps pitter-pattering towards the exit. For a brief moment, I felt like a local—just another commuter, blending into the rhythm of the morning.

Shortly after, my train arrived, and I made my way to Akashi, where Local Life Japan is located.

Stepping Into the Classroom

I arrived about 15 minutes early, giving me time to introduce myself to two of the other students, both in a different class from mine. In total, there were four students split into two groups—two in the beginner class and two in the intermediate class.

Once class started, we jumped right into particle formations. Technically, the concepts made sense, but when it came to actually using them in conversation, I found myself thinking really hard about how to structure my sentences naturally.

Overall, the class was decent, with a strong focus on practice, which I prefer over textbook-heavy learning. I know the best way for me to improve is by actively using the language, so I’m glad that’s part of the approach here.

A Tour of Kobe University

I also signed up for the cultural experience portion of the program, and today’s activity was a tour of Kobe University with a local student.

Touring a university isn’t something I would normally do while traveling, so this felt like a unique experience. The best part was getting to practice some conversation with the student leading the tour. While I could follow parts of what was being said, there were still a lot of words I didn’t know, which made some sections hard to understand.

A Surprise Hailstorm

After the tour, we started heading back toward the bus stop. As we walked, a light hail started to fall—just little pieces here and there. But by the time we got closer to the stop, it was full-on dumping hail.

So far, I’ve gotten to experience quite a wide range of weather here, and I can’t wait to see how things change in a month when the cherry blossoms start to bloom.

Ending the Day at the Onsen

Back at Motomachi Station, I decided to end my day the best way possible—with a visit to the onsen. After a full day of learning and exploring, soaking in the hot water felt like the perfect way to reset and refresh for the next day.