Coping with Culture Shock

Posted on 09/12/2023 Last updated on 01/11/2024

ALTs are exposed to a wide variety of cultural, social and intellectual experiences when they move from their home country to Japan. Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life or set of attitudes. Here are some ways in which one can cope with culture shock in Japan.

Image by chookcherry on IllustAC

Pre-departure preparation

One must learn as much as as they can about Japan, Japanese Language and the new location they will be going to. This means knowing the good and bad, cultural and social rules, the different time zones, foods, political systems, customs and religions. Basic knowledge of Hiragana and Katakana will go a very long way too in helping to adjust to life in Japan. Thanks to the age of social media, one can easily access such information through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok among others. But always be wary of what’s real, what clearly isn’t, and what is just one person’s experience- it may be very different from your own.

Learn Japanese Language

Learning Japanese is very vital for anyone if they plan on relocating to Japan. This is because Japanese folks can easily warm up to someone once they learn that you can understand their language and culture. Learning to communicate in Japanese will help reduce the effects of culture shock and misunderstanding and this will also reduce the stress on you!

Photo by webbiz

Keeping a Journal

Keeping a journal helps to create order when your life feels like its in chaos. Through keeping a journal, you can process culture shock by reflecting. Reflection is an essential part of the cultural adaptation process whereby ones gives thought on what’s happening to them or around them. It allows one to ask questions like, “how does reality compare to my expectations,” and, “how is the experience preparing me to meet my goals in the future?” By spending time on reflection, we get to reflect on daily experiences in order to better understand and contextualize them through this relaxing activity.

Network of positive influence

The best way to build new friendships is by associating with positive people. Managing culture shock requires us to establish a network of primary relationships that will provide interpersonal relations for the improvement of self esteem, and also for meeting the personal and social needs of being an ALT. Emotional health can be maintained through writing letter or keeping a personal diary of feelings and experiences. Talk to your friends and family back home, but also the friends and family you make in Japan. Try to go outside the bubble of other non-Japanese and befriend locals and people from other countries alike. You may find yourself surprised by just how diverse your circle of friends becomes with time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, conflict resolution skills, and intercultural effective skills must be applied in order to cope with culture shock. We should learn to assess events from a multicultural point of view while also exercising patience. Adapting to a new culture requires a lot of time and one has to give themselves time to allow for mistakes and learn from them instead of giving up and taking the next flight home. Being an ALT has been one of the most rewarding cultural experiences I’ve ever had- but it all starts with absorbing that shock and turning it into something positive.

Ready to begin your ALT adventure next spring? There’s still time to apply if you’re living overseas; join Borderlink today!

Image Credits:

Additional images by webbiz and chookcherry