Thanks to Dr. Jim McRae from the CLAIR Counseling Committee
No matter what you may think now, chances are you will get some kind of culture shock on return to your home country. Home probably won't have stayed the same waiting for you to get back and neither will your friends and family. Certainly you have changed in some way in order to be able to function in Japanese society, and you may not function so well in your "home" culture as you used to. This is a stressful thing to come to terms with. Think about in what ways you and your home have changed since you've been in Japan.
Try to deal with the loss of Japan as much as possible while you're still here. Make lists of what you've achieved; what you would like to take home with you (abstract and concrete); and what you can't take home and will have to say farewell to. What you will really miss about Japan and what you really won't. Set long-term goals.
Be sure to have appropriate farewells with the people you may not see again for a long time. A big night out may be an appropriate way to say goodbye to some people but maybe not others. Think about how you want to say goodbye. Don't say a hurried farewell to your close friends because you're caught up in the business of preparing to leave. Emotional preparations are just as important as packing, holiday planning and preparing for your successor.
When you get home, be sure to take plenty of time to reflect on your Japanese experience. Probably you will be able to make sense of it all a lot better from a home (or is that foreign?) setting. Just as most of us learn a lot about our home culture from our time here, we can expect to realize a lot about Japan from home. Remember though that just because we are fascinated by the beauty and intricacy of Japanese culture doesn't mean that our friends and family will be. They can't possibly relate on the same level. Join your local JET Alumni Association, exchange language with a Japanese student, take night classes in Japanese - go looking for ways to keep your Japan connection going.
Don't stress about getting stressed! The worst re-entry shock you experience may be that you can't find your favorite soy sauce to put on your tofu. However, do take the time to prepare adequately for the emotional side of going home as well as the material stuff. The following can be found in the General Information Handbook "Leaving JET" Section along with the firsthand accounts of former JETs Coping Strategies Before you leave Japan ・ Take some time to reflect on your tenure as a JET participant. Formulate Ideas and suggestions for improving the Programme and forward them to CLAIR and your Contracting Organization. ・ Explore your feelings about leaving Japan. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about returning? Are you exciting about the new phase of your life? Do you feel that your experience in Japan has been worthwhile and now it is time to move on? Are you dreading your return home as your lifestyle in Japan is more satisfying than the one you had left? ・ Anticipate that you, your homeland and your friends have changed. ・ Think about how your time in Japan will make life in your home country different than before. ・ Try to make long-term goals to help motivate you in your work and enhance your relationships. ・ Explore employment or study options in your home country. ・ Keep up on what is happening in your home country. When you get home ・ Don’t forget your sense of humor. ・ Expect difficulties and realize that those around you will not expect you to have any. ・ Develop a support system so you can vent frustrations. You may experience boredom, apathy, loneliness, alienation, anxiety and/or depression. ・ Realize that others may not want to hear about your experiences in Japan. They may find it hard to understand that you wanted to leave your own country in the first place and even more so if you enjoyed yourself. People may ask you about your adventures only to interrupt with their own. ・ Maintain ties with Japan through friendships, correspondence, visits, classes, JETAA, or the media. ・ Recognize that you have changed. You have become a more multi-cultural person. Think about what changes might have occurred in your social behavior. Do not try to go back to the “old you” and realize that others may not be interested in or able to immediately accept the “new you”. ・ Relationships may be more demanding than before. Your friends may seem a bit narrow-minded or boring. ・ Realize that you may not have accurate recollections of your home. Recognize its social and physical changes. You may be out-of-date. Study your society like you studied Japan. ・ Realize that you will no longer get the special treatment (good and bad) that you received in Japan.
There is a positive side to keep in mind; you become aware of what you have learned about the foreign culture, your own culture, and yourself. Reverse culture shock is still a new field of study. This information should help you to re-adjust, so that your home country can once again feel like home.
|