Ten Days in Japan That Changed More Than I Expected

It was 2:00 AM on October 3, 2017. I was on a flight to Japan for the very first time. This should have been the happiest moment of my career. Instead, all I could think about was the tiny three-month-old baby girl I had just left at home.

“Eka, you and Rahman are the ones going to Japan to represent our agency!” That was what the head of my agency had said just a few days earlier.

At the time, Bali Province had a partnership with Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, covering agriculture, livestock, and tourism. Kumamoto invited several representatives from Bali to visit Japan for ten days to learn about the local agricultural, livestock, and tourism sectors.

The trip was organized under the JENESYS program. JENESYS is a fully funded people-to-people youth exchange program sponsored by the Government of Japan to build mutual trust and cultural understanding between Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

When I heard the order from my superiors, I was overjoyed and proud. It was my first time going abroad; the thought of traveling overseas had never even crossed my mind before. It felt as though I had just hit an unexpected jackpot.

However, my excitement was accompanied by a painful ache in my chest. I had to leave behind my newborn daughter, who wasn't even three months old yet.

Bali Province sent a group of nine young people to participate in the program. My colleague Rahman and I represented the Livestock Agency; the others included two people from the Agriculture Agency, one from the Fisheries Agency, two representatives from the tourism sector, and two young Balinese farmers.

First Impression — Things Work Differently in Japan

I knew Japan was famous for its discipline, but knowing about it and experiencing it firsthand are two completely different things. While traveling to various locations during the trip, we passed through many rural areas with quiet roads. Even though vehicles rarely passed by, whenever the traffic light turned red, every vehicle would stop and wait patiently—even if no other cars were coming from the other direction and no pedestrians were crossing.

This is the exact opposite of what I’m used to in my daily life. Back home, let alone running a red light in heavy traffic, drivers tend to hit the gas harder the moment the light turns yellow.

The same applies to crossing the street; even when there is no traffic, people wait for the pedestrian crossing signal to turn green before they start to cross.

It isn't that Japan has more rules; people simply choose to follow them.

Getting Lost Without English

The Japanese people take great pride in their culture; that is what I realized and observed during my time there. This was further confirmed by information shared by our guide during our activities. My friends and I decided to explore Shinjuku at night after the day's scheduled activities had concluded. I tried asking a few people for directions in English, but they appeared confused by what we were saying.

Fortunately, one of my friends—who works in the tourism industry—spoke Japanese quite well. Thanks to that, we were finally able to find directions to our intended destination.

Although English is an international language, it turns out that not everyone in a developed country understands it.

Interestingly, however, while we were chatting on the street, a young Japanese couple approached and greeted us. They asked if we were from Indonesia, struck up a brief conversation, and asked to take a photo with us before moving on.

The Tea Ceremony That Made Me Cry

A tea ceremony. That was what appeared on our schedule for the day.

"What’s so special about drinking tea?" I wondered when I saw the itinerary.

The tea ceremony we attended took place at Rengein Tanjoji Temple—a vast temple complex featuring a massive pagoda and a large koi pond.

The ceremony was held inside the pagoda and led by a monk. The entire structure was made of wood, and the gentle scent of incense greeted us the moment we stepped inside.

Before the tea ceremony began, the monk guided us in meditation. With my eyes closed, the soothing aroma of incense helped both my mind and body relax. The monk began chanting sutras while playing a singing bowl, creating an atmosphere of deep reverence.

It didn't take long for me to enter a meditative state. I’m not sure exactly how it started, but suddenly, tears began streaming down my face. I found myself sobbing. With my eyes still closed, I saw the little daughter I had left back home, as well as my wife and the atmosphere of our house.

After the meditation, the tea ceremony commenced. A young monk prepared all the necessary tools and ingredients. The senior monk—who had led the meditation—began grinding the green tea, pouring in hot water, and whisking the mixture with a special bamboo whisk.

What made it unique was that the tea was prepared in a "giant" ceramic bowl. Everyone drank from the same vessel, helping to hold it steady for the person next to them as they took their turn.

To this day, I still don't know exactly what made me cry at that moment.

Was it the procession and the atmosphere inside the pagoda, or the sound of the singing bowl resonating deep within my heart?

I really don't know... What is certain is that the memory remains vivid to this day.

The Onsen Adventure 😂

We—a group of Indonesian guys (our party consisted of seven men and two women)—were really curious about the experience of bathing in a natural onsen (hot spring). This interest was piqued after hearing about it from our guide, who was of mixed Indonesian-Japanese heritage (we hadn't realized he was Indonesian—having lived in Japan for so long, his accent had changed, and he didn't look typically Indonesian).

We were told that the hotel we were heading to had a free public onsen facility for guests—a mixed-gender one, at that.

You know how it is: you aren't allowed to wear a single stitch of clothing when bathing in an onsen.

"What’s it like to bathe naked in a group?" That was a fun topic of conversation for us during the bus ride to the location.

We were incredibly excited imagining it.

As it turned out, we arrived at the hotel just as dusk was falling, and when we all went to check out the hotel's onsen, we discovered it had already closed.

You can imagine how disappointed we were.

However, a hotel staff member suggested we visit a private onsen nearby. We all agreed to give it a try.

We guys rented one private onsen unit. When booking it, we each bought a bottle of sake.

The atmosphere inside the onsen was relaxed. We chatted about all sorts of things; despite our different backgrounds, we found plenty to talk about that night.

We soaked in the hot water and laughed together, all while enjoying the sake we’d bought.

Time flew by, and our session was coming to an end. I stood up to leave the hot spring pool, but suddenly, I nearly fell over. I felt dizzy as I tried to stand. The others were startled by what happened. I calmed myself down by sitting on the floor outside the pool and drinking water straight from the tap—fortunately, the tap water there was safe to drink. I drank as much as possible in the hope that the dizziness in my head would get better soon.

That night, I learned two things:

Japanese tap water is amazing...

and sake plus hot sulfur water in a closed room is a combination I highly don't recommend.

Final Words

People often think unforgettable journeys are about beautiful destinations. Looking back, Japan was memorable not because of the places I visited. It was memorable because it quietly reminded me of who I was missing, what I valued most, and how much we could learn from another culture in just ten days.

Even today, nearly a decade later, those ten days in Japan still feel close whenever I think about my most unforgettable journey.