Final Reflections - Krista Breiteneder

I am so grateful for the experiences I’ve had during this group study program. Being able to visit the actual historical sites I have been studying was incredible and a truly unique learning experience. With anthropology as my major, the opportunity to live within and observe another culture was something I had desperately yearned for and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

I spend most of my life frustrated that this is all that I get, that I’m only ever going to experience the world as me. The reason why I chose to study anthropology was because I felt that learning about other ways of being was the only way I could enrich my own being. I’m beginning to realize how much that was a result of, rather than out of love for other peoples or the world around me, a desire to lose myself in something else. It was completely life changing for me to realize that there were so many times on this trip that I was grateful to be experiencing things as me. Especially at Koryu-ji, I pondered much on the emphasis in Buddhism on finding your own path and your own way to be. Before this trip I couldn’t imagine I would feel grateful to have seen this trip through my own eyes, but I am feeling grateful for my own perspective and my own thoughts.  

I had been interested in Japanese culture before but I still learned so much. I am continuously humbled by the kindness of the people I have met here. As an obvious foreigner, everyone I met was so willing to try to communicate with me in a way I could understand; this was so intriguing to me as I felt that because it was my problem I should be the one to accommodate with any mishaps that happened as a result of it. I think this was such a clear example of how group centered the Japanese are. They are so focused on the people around them and acting in a way that is best for everyone – I was so touched and humbled to have been on the receiving end of this and I will be reassessing the way I treat the people around me and the place I give myself in my community.

I found that the group project became so much more than a school assignment. I was so genuinely interested in our topics and I think our group visited a relevant location every day! I love seafood and of course I was excited to try it here in Hakodate, but I became very grateful for the project as it allowed me to look deeper, past my own enjoyment, and see things through a broader context. I also felt like the historical component of our project rekindled my passion for history. It was so fascinating to see how things that happened so long ago can affect the way things are today, not just in a strictly causational sense but because of the integration and implementation of values and new paradigms. I am equal parts humbled and fascinated at how much we are all the product of history. Also, I never expected to become so passionate about Hijikata Toshizo, but I care so much now. So much.

I feel as though I must mention the group aspect of the group study, mostly to express how much I enjoyed everyone in the group. Pre-departure, I had been very focused on the coursework itself. I was one of the few people who did not know anyone in the group beforehand and I applied purely based on academic interest in the program. I am very shy and I have a hard time with people, and I didn’t expect to find such wonderful friends. I am honestly still in disbelief. I think that was one of the most valuable parts of this group study – as humans, we are social. We need each other, and we need to bond. I felt like, over and above the university coursework, I learned a valuable lesson about how much I want to connect to the people around me and how special it is when I do.

Of course this group study wouldn’t have been what it was without our incredible professor, Kodama-sensei. I cannot express how thankful I am for her warmth and genuine care for us as students. Her personal perspective on Japanese culture was priceless and elevated this group study far beyond merely university classes – it was life changing. I am so grateful.