While most De Smet students spent the summer working, vacationing, or relaxing, senior Kyran Joshway spent his break in a classroom halfway across the world, attending school in Japan.

Joshway has been interested in many parts of Japanese culture since he can remember. He was introduced to Japanese video games and anime by his uncle, but what really drew him in was the country’s natural beauty and trying new foods from there.

“Seeing Japan in the media as a whole, with its landscapes, got me so interested,” senior Kyran Joshway said. “It’s so interesting how Japan has merged its cities with its beautiful nature landscapes.”

This interest was turned into a real opportunity when Dr. Drae Cox, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, encouraged him to apply for a summer abroad program. The program was run through AFS-USA, an organization that sends high-achieving students all over the United States on a life-changing opportunity to study abroad.

The application process was long and competitive, beginning in September and stretching into the spring. Joshway was officially accepted in April.

“It didn’t feel that crazy when I got accepted,” Joshway said. “But it really hit me when I got off the 11-hour plane ride that I was about to be here for a whole month.”

His trip began with a week-long orientation in Tokyo, where students from around the world came together before moving in with their host families. That first week was filled with icebreakers, cultural lessons, and long conversations with other students who were all experiencing Japan for the first time.

“These people are from all over the world,” Joshway said. “Yet our interests were still so similar.”

Joshway had made many friends in just seven days together, but at the end of the week, the students and counselors parted ways to be sent off to their assigned cities to live with their host families.

“I just remember all of us waving at the counselors from the train windows until the very last moment we could,” Joshway said. “Then I realized we’re pretty much on our own now, this is where it really starts.”

After the first week in Tokyo, Joshway transitioned to meeting and living with his host family in Nagoya. The family consisted of parents and two older adult siblings. Joshway connected very well with his host parents right away on day one, but didn’t get to see his siblings too often, as they were busy most days.

“Every weekend, my host mother took me sightseeing,” Joshway said. “She treated me right away like I was her own son.”

Weekends quickly became the highlight of his trip, offering a break from the classroom and a chance to explore the beauty of Japan with his host-mom, Tomoko Ohashi.

“On one trip, we visited Lake Biwa and Hikone Castle,” Joshway said. “Everywhere we went looked straight out of a painting.”

While many tourists only scratch the surface of Japan, Joshway experienced daily life through experiences like shopping for groceries, commuting on trains, and even visiting car repair shops with his host mom.

“The guy who was coming to assist [my mom] got on his knees to discuss the issue with her car,” Joshway said. “On top of that, that same guy was so nice and non-judgmental when I was trying to speak Japanese, like he slowed down to help me practice speaking in that moment.”

This respect showed up more than once. It extended into every situation.

“I lost my train card, and it still got back to me,” Joshway said. “Japan has a great culture; they don’t expect anything in return for that good deed, they do it because it’s right.”

Weekdays were structured around school. After his first weekend in Nagoya, Joshway began attending language classes. School days lasted about six hours, Monday through Friday, and were taught completely in Japanese. 

“I went in only knowing basic Japanese,” Joshway said. “But the first day we went to class, the teacher would start talking in straight Japanese, and we just all looked at each other; we had no clue what they were saying.”

The program wasn’t focused on grades; the priority was learning. That freedom from pressure made it easier for Joshway to focus on truly understanding everything he was taught. Even though the school had very little homework, he chose to study at least two hours each night.

“The first time I looked at my Japanese textbook, I had no clue what anything meant,” Joshway said. “Now, when I look at it, I know every single word in the book.”

He also met many people with whom he can still call friends, but one stands out more from the others. Joshway built a close friendship with Leander, a Norwegian student in the program. They found many similarities in their interests and quickly became close friends.

“As soon as school ended, we would take subways around Nagoya,” Joshway said. “We hung out almost every day, went clothes shopping, and tried new food.”

When the month came to an end, leaving was harder than he had ever imagined. The night before leaving, he stayed up with Ohashi until 2 a.m., reflecting on the last month and the future. In the morning, emotions were high.

“I started crying while eating lunch,” Joshway said. “Then my host parents immediately started crying too. They both hugged me so many times that day.”

In the end, the emotional goodbyes topped off Joshway’s summer experience.

“Those final moments with all of us hugging and crying made me appreciate the experience so much more,” Joshway said. “It really was easily the best time of my life.”

Now that Joshway is back to school for his senior year, he has continued his journey to learning the Japanese language in his daily life. He commits at least an hour every day to studying Japanese, even going as far as to use his extra study hall for Japanese.

“Ever since I’ve come back, I’ve studied Japanese every single day,” Joshway said. “I have a counter on my phone, and it’s at 133 days straight now.”

His commitment even led him to change his phone and laptop languages to Japanese.

“I need to see it every day, it’s an obligation for me,” Joshway said. ”There’s not a single moment when I’m not trying to improve.”

Joshway also keeps his connection to his host family strong, exchanging messages with Ohashi every morning.

“Every morning, my host mother texts me,” Joshway said. “Every day when I wake up, I’m sort of sad that I’m not in Japan anymore.” 

He’s already making plans to return to Japan during Christmas break to see his host parents again. Looking more into the future, he sees himself visiting Japan many times as an adult, continuing to learn the language.

“I want to go back, not necessarily to live there, but to keep exploring,” Joshway said. “I am just going to take every opportunity I get to go back.”

Joshway has also started considering his college plans in Japan, with one of the main schools that he’s looking at being Sophia University in Tokyo, a Jesuit school where he would study global affairs.

“Japan gave me so much,” Joshway said. “Everything I do now is like one more step forward to getting back there again.”