I am in Japan! I am here! I still can hardly believe it.
I am sitting in my quarantine room in the center of Tokyo, and when I look into the mirror in front of me, I see a very, very happy face!
The last six months and the last 36 hours were not easy!
But let's start at the beginning to bring you all up to date:
02.03.2021
The decision is made. I am going to Japan again!
But this time, not only for ten months and not only to travel and get to know the country, but to improve my language skills a lot, do my internship in a traditional Japanese hotel (Ryokan), and write my master thesis.
I am enrolling at the Japanese language institute KUDAN in Tokyo, as they offer the possibility to arrange ryokan jobs. Start in Japan should be 01.07.2021. The prospects are not bad despite Corona, and I start to organize everything with my contact partner Nicole. In May, I got the answer that my entry certificate (CoE) had been issued but that I could not enter Japan due to increasingly strict regulations.
June passes, and July arrives. In agreement with the language school, I postponed my start to 04.10.2021 and began to work in July for three months at Tegut in Weimar.
In September, I went to the Azores with my boyfriend Chris for three weeks, and I am looking forward to finally being able to fly.
September 2021
Under the hashtag (#) #educationisnottourism, more and more international students worldwide, led by the founder of the language school GoGoNihon, are campaigning for Japan to open up its borders. Since the signs are good, I decided with the language school that I would start my classes online on 04.10.2021, and then, as soon as I am allowed to enter the country, I will continue present in Japan.
The only drawback: I have to get up Mon-Fri at 00:30 because the lessons go from 1:10-4:40. In Japan, this is in the morning from 9:10-12:40. Not exactly ideal, but it is only for a few weeks. At least that was the idea.
October began, and the days dragged on. Little to no movement on the part of the Japanese government regarding the opening of the border, and I get up the everyday night to attend classes.
My teachers and classmates are great, and since we are only four students, including me, the classes are very substantial. I want to mention that I found my way into the new rhythm quite quickly and without any problems.
At 16:30, I went to bed with my sleeping mask and earplugs, and at 00:30, I got up again. Sometimes I lay down for 2-3 hours after class, but that was the exception.
Again and again, the question came: When are you finally coming to Japan?
Not only from my teachers and classmates but also from friends and acquaintances in the land of the rising sun.
I could only say again and again: I don't know yet.
December 2021
The first three months of language school are over, and I have two weeks off over Christmas and New Year's Eve.
In November, the Japanese borders were open for three weeks for international students, but the bureaucracy was so high and the offices so slow that just three students could enter.
I was now asked whether I would like to sit out the upcoming term and not continue until April, as it didn't look like the Japanese government would be opening the borders anytime soon.
However, since I was very comfortable with the time change and didn't want to waste valuable time, I rejected the idea and continued to attend night classes.
One grade level further, new teachers, new classmates, same class size. I was and still am very, very happy with that decision!
My language skills have improved so much in the last six months that I was able to go through almost the entire entry process in Japanese! That surprised even me.
March 2022
THE BORDERS ARE OPEN!!!
With the beginning of spring, the Japanese borders were opened for international students, trainees, interns, and business travelers!!!! Tourists still have to stay out, and the entry procedure is not without! Paperwork, documents, proofs. From school, doctors, and other institutions.
After my CoE was sent to Germany and I applied for my Berlin visa, everything suddenly went very, very fast.
I got my visa, booked my flight, quickly visited all the people I would miss when I was away, and then I left for Frankfurt on March 24, 2021.
The PCR Dilemma
Arrived in Frankfurt, I dutifully underwent an RT-PCR test and promptly had a positive result... However, since I did a quick test every day the week before and they were always negative, it seemed very mysterious to mom and me.
After the short nervous breakdown, all the essential and decision-making people were notified, seeking solutions.
Thanks to the objection of my dear mother-in-law that alcohol (homeopathic drops and mouth rinsing) can trigger a false positive result and the insistence that I should do another PCR test the next day, I decided to do it. I spent a relatively relaxed evening with Mom and Lena.
The following day I went to the test center again, where I was allowed to hear that something like this can NEVER happen (Here, please laugh once for a moment), I paid for another Express PCR test, and after a very long 45 minutes I had my negative test result. Catching!
The next hurdle opened up at the check-in because the system did not want to accept me. But since I knew that I had everything needed for entry, I stayed very relaxed, and after 30 minutes of phone calls, everything was done, and I could go to the security check.
From then on, I was on my own.
Thank you to all who believed in me and were there for me in this not-so-easy time.
The last six months were neither easy for me nor for my environment, and I am so incredibly grateful to all of you!
Thankful for your understanding and grateful for your responsiveness. I am pleased that you asked questions and asked me about my current situation but never questioned me and my dreams and idea or dismissed them as a pipe dream!
I appreciate your support, and thank you for always being there for me!
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