By Grace Simmons

This summer, I am working as a Global English Camp intern for a company called Come On Out Japan. The goal of the program is to help Japanese high school students improve their English speaking confidence and reflect on their future goals with a 5 day curriculum.

So far, my days have been spent navigating the Tokyo subway system during rush hour, exploring cities with my coworkers, and learning more about Japanese culture and education through training week.

Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park Rooftop Garden

Like California, earthquakes are very common in Japan. Due to this, in Odaiba, all of the interns underwent Disaster Training in Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park.

Signs like the one above highlight the emphasis Japan places on citizens working together to help each other when disaster strikes. Fun Fact: In the case of an emergency, it is possible to MacGyver an arm sling out of a plastic bag.

Color Coded Trash Bags My House Manager Gifted Me

Speaking of plastic bags, another thing covered during training week was trash. Garbage is sorted according to Bottles, Cans, Plastics, Paper, Combustible, and Incombustible waste in order to be more eco-friendly.

Pro-tips to keep the electricity bill from jumping unexpectedly on your housemates

My Shared House Post Floating-Noodle Party

During Training Week, Come on Out also covered cultural differences related to living in a shared house: Everything from common sense things like not leaving the air conditioning running in an empty room to how to cope with the rarity of dryers in Japan.

Ringing in the end of training week with an overnight trip to Hakone

Overall, Training Week has been fun and informative! Tomorrow is my first day teaching, and I am really excited to meet my students, apply what I have learned, and help them to improve their English speaking confidence as well as think about their life missions.