日本語
English
नेपाली
What motivated you to participate in the Otonari-san program?
I learned about this program from a foreign friend.
Before participating, I had few Japanese friends and was very shy, so even when I had the opportunity to communicate with Japanese people, I found it hard to approach them. There were Japanese colleagues at my workplace, but we rarely talked outside of work. I wanted to get used to spending time with Japanese people, so I decided to join Otonari-san.
How did you interact with Otonari-san over the past six months?
We first exchanged messages online and then made plans to meet. We took a walk together and she showed me some of her favorite local spots. When we met for the second time, she invited me to her home, where we talked with her family and spent time playing board games together.
Since then, I started spending time at her house with her family. I was very happy to observe and actually experience how Japanese people spend time at home, and I believe it was a great experience. At least once a month, we enjoyed preparing meals together, chatting after dinner, and playing board games, spending about five hours together each time.
What made me especially happy was making takoyaki together. It was my first time making takoyaki from scratch using ingredients I don't usually use, and I was really delighted to make and eat it together.
Otonari-san was a very friendly person, and I always looked forward to meeting her. Perhaps because Otonari-san is a mother, there was a warm atmosphere that made it easy to talk about anything, and I felt very comfortable. I also enjoyed conversations with her children. They welcomed me warmly, and we had lively discussions about school and studies, which gave me a different experience compared to talking with adults.
I expressed my desire to continue interacting with Otonari-san even after the program ended, but recently I've been busy and haven't been able to connect much. However, I definitely want to maintain my relationship with Otonari-san moving forward.
What changes have you experienced in your daily life or within yourself through your interactions with Otonari-san?
I have become accustomed to talking with Japanese people, so I can now actively engage with other Japanese individuals as well. Thanks to Otonari-san, I feel like my shyness has disappeared. Since Otonari-san didn't speak much English, I had many opportunities to converse in Japanese, and by talking with Otonari-san's family about various topics, I was able to overcome my shyness, for which I am very grateful.
I am very grateful for my relationship with Otonari-san. The more time we spent together, the closer we became, making me feel like I had a family in Japan. I became accustomed to speaking Japanese and learned about what a Japanese home is like, how daily life unfolds, and how weekends are spent. Additionally, I observed Otonari-san teaching manners to the children, which helped me learn about etiquette, such as how to hold chopsticks.
Please provide advice for foreigners who are interested in participating in the Otonari-san program in the future.
I think it's important to be clear about what you hope to gain from this program.
I was interested in how Japanese people live in their homes, so I communicated this to the OFP coordinator and was able to get what I wanted. Therefore, I believe it is important for participants to have a clear purpose and to effectively communicate their needs to the coordinator.
I am very grateful to have been able to participate in this program. I hope that many foreigners like me living in Japan will have the opportunity to join this wonderfully helpful program to become familiar with the Japanese language and culture.