It has been almost two months since I began spending days as a Japanese language tutor. There is a particular student from Taiwan who I’d like to tell you about. By spending time with her, I have come to learn both some advantages and disadvantages of Japan. She taught me some of these while some were learned by seeing things from the perspective of an international student.

　I’ve realized that one of the advantages of being in Japan is the kindness experienced at Japanese festivals. Actually, I had avoided going to my local festival because it is always too crowded. However, since my student has come all the way to Japan, I wanted to show her a Japanese festival, so I decided that we would go together this year. Since it was the first time in three years that the festival was held, it was expectedly very crowded, and I could feel that many people had been looking forward to it. I also thought it was wonderful to have an event like a festival where people of all genders and ages could gather together.

　On the other hand, there are some disadvantages in Japan such as the language barrier. When we tried to go through the process of opening a bank account at the post office, although the information on the website was available in multiple languages, the counter staff spoke only Japanese. I think that complex procedures with uncommon technical language should be described in the native language of each person concerned. I had mistakenly believed that English service was available in public institutions, but in fact, such places can be difficult to navigate for non-Japanese speakers.

　Also, she recently taught me one of her favorite Japanese songs called, “If there is anything I can do.” The lyrics and melody are so beautiful, and I really liked it as soon as I heard it. I have already decided to make a memorable video with this song to give her when she returns to Taiwan.

　Being her tutor has made me realize that there is much I, too, don’t know about my home country, so I have become interested in learning more. It has also strengthened my desire to be a part of a society where everyone can live safely and happily regardless of nationality. If there is anything I can do for my student, who has caused these positive changes in me, it would be to contribute to her pleasant memories of Japan.

　留学生のチューターとして過ごす日々が始まって、2か月が経とうとしている。そこで、私が担当している台湾からの留学生について話したいと思う。彼女と過ごす中で、これまで気づかなかった日本の魅力や課題が見えてきた。これらは、彼女に教えてもらったこともあれば、留学生の視点から物事を見るようになり学んだこともある。

　私が気付いた魅力の一つは、お祭りでの人の温かさだ。私は人混みが苦手で、地元のお祭りに行くのを避けていたが、せっかくなので彼女に日本のお祭りを見せたいと思い、今年は一緒に行くことにした。3年ぶりの開催ということもあって、とても賑わっていて、楽しみに待っていた人がたくさんいることを感じた。そして、お祭りのように性別や年齢を問わず集まれる場所があることは素敵だと思った。

　一方、課題としては言語の壁が挙げられる。郵便局での手続きの際、サイトなどは多言語に対応しているものの、窓口では日本語しか通じなかった。私は、普段使わない単語を使う複雑な手続きは、それぞれの母国語で行われるべきだと思う。公共機関では英語が使えると思っていたが、実際には日本語話者以外にとって、どこでも安心して利用できるわけではないとわかった。

　また、新たに知ったものとして、彼女の好きな日本人歌手の「僕にできること」という曲がある。聴いてみると、歌詞もメロディもとても美しく、私もすぐに好きになった。実は既に、彼女が帰国するときに、この曲を使って思い出をまとめた動画をつくろうと決めている。

　私は、彼女のチューターになったことで、母国についても知らないことが多いと実感し、興味を持つことができた。また、国籍にかかわらず、誰もが安全で幸せに暮らせる社会を望む気持ちを強くした。こうしたポジティブな変化を与えてくれた彼女に対して、「私にできること」があるとすれば、日本での楽しい思い出を増やすことだろう。