Living with a Japanese Host Family

Students have several opportunities to stay with local host families during excursions. We highly recommend that you take a tutorial at the following site to prepare yourself for these hose-stay experiences in Japan.

http://athome.nealrc.org/index.html

This tutorial will help you realize that the most important preparation for inter-cultural communication begins by learning to know that one’s own “common sense” might not be valid in the host culture and that most well-meaning natives of the host culture would not hold the same set of values as yours. Be ready to appreciate the warm welcome of your host family by learning to recognize the signs of hospitality in appropriate contexts. If you are able to do so, this home-stay experience will become the most rewarding and most memorable part of your study abroad!