Walk Down Memory Lane: Japan 1989

                                                                                                            

                                       

3-Month Automotive Wiring Training in Japan 🗾

My First Airplane Flight ✈

Who would have thought that the very first job I applied for would give me a chance to go to Japan?  It felt completely surreal. Up until then, I had only seen the country in pictures. But reality check: this overseas training program was actually sending me to work in Japan!

As exciting as it was, it also meant this would be my first time riding an airplane. People told me the takeoff feels just like an elevator with a sudden upward push. The problem? I get terrible motion sickness. Oh no, what am I going to do?  

I was a massive ball of nerves and excitement. My only prayer was to avoid the window seat, the last thing I needed was to stare at the shifting clouds and get dizzy. Luckily, I landed an aisle seat. My strategy? Pretend to be asleep the entire flight and hope for the best.

Trivia:

Do you know why Japan is known as "The Land of the Rising Sun"? From China, it appears that the sun rises from the direction of Japan. The Japanese people call their country "Nippon" or "Nihon," which literally means "source of the sun". It is loosely translated into English as "land of the rising sun". (Credit to Google) 

Favorite Memory: First Icy Breath in Japan 

My first memory of Japan was the "icy breath". My personal theory was that cold weather simply turns your warm words into smoke. 

Turns out, Google had a much more sophisticated explanation. It's actually a liquid form of your breath. When warm water vapor exits your body, the freezing air forces those minuscule droplets of water to clump together, forming a tiny, temporary cloud.

Real science or not, it completely brought out our inner childhood. My batchmates and I spent our time acting like pure kids, intentionally blowing misty clouds at each other and talking just to see our words take shape.

Batch 29 - Gotemba, Japan

Work Experiences in a  Nutshell:

Our training started with an intensive, one-day crash course. Armed with handbooks, we studied the complex anatomy of an automobile wiring harness. Thankfully, our instructor, Sir Fidel Frani, was Filipino, so there was no language barrier, and we absorbed his instructions easily.

Afterward, we were assigned to a gym that would serve as our training center for the next three months.  Our group, Batch 29, was a unique crew of 17 females and 3 males. To get us up to speed, the company used a "buddy-buddy" system where the graduating batch personally trained us before we officially took over their stations.

The real challenge began on the line. We had to lay out wires on a jig board that was constantly moving on a conveyor belt. Trying to match our hands to the speed of the conveyor to hit our daily targets was incredibly stressful, and it took everything we had just to keep up.

Apartment Chores/Assignment:

Our living situation felt exactly like a boarding house. We were packed four or five to an apartment, sharing two bedrooms, a kitchen, a toilet, and a shower room. My roommates were Jonalyn, Emmie, Lileth, and Vilma. 

I was the only one in the group who didn't know how to cook. To balance things out, my designated chores were washing the dishes and taking out the trash at night. Honestly, I didn't mind the dishes at all, it’s actually my favorite chore!

Taking out the garbage, was a completely different story. Every night when I stepped outside with the trash, the streets were completely abandoned. My brain would instantly replay every scary movie scene I had ever watched. We lived on the fourth floor, and the moment I dropped the trash bag into its designated spot, I would sprint back up the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me.

Coming from the Philippines, where people are always hanging out in the streets or gathering outside sari-sari stores, the silence was jarring. It made me wonder: what’s actually scarier? A crowded street, or a completely empty one?

Favorite Activity with Batchmates:

When it was our rest day, our favorite way to unwind was singing Rey Valera's classic songs. We would sing our hearts out to his famous Filipino ballads, letting the nostalgic lyrics fill the room.

Meanwhile, some of my batchmates would cook up comforting pots of sinigang and adobo. The familiar aroma of home-cooked Filipino food paired with our favorite music became our ultimate remedy for homesickness. 

For most of us, being separated from our families for the first time brought a wave of complex emotions, but these little weekend traditions kept us grounded and comforted. 

Most Memorable Batch Outing:

As a special treat, our batch was given an unforgettable day trip to an amusement park near Mt. Fuji called Nihonland. It was a day of massive firsts for us, our very first time experiencing both thrilling roller coasters and snow sledding! 

I’ll never forget the exact moment I finally touched real snow. My immediate thought was, “So, this is what snow feels like!” To be completely honest, it felt exactly like the crushed ice we put in our drinks back home. 

We happily spent the day taking endless solo and group photos against the gorgeous winter backdrop, completely enjoying every single minute of our special day out.

Gotemba, Shizuoka-Ken:

For the three months of our contract, the city of Gotemba became our home. Located in Shizuoka Prefecture, this beautiful area sits right at the foot of the iconic Mt. Fuji. 

Because of that, we were treated to a view of the mountain almost every single day, making it the ultimate, picture-perfect backdrop for all of our photos!

                                      

Japanese Traditions and Habits:

My time in Japan exposed me to a culture built entirely on respect, safety, and mindfulness. Here are a few of the incredible habits and traditions I came to admire most:

• The Universal Bow: Japanese people are incredibly modest and humble.  As a form of greeting and respect, they will bow their heads to you; even if you are a complete stranger.

• Shoes Off at the Door: You must always remove your shoes before entering a home. It's a beautifully simple, practical habit for keeping living spaces clean and hygienic.

• A Grateful "Itadakimasu": Saying this polite phrase before every meal is a beautiful way of expressing deep gratitude to whoever prepared the food.

• Pedestrian Royalty: Whenever you step up to a crosswalk, vehicles will instantly stop to let you pass safely. Coming from the Philippines, this level of road courtesy was a breath of fresh air!

• Morning "Taiso" Workouts: I’ll always remember the Radio Taiso stretching exercises we did together as a company right before starting our work shifts.

I am endlessly grateful to have experienced these beautiful cultural practices firsthand. As our contract came to an end, our batch was a complete mess of mixed emotions, torn between the excitement of going back to the Philippines and the sadness of leaving Japan behind.

Wait. There's More...
Unexpected Detour in Thailand:

Our journey home took a wild turn on May 18. Our batch, along with two other trainee groups from Yaizu and Ohama, were scheduled to fly back to the Philippines. But a massive storm had other plans; it made landing at our home airport completely impossible.

We ended up stranded in Thailand for three days and two nights! Thankfully, Egypt Air stepped up. Not only did they put all the stranded passengers up in a comfortable airport hotel, but they also treated us to a completely free tour of Thailand to make up for the delay.

We spent our bonus days exploring Thailand's magnificent sacred shrines and majestic temples. Ironically, I couldn’t capture a single memory because my camera completely ran out of film! But as fate would have it, I returned to Thailand four years later, and you can bet I took enough pictures to make up for lost time.

You can read the personal blog about the overseas training in Thailand 1993.

We're going back to the Philippines...

After an unforgettable detour, our plane finally landed safely on Philippine soil. The cabin instantly burst into cheers and applause. 

We hadn't been able to communicate with our families for three days, so being home was pure relief. Thank God for a safe return and for the incredible journey of a lifetime.