Marisa Nieto- Blog Abroad
Blog #1
Currently it’s Thursday, and I have basically one more day till the end of my program is over. So much has happened such as trying onigiri for the first time at a 7/11, figuring out the train system (If you can do that, nothing will stand in your way), learning the route to school, going to so many different cities and each being completely different. One can be more focused on fashion and shopping like Harajuku and Shinjuku, some more quiet like Ekoda where I stayed for program, or Enoshima which was near the beach and had a completely different vibe, and it's crazy to think that all of these places were all near Tokyo, some just a 20 minute train ride from each other yet it felt like a completely different city. Within each town/district there’s a million things to do, for example Ekoda, although it’s more of a residential neighborhood, there were a million food places, like ramen, udon, pasta, american, ect. They were all unique, like it could be a ramen place that specialized in pork dishes or had a certain type of broth or there could be some that offered a little bit of everything. I really enjoyed just going into random shops and seeing what they were about, I got to try so many different foods that way and got to buy unique trinkets and souvenirs, like a Peanuts magazine that came with a Rolled Ice Cream freezer as its free gift from a Book Off, one of the popular book store chains there. What was really interesting about it was that it was all within a 3 minute walk from either the station or the hotel, all the shops were packed next to each other, with vending machines at every turn. There was literally a convenience store next door to my hotel, open 24/7 filled with stationary, snacks, drinks, frozen foods, hot foods, clothes, toiletries, cleaning products, pretty much anything you could need right there. Also not to mention the 3 convenience stores, 2 under 100 yen stores, 2 second hand shops, and probably 8 vending machines from the 6 minute walk between the station towards my path to the hotel. Convenience is taken to another level here. I’ve met so many different people and friends who’ll remain close even after the program ends. Overall there’s been so many different experiences not only from school events like Calligraphy and the Tea Ceremony but also the experiences I’ve had with friends like Karaoke, Uno in a random park, in the same program who come from all across America but also the friends I’ve made at school who are local to Tokyo. Two weeks have gone by and I feel as though I’m in the middle platform between two passing trains, wondering which train will take me where. I’ve been on so many journeys, to so many places, but my journey isn’t quite done yet, so I await for the next train to lead me to my next destination, not truly knowing what awaits. I’m excited, nervous, and most of all, ready! June 2025
Blog #2
School--very similar to ones we have here, big classrooms, a cafeteria, the usual, but here it’s a little different. Instead of the boring old chair we got cushions! That made anime viewing day a lot more enjoyable plus the addition of snacks, the ones bought from 7/11, the 7/11 across the street of course where you could get anything from smoothies to pizza buns (pizza buns will be mentioned a lot in these blogs, an innovative food that combines my love of pizza with my love of convenience, you can take them anywhere, they’re great) and the drinks bought from our very own vending machine right down the hall. The classes were fast paced, going through different topics each day, manga to anime, to video games to sports, anything to do with Japanese Pop-Culture. My favorite were the days where we learned about Anime and Manga, important people who shaped the industry and notable shows from different genres and how these different genres influence other creators within the medium as well as its influence on western animation and storytelling as well. We took field trips to the Suginami Museum to see how animation is made, and Akihabara for it’s anime culture like merchandising in video games, figurines, manga, etc. How anime and manga has a market. After school I’d meet up with my friends to go do something like karaoke,finding something new to eat, shopping, or playing uno in the park, ect. There was always something new and exciting we wanted to try. The program itself wasn’t too big, roughly 100 participants, but throughout these 2 weeks, I got to know a lot of people. I’d see a few of us at the train stop and we’d ride to school together, or meet a few friends hanging out while waiting for our laundry to dry or doing last minute presentations for our classes. At school we’d always greet each other in the halls or in the cafe whenever we had a break. It was really nice knowing everyone, even people outside my class, friends outside the program and students attending the school. It was a great community. From this program I’ve met very wonderful people who I still talk to despite the program ending almost a month ago. To close this one out, I’m grateful to the amazing people I’ve met and how much better this experience has been with them.June 2025
Blog #3
Food, Culture, Shopping and excursions. Coming back to ABQ, I was immediately tired and tired for days. Japan had finally caught up, all the miles I walked, all the places I've been, it had all set in the moment I hit home. Everyday, I had gone somewhere, doing something, and taking the train and walking to get there but back home I felt like I had nowhere to walk. My brother and I agree that there should be a Lawson’s conveniently down the street. At Lawson's, they could have anything you need, I think it would do numbers here, Imagine a campus Lawson! I also miss the food!! Not only was it so good, it was also relatively affordable, like a full Tonkatsu (pork cutlets and one of my favorite meals out there) with rice, miso soup and garnishings for around $8! A McDonalds Big Mac Meal for $6! The food was good everytime, usually cooked right after you ordered and the restaurants were always open late. There are also themed restaurants too, I tried a few at Universal like the Donkey Kong Ice Cream shop that had banana ice cream topped with waffle cones and strawberries. The presentation for anywhere I went was also top notch. Not only the food but any merchandising as well. Even the packaging was on-theme! (I have way too many boxes and bags then I’d like to admit). They have stuff for everything, like this one time I went to the Emerging Science museum in Koto, the first exhibition featured different types of robots and animatronics that did unique things but one in particular was a blue seal who would interact to touch by either moving, making sounds such as squealing or flapping its flipper. It was pretty cool and I recommend checking it out if you’re in the area, but anyway, in the merchandise store, who do I see front and center? The blue baby seal, guess what, in sticker form! The sticker itself is made out of felt! Like what! That has got to be one of the coolest things, at least to me. I love stickers, especially unique ones like scented, 3-d, textured, and there were so many resin ones I brought home. I love stationary and art supplies so naturally that was a bulk of the souvenirs I brought back. A word of advice if you travel to Japan, but I think this really applies anywhere, if you really like something and it’s within budget, get it because you probably won’t see it anywhere else and you’ll probably be too busy to go back and get it. As Marge once said, “It’ll be good for the economy”.June 2025
Blog #4
Culture. What inspired me to go to Japan for my study abroad was the culture and how engrained it is in their art and I want to do the same with the art that I make, with Spanish and Native American influences in an animation or comic medium. Everyday things are shown in anime or manga like vending machines and light posts, even at school I heard the famous jingle most anime have in my school. Even the cicadas chirping in the morning like it was a start to an episode. It was surreal to see these things in person and experience them first hand. Through the program I participated in, (CIS- Summer in Tokyo) they exposed us to more traditional aspects of Japanese culture such as Kimono wearing (Yukata technically since it was summer), calligraphy and a traditional tea ceremony where we actively participated in the process and learned the correct way and how to do it respectively and learned the meaning and history behind these traditions. For example, Japanese calligraphy is an art form, it’s stylized and unique to the artist, each stroke has meaning and consideration: Is the line thin or thick? Where should each splatter fall? Which word should be emphasized? Is it fluid or strong? It feels like a dance almost. I love to do calligraphy, but when I do, I focus on the way it looks, if it’s correct and fix it if it’s not, but the beauty in Japanese calligraphy is that mistakes belong, and even if it’s not what you're intending, you accept it and carry on. The environment in all of the classes, calligraphy and the tea ceremony, have always had a sense of calmness, a sense of unity that everyone is welcomed and that everyone belongs. Any mistake is just “a happy accident’”. It felt like a Bob Ross episode. They were super nice and respectful and it showed in their work as well. Every move was intentional and had a purpose. They were confident and dedicated. I love art because it can be expressed in so many different ways and it can tell a million different stories. Art can be free, it can be disciplined, it can tell a narrative or can exist as is and its interesting when culture inspires art because it can also be inspired as well. Culture in art tells a story of our past and our present and what makes it unique.June 2025
Blog #5
When my family came, it was a bittersweet moment. It meant that I could show them all the cool things Japan had to offer, all the new experiences I would have with them and overall, I could feel a bit at ease, a sense of comfort, a feeling of being “at home” when they were here, but also that’s when the realization set in, that my program, everyone I knew and the things I became familiar with would soon leave. Within those two weeks it feels as if two months had passed. I had a routine, get up at 7 am, leave by 8:30 although it was usually by 8:50 instead, take the train on platform 2 to Ikebukuro, then take the Yamanote line to Shin-Okubo, then, in the evenings, before bed, head to Lawsons to grab breakfast for tomorrow. I took the same route everyday, saw the same shops, same people. It started to become my new normal despite it being so completely different from my life in Albuquerque where we have no train, no Lawsons. It was sad to leave everything I had become familiar with these past 2 weeks. When my family came though, it felt like I had restarted, to new towns, new places. It was the same Japan but to me it felt different. I’m very grateful to be able to experience Japan in these ways, it has allowed me to try so many things, things I had never planned or expected. Hanging out with different people had proved that, as each day was a different vibe like eating pizza buns after school with one friend while we figured out what to do and wandered the town, another day I went to Disney with another friend who’s never been and exploring Disney Sea, which is unique to Tokyo. Another day, shopping with a fellow artist and spending hours looking through 6 floors of art supplies. None of these were planned but naturally fell into place, and it reminds me of a quote our calligraphy teacher taught us, “一期一会”, Ichi go Ichi e, “one moment one life”, that this experience will never be replicated exactly and is unique to right now so live fully in the moment. I’m grateful to have had these moments with each person. They’ve truly created an unforgettable experience and I’ve got to learn so much about them through these moments. If you get the chance to go, take it. I can say, 100% that my life has changed, my perspective has changed and from my time there, I am reminded of how different things can seem and that things can change. Try new things, meet different people and listen to their stories and value them for who they are and what makes them who they are. Be open to trying, be open to change, open to failing and figuring out how to fix it. Open to being present. As Gazelle once said, “Try Everything".June 2025
