When going through Tokyo, the first thing to learn is to “do as the locals do”. I think a big part of my experience so far is trying to follow suit in what everyone else is doing, whether standing on the left side of the escalator or lining up for the trains. This way you get a view of the culture’s mannerisms, such as the concept of not inconveniencing others during commute. So far, I have found that there are quite a few unspoken rules to follow on the trains. Things like “not talking on the phone”, “wear your heavy book bag on your front”, and “not talking loudly” are just a few of them and these all are significant rules that are identifiers to tell if are sticking out. This is why I said learning to do as locals do is a key point to learning how to not inconvenience anyone and to stick out as much. In America, I think it is common to stand out but in Japan, I think it makes it even more clear that you differ from everyone else.
I would also say that it’s important to do things that make you happy when studying abroad it’s like you are in another world (And actually, looking at the time difference you kinda are!). This is my first time studying abroad and going out of my norm to experience the world differently so there are going to be struggles, whether initial culture shock or not being able to find things I’m looking for at a store. Where it feels like you’ve been flipped on your head, the world has turned into something you have not combated before, and you feel clueless its important to prioritize the things that makes you happy. A bit profound and a bit oblivious as it is, you’d be shocked how easy it is to loss yourself in the hussle and bussle of the city and