"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." — writer Terry Pratchett
This month, thousands of Japanese students will begin the often life-changing journey of studying abroad, hoping to have an experience like no other.
According to the Institute of International Education's Project Atlas, there are around 65,000 Japanese students studying overseas in any given year. A quarter of these students (24 percent) choose the United States as their destination. Of course, that could have a lot to do with pre-established relationships between universities and agencies, but the point is that many Japanese students are experiencing American culture, and, consequently, experiencing the sensation of leaving behind their home country.