JET Programme Series: Imagine The Incredible Stories Waiting For Me - Rhianna McKenzie

One of the first things you’ll find after Googling Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, is its natural parks. In 2012, it was found that natural parks made up 15 per cent of the prefecture’s land area. Coming from an island known the world over for its nightlife, fetes and Carnival revelry I would sometimes feel a bit out of touch as partying was never my thing. I do, however, feel right at home in and around nature and was overjoyed to learn I was placed in an area known for its natural beauty.

At 32-years-old, my journey to Japan has been a true test of persistence. I’m not ashamed to say I applied to the Jet programme four times in five years before being accepted this year. Fortunately, I was at home when I got the call and was free to jump around my bedroom and scream at the top of my lungs with excitement after hanging up. There were moments in that time, however, when I felt like giving up but something about Japan called to me still and I persevered, determined to make it there and immerse myself in a new and exciting culture. 

My introduction to Japanese culture began with a (probably unhealthy) obsession with Studio Ghibli films. Like most Japanese anime enthusiasts, I fell head over heels in love with Spirited Away and its portrayal of a land that seemed so foreign, yet familiar. Much like Trinidad and Tobago, Japan has densely forested areas and is surrounded by the ocean. As such, the influence of the country’s natural beauty plays a significant role in its stories and folklore, from the unique portrayal of forest spirits in Princess Mononoke to the imagining of life underwater in Ponyo. 

I have spent the past few weeks researching as much as I can about my new home, Kamisu City, Ibaraki, and am yet to be disappointed by my findings. Ibaraki has a population of 2.8 million people and a geographical area of 6,097.19 square kilometres (2,354.14 square miles). In comparison, Trinidad measures an estimated 4,768 square kilometres (1,841 square miles). It is located on Japan’s Eastern Pacific Coast to the northeast of Tokyo and is a part of the Greater Tokyo Area, the most populous metropolitan area in the world. 

Passing through Ibaraki is the Tone River, the second-longest in Japan, and also features natural tourist attractions such as Lake Kasumigaura, the Kairaku-en — one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan — and Mount Tsukuba, one of the country’s most famous mountains.

While I myself was not raised in the countryside, I would often visit my mother’s family in the Heights of Aripo and spent much of my childhood days splashing in the cold mountain waters that passed through the village. To live near water is a dream come true, especially for an island girl obsessed with the beach. While I am unlikely to find any Bake and Shark and aloo pies on an Ibaraki beach waterfront, I am still happy to be close enough to enjoy a dip from time to time. I’ll have to make my own pies, I suppose, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

I’ve spent the past few years as a journalist, first as a freelancer then two years as a full-time reporter, for Newsday Daily News. In this position, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know my country by writing about the people. I know there is so much more to Ibaraki that I won’t be able to Google. For now, it is enough to imagine the incredible stories waiting for me. 


JET Series: Imagine The Incredible Stories Waiting For Me (Japanese Embassy's Facebook) 

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