DTS - My Japanese Friend

My high school 

My Japanese friend

My country, Korea, had been occupied by Japan for 35 years from 1910 to 1945.  Koreans share this history and it instilled bad feeling in Korean toward Japan and Japanese people.  This is the story about how I overcame the cultural stereotype about Japanese people. I also decided to solve this complicated matter between two countries rationally rather than emotionally through this project. 

I remember the day I met my Japanese friend Yuki for the first time.  She had black long hair and was wearing a pretty, red sweater.  It was at the student exchange program at my high school.  Since my high school is a foreign language high school, it was allied with several schools in China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan.  I attended a program with a Japanese school and Yuki and I had stayed together in my house for a week. 

This was the first time that I met Japanese people who I had met only in the history book.  In the history book, they inflicted us a deep wound; we fought for independence but we were defeated many times.  For these reasons, at the first time, I did not know how to treat Yuki.  She was polite, kind, and nice to me; but, I could not get rid of thoughts of historical events.  I just talked and treated her well not to be rude; however, it was not always from the bottom of my heart.  Perhaps, she could feel that I did not sincerely like her. 

After a few days, she watched people cheering for the soccer game and she asked me, why Korean people become emotionally wild when they watch the soccer game which is Korea vs. Japan.  I was confused at the first time; but I started to talk about the days that Koreans had in the past. I told her that many people was killed, injured, and separated from family for the war during the occupation.  She was embarrassed and shocked by the history that she did not know.  She felt sorry towards me and other Korean students for what her ancestors did in the past.  Seeing that she felt guilty about the history, I felt shame about having a stereotype towards her even though she had no fault in these events.  At that moment, I thought like ‘maybe, she is not even connected with the history because she could not choose her native country’.

I also apologized that I had prejudice towards her and had not treated her sincerely.  She brightly smiled and said “You are fine. If I were you, I could think just like you.”  She was generous and her words touched and melted my frozen heart which was full of discrimination.  Through the conversation and apologizing to each other, we became close friends.

While she stayed in my house, we went to a lot of attractions in Seoul, which is the capital of Korea.  For example, we went to an amusement park, a palace, and a traditional village.  In the traditional village, Japanese students tried on “Hanboks” which are Korean traditional clothes.   We also made a small drawer with Korean traditional patterns.  We really enjoyed all the activities that we did together and felt a connection.  Even though our ancestors fought each other with weapons, we held hands together and recognized each other as close friends.  In that moment, we were just two high school girls without nationalities.

I know it will take long time for Japan and Korea to have amicable attitude to each other.  We may never be able to change our mind even if many decades pass.  However, it is certain that if there is reconciliation between common people like Yuki and me, it can be easier to let Korean forgive Japanese for occupation or shorten the time for it.  I value the friendship between Yuki and I, and I will never forget her for the rest of my life.