Angelinne Moreno (Miyagi)
“I really had no idea about Japan at all”, Richard Halberstadt shares as he recounts his initial considerations before moving from Berkshire, England to Yamagata, Japan at the age of 22 in 1988.
Born to a British mother and German father, Mr. Halberstadt always enjoyed studying foreign languages. After studying French, German, and Latin in school, Mr. Halberstadt contemplated challenging himself in university. At the time, right in the middle of the 80s, Japan was a new economic powerhouse. Ultimately, grand ideas of becoming a Japanese-speaking bank investor led Mr. Halberstadt to choose Japanese.
Majoring in Japanese at the University of London meant he would extend a regular three-year program to four years. The curriculum there provided Mr. Halberstadt the opportunity to study the language in Osaka, Japan in between semesters during a home stay. Having studied in the school’s language department, students were well aware of the JET Programme which launched in 1987. After finishing school, Mr. Halberstadt decided to return to Japan and joined the second JET Programme cohort in 1988.
Mr. Halberstadt was placed in a single private senior high school in Yamagata prefecture. Significantly less JET alumni and no internet in 1988 had a big impression on Mr. Halberstadt’s experience of the JET program in its early years. Mr. Halberstadt explained how things are now much more organized with many more resources available for everyone.
Many years later, Mr. Halberstadt would laugh at a letter he wrote a friend at the beginning of his stay in Japan, “This is a really interesting country but I could never imagine living here.”
Flash forward to 1993, Mr. Halberstadt had long dismissed the idea of financial banking and instead completed his time as a JET, gone home to earn a Master’s degree, and returned to teach in Miyagi, Japan for the next 20 years. Mr. Halberstadt recalled initially struggling to interact with the Japanese community in Ishinomaki. Working at a university meant more time alone in an office rather than at a desk surrounded by other teachers in a staff room.
Feeling quite bored and lonely, Mr. Halberstadt saw no reason to refuse an invitation from the Ishinomaki Junior Chamber to take part in their theatrical group looking for non-Japanese people to take part in a play. Eventually, the Junior Chamber members took an interest in Mr. Halberstadt and his Japanese speaking abilities. In 1994 they invited him to join their organization which got him much more involved in the Ishinomaki community and connected him to people from all walks of life.
“That really was what made my life in Ishinomaki blossom. We would have fights while I was doing all this Junior Chamber stuff and that is kind of proof that you’re in. Because they wouldn’t do that with a guest, would they?”
Then came March 11, 2011. The Great East Japanese earthquake was a level 7 on the Japanese shindo scale, the largest ever recorded in Japan. Statistics reveal just how devastating an event this triple tragedy was on account of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident. It resulted in more than 19,000 deceased, more than 2000 missing, and hundreds of thousands of damaged homes.
Mr. Halberstadt also speaks of it as the most difficult part of his experience in Japan. He was in his university office when the earthquake struck. He remembers hearing the quake before feeling it which was how he knew it would be a big one. He clung to his desk as books flew all around him for about three minutes. The tsunami that followed less than an hour later required him to seek shelter at a friend’s hotel for several days. He learned of the enormity of the disaster and about close friends who didn’t make it. The British embassy urged him to return but after speaking with friends and getting as far as Sendai, Mr. Halberstadt made the difficult decision to return and stay in Ishinomaki. He remains a member of the community there today.
The community of Ishinomaki was the strongest hit by the disaster. Over 20,000 houses were completely destroyed and over 3,000 people lost their lives as 73 square kilometers of land was inundated. Currently, Mr. Halberstadt directs the Ishinomaki City Kadonowaki Elementary School Ruins. The center preserves school ruins that keep the memory of the disaster alive and pass down the lessons learned to future generations.
Today, Mr. Halberstadt continues to be passionate about communication and international friendships. He finds it immensely rewarding to be able to use his English and Japanese skills to continue to contribute to his community.
“I think people are always too keen to put people in boxes and look at the differences. I think I’ve got a lot of people to notice that non-Japanese and Japanese people are not so different. Even if there’s some differences in culture and understanding, you’re still basically the same human being. I’m passionate about getting that across to people.”
Author Bio:
Angelinne Moreno is a 1st year JET ALT from Miami, Florida. She is based in Miyagi prefecture where she enjoys volunteering and hiking. She also enjoys traveling and taking pictures in her free time.