In spring 2024, undergrad Asher Wickman visited Japan for three months, but it left an impression that will last a lifetime.
After three years of middle school Spanish classes, three years of high school Latin courses, and a lifetime of interest in linguistics,
Asher Wickman (Linguistics ’25) started his undergrad at BYU wanting to try out another language: Japanese. Having experienced some aspects of Japanese culture in his friend’s home and in the media, he grew eager to explore further and enrolled in Japanese classes at BYU before eventually declaring a Japanese minor. Three years later, Wickman made his first visit to Japan, where he learned how understanding cultural differences can enrich his perceptions of the world—even his perceptions of spirituality.
Wings Down in Japan
During his first semester at BYU, Wickman enrolled in Japanese classes and was immediately interested in everything he learned. He also actively sought ways to immerse himself in Japanese culture outside of class, enlisting his roommate, who had grown up in the culture, to help. He says, “It was through him that my interest in the language kind of branched out to an interest in the culture more broadly. Through him, I was able to try authentic Japanese food and understand many important social customs.” This introduction inspired him to not only continue developing his language skills but to one day make the trip to Japan.
In spring 2024, Wickman finally made it to Japan through a Kennedy Center study abroad, where he spent eight weeks learning Japanese and traveling the country alongside his peers. During the first four weeks of class, he learned about Japanese history and culture and practiced using the language in real-life situations. Wickman explains, “We had a lot of assignments where we would talk about the vocabulary and sentence patterns for a certain situation then go out and practice with local people.” He recalls participating in testimony meetings and bringing gifts to his neighbors, all while using Japanese.
It was through him that my interest in the language kind of branched out to an interest in the culture more broadly.
Outside of classes and assignments, the group also traveled around Kyoto for the first four weeks, hiking and immersing themselves in the culture of the city. During their final four weeks of the trip, they visited other major cities in Japan, starting in Osaka and ending in Tokyo. As they made their way across Japan, the students stopped at war museums, landmarks, and castles, examining the country’s history firsthand.
Spirituality in the Details
Though Wickman enjoyed many different parts of his trip, the most impactful moments weren’t in the museums or landmarks he visited—they were had in religious temples and shrines. He says, “There was some really impressive architecture to see, but a lot of what stands out in my memory was being in these places that were built under totally different belief systems and with different ideas of spirituality in mind.” Though he found these religious monuments very different from those typical in his own tradition, Wickman says, “I could still feel a connection to my own faith as a Latter-day Saint.” In fact, seeing Japanese visitors in these temples introduced him to a new perspective on worship, helping him see bits of truth in the actions and intentions behind worship in temples, at shrines, and even at gravesites.
He also felt this spiritual connection as he explored Japan’s green terrain alongside his classmates. Wickman recalls that “a lot of [Japanese] cities try really hard to preserve nature within the city. Parks are common, even in the most urban areas, and wherever you go, trees are always visible.” The culture of preservation helped Wickman feel connected to nature wherever he went, even when just making his way around the city. Aside from their personal exploration, he and the other students would go to an observation point in each city and take in all the buildings and greenery together. Wickman says, “A lot of my memories—a lot of what stands out to me now—is the spiritual connection that I felt through those historical places and the stunning scenery of Japan.”
Bringing Japan Back to the US
Though Wickman only stayed in Japan for a couple months, he returned to the US with a new outlook on the world around him. He plans to continue developing his understanding of Japanese culture to keep the lessons he learned during his visit with him for life. Wickman explains, “It is worth making some sacrifices of time or energy or just personal comfort to go outside and give other people and other backgrounds a chance. There’s a lot of richness that I can’t put into words that comes from human interaction and realizing that the differences in all of us are so important—we all have such deep stories to tell.”
Find a study abroad that interests you on the Kennedy Center website.
