Japan Field Lab: Diverse Cultures and Mass Communication

Ever since her parents gave her a classic Japanese animated film at the age of 12, Melissa Murphy, a gap yearstudent from North Carolina fell in love with Japan, immersing herself in Japanese artwork and studying the language. However, Melissa had never left the United States, much less been on an airplane, until she flew out to meet the ship in San Diego. In this piece, Melissa recounts what it was like to see firsthand the culture she has been vicariously experiencing for so many years.