Life of a Twin (Foreigner) in Japanese High School

As children, we spent around five years living in Japan and Nepal consecutively. However, we moved back to Nepal and continued our education in Nepal. We enrolled in a school and completed our elementary and junior high school education. At that time, we did not have any proficiency in Japanese, although we knew a few words due to our father’s work with Japanese people. Despite not speaking the language, we were frequently exposed to Japanese culture and customs.

We traveled to Japan for high school, where we were given a mere six months to master the language and pass an entrance exam and interview in Japanese. We dedicated ourselves to arduous study, putting forth our best effort to learn the language. After our six-month preparation, we were admitted into a high school in Yokohama, marking a new chapter in our lives. As we had been able to enroll in the high school in such a short time, we even received a grant of 100,000 yen, approximately equivalent to Rs.1 lakh, from the Kanagawa prefecture. Despite passing the exams, our speaking and listening skills were lacking, and we could hardly engage in sustained conversations. As we entered a school populated solely by native Japanese speakers, we felt apprehensive about interacting with our classmates. Nonetheless, our peers were exceedingly friendly, and we communicated as best we could, even though we couldn’t understand each other fully. We spent time together outside of school, exploring the best hangout spots in Yokohama. With plenty of school clubs to choose from, we opted to join the dance club, as most of our friends were involved with it. Thanks to our determination and hard work, our Japanese proficiency skyrocketed, and within a year of living in Japan, we passed the challenging N2 level. With all the courses taught exclusively in Japanese, and surrounded by Japanese-speaking peers, we quickly acclimated to the language and the culture. We eagerly anticipated school, as it was a joyous and exciting experience.

In our second year, we decided to join the soccer club, where we had the privilege of playing alongside some of the players from Yokohama FC and Tokyo FC junior teams. The experience proved invaluable, as it greatly enhanced our skills and earned us a coveted spot on the starting 11 for our school team, filling us with immense pride. We devoted a significant portion of our time to both football and academics, striving to excel in both areas. As the year progressed, we forged strong bonds with our Japanese peers, making us feel comfortable and confident in attending classes and fully comprehending the material. Our school trip to Okinawa remains a cherished memory, as we created numerous unforgettable moments with our newfound friends.

Because our family was residing in Japan, we did not face difficult problems outside school. The third year was extremely tough as everyone started preparing for “center shiken” (University Entrance Examination) to go to the university. Although we knew we wanted to eventually settle in Japan, we decided to pursue our undergraduate studies in a different country. During our third year of high school, we established a strong network of Japanese friends whom we knew we could rely on. The deep bonds we formed with our peers made us feel right at home in Japan. As we approached the end of our high school journey, we experienced a range of emotions, knowing that our time in this unique environment was coming to a close. Nonetheless, we made the most of every day, cherishing every moment and living life to the fullest.

Studying abroad allowed us to broaden our perspectives and exposed us to fresh ideas and approaches to learning. Our education at a Japanese high school provided us with a wealth of knowledge and experiences that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Being twins helped us to fit in. The teachers used to have a hard time as they used to confuse us for our identity and they used to always try to identify between us. Our friends also always used to ask us if they were correctly identifying us. We had an easy time fitting in because we were twins.

One day, Siddhanta fell ill, but his team made it to the finals and he couldn’t participate in the football match. Siddhartha took on Siddhanta’s identity and played in the game. While their classmates were aware of the switch, the teachers and officials remained oblivious to the fact that a different player was on the field.

Since we were in different classes, we frequently swapped classes, benefiting from having friends in both. Surprisingly, the teachers never discovered their classroom swapping, leading to an amusing and intriguing situation.

We also enjoyed playing pranks on our teachers, adding to the excitement. However, despite their mischievous activities, the teachers never suspected our involvement, making the situation even more interesting.