With one of my host families, 1976

the year that changed my life

text and photographs courtesy of Adrian Ahern

In each issue of jstyle, we ask an Australian to remember their special relationship with Japan

My connections with Japan go back more than 30 years, but began with a notice in the local newspaper. It was in 1975, in the southern NSW city of Albury, when I read how Rotary clubs were offering one-year student exchanges. I was selected and the next year, at age 16, headed off to Japan.

In those days there was little opportunity to learn about Japanese culture, other than from the local library. As for Japanese language, Rotary organised a two-week "crash course" for exchange students. After the two weeks, I could do little more than introduce myself.

I stayed with two families in Japan. The first lived on the outskirts of Mobara City in Chiba Prefecture, where the father was a house painter. My second family owned a tea shop in the centre of town. No one in my host families spoke English. I attended Chosei Senior High School. Apart from an Irish priest, I was the only "gaijin" (foreigner) in the district.

I remain incredibly grateful for the way my host families and schoolmates accepted me into their lives, allowing me insight into daily life in Japan. And daily life took some getting used to.

School was highly regimented. We attended six days a week and we boys wore uniforms modeled on the 19th century Prussian army. Students rarely asked questions and everyone studied incredibly hard.

I enjoyed sports and took to kendo (Japanese sword fighting). I never quite got the hang of judo and my classmates enjoyed using me as the "practice dummy" as often as they could.

At home it took a while to adjust to the routines of an unfamiliar culture, including simple things like when evening bath time occurred. Both my families focused on having the whole family home for dinner and because the fathers worked locally we were fortunate this could occur. I regret only being able to communicate at a basic level.

We exchange students were pretty much cut off from Australia. It is incredible to think that only 30 years ago, an international phone call from rural Japan had to be booked at least 24 hours in advance. The calls were very expensive so I spoke with Australia only twice during my year away.

On my return I studied law at Sydney University, joined a major firm and ended up being seconded to the legal department of Itochu Corporation in Tokyo. This was in 1986 when Japan's bubble economy was at its most aggressive. Transactions were done at breathtaking pace and there were many excesses in those days. I think my favourite was the unusual trend of sprinkling gold shavings (yes, real gold) on your bowl of noodles.

Returning home in 1987, I have continued my connections with Japan. At Deacons, where I am a partner, I advise a number of Japanese companies. I also travel to Japan for pleasure. My family visited in 2005 and met old friends in Mobara, experienced the temples of Kyoto and the shopping in Shibuya and Harajuku. I stay in touch with school friends from 1976 - in fact I was best man at a schoolmate's wedding a few years ago.

My great interest is in building grassroots relationships. I joined the Australia-Japan Society in NSW in 1979 and served as its president from 2001-04. A year later I was elected president of the National Federation of Australia-Japan Societies. I am inaugural president of RexJa (for Rotary exchange students to Japan) and a member of the Urasenke Chado Society in Sydney. A highlight of my involvement in these organisations was the chance for my wife and I to meet Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako on their trip to Australia in 2004 (by coincidence they are the same ages as my wife and me).

Japan has had a great influence on my life, fostering life-long friends, interests and allowing me to introduce many Australians to my second "furusato" (home).

Adrian Ahern is a partner at Deacons and president of National Federation of Australia-Japan Societies (Tel: 02-9330-8000)