As I document in my portfolio, in May 2008, I travelled to Shingo Mura in Aomori Prefecture to conduct my inaugural ethnographic project on the local legend of the visitation and death of Jesus Christ in Japan. However, I learned about more than just the legend and the local culture. As a nascent researcher, I learned about flexibility and resilience, lessons which have benefited all my future projects.

Prepare to Fail

I felt pretty prepared to tackle this project after years of studying the Japanese language and culture, but when I arrived in Shingo, I began to grasp the true depths of my naivete. A complete outsider, few people would talk with me, and even when they did, they spoke Nanbu-ben: a local dialect so dramatically different from Standard Japanese - I later learned - that it is subtitled in the Japanese mainstream media. I also realized, while walking through the village, there was no public transportation, no nearby grocery stores, and no cellphone reception (let alone internet connection). Once the torrential rain began, I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew.

Keep on Going

A crucial moment arrived while I was caught in the middle of a rice paddy. As I listened pensively to the rain hammer the tin roof of the tool shed that served as my temporary shelter, my thoughts darkened like the thick black clouds that smothered the sky. But then, a cheery rin rin tore through my thoughts. A little old lady on a bicycle was ringing her bell and waving! She had seen me as she travelled down the main road and stopped to ask how I was doing. Though I struggled to understand her, I learned about her grandchildren studying in Tokyo, which she described as a world away from the village. I was touched when she said I was just as alien as a Tokyoite. Before she bid farewell, she gave me a parting gift: a can of lemonade, which she recommended I heat to warm me up.

Stay Open to Possibilities

In the days that followed, I worked to tackle each obstacle, one by one. I got to know the staff at the local inn, who helped me translate the local dialect to Standard Japanese. Through them, I met a local government official, who generously showed me around the village and introduced me to other villagers, many of whom I later interviewed, received feedback on my ideas from, and accompanied to events and institutions connected with the legend. I am forever indebted to their kindness.

Reflection

I still stumbled and made many a faux pas, but I learned a valuable lesson. You can and should prepare as much as possible, but you will never be completely ready. You do not know what you do not know. Yet, rather than fear vulnerability, embrace it. Use it to empty yourself of pride and to excavate the depths of your ignorance. By doing so, you allow the kindness of others to help fill you with what really matters for success in the field: resilience, flexibility, and - if you're lucky - warmed lemonade.