«I started from scratch, leaving my” comfort zone “, not knowing the language, but I managed to learn by living every day in contact with local culture. I would do it again, and I recommend it ». Ten months that are worth a lifetime. In summary, it is the path experienced by Cristiano D’amore, born in 2007, student of the Liceo Linguistico following, who thanks to “AFS-Interculture” and to the support of the Bonino Pulejo Foundation, was able to achieve the desire to spend almost a year in Japan, immersing himself in a fascinating and distant culture, capable of profoundly transforming his vision of the world.
“I thought it was a country where civilization and respect reign sovereigns – he says – and I wasn’t wrong”. Getting the scholarship for our fellow citizen meant much more than a trip: it was the beginning of a path of personal growth, made of challenges, emotions and daily achievements. Once really to frame. Studying in a Japanese school, living with a host family, learning a completely new language: experiences that, day after day, made it more independent, aware and safe than their skills. Among the most vivid memories, the school trip to the Kyushu region – between Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Fukuoka – which has marked a turning point in its linguistic and human path. “That’s where I tied even more with my classmates – he confesses – and that’s where I really felt I was one of them”.
But the image that will remain impressed forever is that of greetings at the airport: friends and companions who not to let him leave without a hug, the shared tears, the pain of the separation and the gratitude to have lived together a stretch of road. A farewell that does not have the flavor of the end, but of the beginning of bonds destined to last over time. To crown the experience, the farewell speech in Japanese, pronounced in front of the whole school in June 2025: a moment of emotion that has turned into an applause and a collective embrace.
«I don’t forget – he says – as I was tense earlier, the alarm clock aimed long before, how I looked at me in the mirror telling me that everything would go for the best, the tears exploded the minute after finishing for all the emotions I felt. I still get goosebumps in telling it. ” And even dreams and horizons are changing. If as a child he dreamed of following in the footsteps of the maternal grandfather, who worked at Fincantieri, today after a year in Japan, his greatest desire is to travel the world, meet new cultures and feed his passion for foreign languages. Already today he speaks fluently English and Spanish, he communicates with ease in Japanese and continues the study of Chinese continues.
To define it, therefore, perseverance: that ability to face obstacles with determination, humility and courage, which accompanied him to every stage of his journey. Even at Christmas. When he found himself without his affections. The nice notes? There is no shortage. «Matteo Berrettini, – he concludes smiling – one of the strongest tennis players in the world found himself in Tokyo for a tournament. I wrote him a message on Instagram to tell him what I was doing in Japan and he unexpectedly not only replied but he also gave me a ticket to the game. Magic in magic ».