Kota Ito (AKA @kota__from__japan) has come to South Africa to improve his English. He’s documented his journey and experiences on social media, and we’ve loved following his journey so far. Sometimes, the best way to fall in love with your city again is to see someone else experience it for the first time.
He’s been staying in Hermanus and attending Cape Studies. He’s also been volunteering at Generation School.
Why South Africa? Kota told Cape {town} Etc, “My English teacher was South African. She told me that most South Africans speak at least two languages, which was amazing for me. I thought it was a good environment to study English.”
Watch: Kota from Japan in Hermanus
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Kota shares why he loves the seaside town of Hermanus: the people, the restaurants and the wholesome acceptance he’s experienced (despite a couple of concerns prior to arrival).
Watch: “My friends warned me that…”
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Kota came to the Mother City to learn English, but he’s gone the extra mile to include Afrikaans and Xhosa as well. He shared two videos that are equally impressive and hilarious.
*Warning: there are a few naughty words uttered in the following videos that are not for sensitive viewers.
Watch: Kota learns Afrikaans
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Watch: Anakouta learns Xhosa
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When he’s not learning the lingo, Kota hasn’t wasted any time exploring and getting to know a few people and organisations. He’s visited Clifton, the Oranjezicht Market, and hiked Lion’s Head and Wolfberg Arch (to name a few things). He’s also taken the time to chat with locals doing lekker work.
Watch: Kota connects with locals on TikTok and explores Langa
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Speaking to Cape {town} Etc, Kota says that:
- His favourite thing about Cape Town is meeting new people and learning new ideas and thoughts.
- His favourite word he’s learned is “now now.”
- The best food he’s tried is a gatsby.
- A cool adventure he’s been on was driving with Japanese friends to the Kruger National Park.
- Something that surprised him is loadshedding, “but I love SA even with loadshedding”.
Speaking of loadshedding…
Watch: Loadshedding is punctual
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From arriving and knowing no one to fully embracing all that the Mother City has to offer, we can’t help but feel inspired by Kota’s journey. We really do live in the best city in the world.
Follow @kota__from__japan to join the journey, and stay tuned on @capetownetc for an epic collaboration.
Also read:
Watch: Hilarious Afrikaans advert sweeps in millions of viewers
Picture: @kota__from__japan / Instagram