My best experience and memories in Indonesia

 

About me and this blog

Hello everyone, I’m Sota from Japan. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I did my teaching practicum in Indonesia in February 2026. I’d like to share my memories from that time. Indonesia is the best!

About My Classes

I had to teach pickleball in my class. I hadn’t actually known anything about pickleball until then, so I was a little taken aback, but it turned out to be a really fun sport, and now it’s one of my favorites.

This is the pickleball paddle I received from my corporate teacher

Pickleball is a fun and easy-to-learn sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.

Players use a lightweight paddle and a plastic ball with holes, and they play on a small court with a low net.Because the court is smaller than a tennis court and the equipment is light, people of all ages can enjoy the game.

It is fast-paced, social, and becoming one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

＜Classroom Activities＞

　　　　　　　　

The students were very energetic and quick to grasp concepts, and they improved rapidly.

★I approached my teaching with the following points in mind.

• Improve their pickleball skills through a variety of activities.
• provide step-by-step instruction to help students build a foundation of success
• Even with limited teaching materials, we strive to provide as many learning opportunities as possible.
• Explain the complex rules carefully.

My Best Friends in Indonesia

The two people standing beside me are the mentors who had the greatest impact on my time in Indonesia.

On my left is Mr. Eka, a powerful, energetic, and unique teacher who always lifted my spirits and filled me with positive energy. On my right is Ms. Yusunita, who was kind and caring like a mother. She constantly encouraged me, praised my efforts, and gave me the confidence to keep growing.

Honestly, meeting these two incredible teachers alone made my stay in Indonesia truly worthwhile.

They taught me that physical education in Indonesia is all about enjoying movement and making learning fun. At the same time, they emphasized the importance of deep learning and tailoring instruction to each student's individual abilities. Through them, I realized that although Japan and Indonesia may have different educational environments, the vision of what physical education should ultimately aim for is remarkably similar.

The man with the wonderful smile sitting next to me is Fajar.

He is a softball coach, and just like me, he absolutely loves sports. Every day, I practiced pickleball with him and Eka, and thanks to them, I became much better at it.

I also had the chance to visit Fajar’s hometown, Sukabumi. There, I became close with his family and enjoyed so many beautiful experiences—seeing the rich natural scenery of the mountains and the sea, eating delicious fish, and swimming and playing in the ocean.

I can honestly say that Fajar was one of the reasons my life in Indonesia was so fulfilling. I am truly grateful to him.

These are the boys I met in Sukabumi. They were such a close-knit group, and they welcomed me as if I were one of their own.

We spent our time playing soccer together, swimming in the sea, and simply enjoying every moment. Even though we came from different countries and spoke different languages, we had so much fun together.

The memories I made with them are some of my happiest from my time in Indonesia.

 These are the students from the Department of Physical Education at UPI. We spent a lot of time together, playing golf, going shopping, and relaxing at cafés.

One thing that really stood out to me was Indonesia's transportation culture. Motorcycles are by far the most common way to get around, and it's very common to see two people riding on the same bike. I even had the chance to ride on the back of a motorcycle with my friends as we headed to a shopping mall. It was a fun experience and made me feel like a local.

I also noticed that many of the motorcycles were made by Japanese companies such as Yamaha and Honda. It reminded me of the strong connection between Indonesia and Japan, which can be seen even in everyday life.

There was a little piece of Japan inside UPI!

These are the students from the Department of Japanese Language. They are all studying Japanese with the hope of working in jobs related to Japan in the future. I was surprised to learn that some of them had already completed internships in Japan for more than a year.

What impressed me most was how well they could communicate in Japanese in everyday conversations. Their Japanese was truly amazing, and through meeting them, I realized that many Indonesian students are incredibly hardworking and dedicated to their studies.

I had such a great time talking with them about Japanese anime and movies.