I went to Kobe, Japan, with a friend to see a concert. As exchange students living in Kyoto, we thought it would be an easy day trip, but we only had a short time to explore the city. When we arrived in the heart of town, we realized we had no clue how to get around. We had a map, but there was a giant hill in front of us, and we weren’t sure how to navigate the area on foot.

Just as we were starting to panic, a man approached us. We both spoke Japanese, so we explained that we were lost. He offered to help and told us to follow him to his house. He had a car and invited us to ride with him. My friend and I exchanged a look, wondering what we should do. But knowing Japan’s reputation for safety and not having many other options, we decided to trust him.

At his home, his wife welcomed us warmly. She served us tea and snacks while they chatted about their son, who was living in the US. They were incredibly kind and hospitable. After a while, the man changed clothes and drove us up the big hill we had been fretting over. We told him he could just drop us off near a museum we wanted to visit, but he insisted on waiting for us.

After we toured the museum, he guided us around the neighborhood, eventually taking us to an ice cream shop owned by a friend of his. We were treated to free ice cream, and then his friend invited us upstairs to see his beautiful collection of pearl jewelry. It was fascinating to learn about the craftsmanship behind his work.

Finally, the man drove us to Chinatown, where we said our goodbyes. We enjoyed a delicious meal there before heading to the concert. While the concert was great, the highlight of our day was the unexpected and generous tour from a local. Had we declined his offer, we would have missed out on a unique and memorable experience! Though I think I’d only be comfortable doing something like that in Japan, it was an adventure worth taking.