Transfer essays have changed. This year the common app seems to have found a vendor to handle the transfer apps and the personal essay is no longer the main essay for many schools.
Most schools want “why this school” essay.
If I were to advise you as my child, and understanding your childhood and how hard it is to escape rural poverty, my best advice would be the following–
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prepare an very good personal essay-- because some schools allow you to upload a personal essay or a writing supplement. The purpose of this essay is to help them like you and invite you to join them. Think of meeting a new person and writing a story for them so that once they read it they will invite you to their party. What kind of story would you like to hear if you met someone so that you invited them to your party? Choose one detail from your life, it doesn’t have to be profound, and tell that story with charm, dignity, humor if possible, and with excellent writing.
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prepare a "why X school’ essay for each school that interests you. This should be very carefully researched as far as what each school offers and what you can offer the school. See if you can figure out that school’s personality, culture, what courses that you might take, what activities you might participate in and otherwise contribute to that school’s community.
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if you feel that your hardships are an important part of your story, allude to them briefly. Choose one or two details, if you like, but choose them wisely. And then treat them as something that helped build your strength and resilience, your determination and your creativity – something positive in you today that you can bring to the school. Remember the beauty of your upbringing too. That can help temper the difficulties. The tone is “While life had its difficulties, I found my strength through my experience.”
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Research schools carefully to find the ones offering FA to transfer students. You may want to consider Union in NY, Hamilton I believe also offers transfer FA; Vassar takes few transfers but the FA is excellent. Also look into St. Olaf. For Japan interest, you may want to look at Vassar and Earlham – has a Japan program. Connecticut College has programming and you can take advanced classes across the street at the service academy, but I’m less clear about Japan. Note that once you graduate you could possibly focus on Japan then, if your undergrad doesn’t have it, by looking at the JET program https://jetprogramusa.org/ If you’re interested in Connecticut College then you may want to read this thread to help you understand the culture of Connecticut College. Research like this will help your application stand out – http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/connecticut-college/2031838-would-love-to-hear-more-about-connecticut-college.html#latest
Best of luck to you.