Haeyoon Cho (Auckland University) on exchange at Kyoto University

My name is Haeyoon Cho, I am an undergraduate BA/BCOM conjoint student at the University of Auckland majoring in marketing, statistics and Japanese. As I have always been interested in Japanese language and culture, I decided to apply to be an exchange student for a year at Kyoto University, in a city famed for its history and culture.

University Life

Kyoto University Clock tower

I arrived in Japan on 1st October 2008, and at time of writing (March 09) am on spring vacation. I take the KUINEP course at Kyoto University which comprises general courses for international students run in English. Last semester I took 5 KUINEP courses, plus two faculty courses from my department, (The department of Economics) which were taught using a mixture of both English and Japanese. Also I took six Japanese language courses (taught in Japanese): conversation, listening, composition, Kanji, reading and Kanji classes. Thus I had approximately 20hours of classes every week. KUINEP classes are really interesting as the students from all over the world come together in one place and study together, sharing ideas from different cultural aspects. We learn a lot. The staff of the foreign student division are also awesome and try their best to make our stay as comfortable as possible.

This is a photo taken in Shikoku, November 2008. The foreign student division took the exchange students there for a night. I am the one on the far left.

Outside University
I had always wanted to join a circle or a club if I had the chance to study in Japan. Circles or clubs are common in Japanese Universities – not so in New Zealand. In October 2008, I joined a volunteer club where the students prepare events for people who are mentally or physically disabled (such as cooking, visiting whiskey factories etc). We hold meetings every week and discuss the coming event. I have made a lot of friends there and even though it’s my first time, getting along with the disabled people is amazing especially when I realize that they are having fun with our help.


This is a photo taken in November 2008 on the day that we visited Whiskey factory with the disabled people. I am the one on the far left sitting down.

We volunteers also enjoy our social lives by visiting a lot of places in our free time such as onsen (hot springs) or snow boarding. I recommend joining a circle or a club to enhance your enjoyment of your stay here with Japanese students.

This is a photo taken in Shirahama with friends in the club in December 2008. I am the one wearing white.

Japanese people love to celebrate. They celebrate every season, for example sakura blossoms in spring, momiji leaves in autumn. Even though there are hardly any Christians in Japan, Christmas is one of the biggest events here. Universities also hold festivals in November and these are great fun for the students. So, make sure you don’t miss them and participate in those festivals and learn the beauty of Japanese nature and culture.

These are two photos I took in Kiyo-mizu tera during the period of “momiji” which are autumn leaves.

Kyoto University November Fesitval

Accomodation
When I first arrived in Japan (in October), I stayed in Obaku - dormitory for Kyoto University international students at a cost of 17,800yen per month, but I left the place after a month. The room was really nice but the place was located in such a quiet rural area where there wasn’t much around. I was expecting a place where I could experience a typical Japanese student’s life and could mix with a lot of Japanese people. Thus in November I moved to Osaka, which is a place I have always adored. My far relatives live in Osaka so I live in an apartment nearby them. In the weekends I visit them often and help my cousin with English. I have always lived under the care of my parents and it is actually my first experience to live by myself. It was quite tough at first, doing all the housework by myself and taking care of living costs. However, I believe that I have matured over the past 6months through being forced to do a lot of things by myself.

Transportation
Because I live in Osaka, I have to travel to Kyoto every day. It takes about one and a half hours from my place to University and I use a 3month ticket which costs 76,000 yen for three month. (Exchange students cannot get student discounts). The transport costs are so tough in Japan especially in this period where the Japanese yen is so high.

Living costs
I opened up a bank account as soon as I got here. However, cash is widely used in Japan so holding on to enough cash is crucial! My monthly living costs approximately 100,000 yen (excluding rent fees). The food here is very expensive too. It costs about 1,000 yen per meal on average (that is, outside university). So I make use of the campus food court a lot where it costs around 500 yen on average. My phone bills cost me around 10,000 yen per month (I use Softbank). Also, health insurance costs me 2,000 yen per month. As Japan is one of the most expensive nations in the world, it is quite tough so it is important that you think before you use. Keeping a record of how much you spend on what every day is an excellent idea and it is important to go through them occasionally and see where you can reduce your expenditure.

Some Tips

• Electronic Dictionary. These are essential especially in the Japanese classes. For me, because the classes were taught in Japanese, I found it difficult to follow the pace of what the teachers were saying without an electronic dictionary. So make sure you purchase one!
• Don’t be afraid - there’s nothing to lose. If you don’t take action to achieve whatever you want for yourself, no one else will!. If you want to make a lot of Japanese friends, you are the one who has to take the initiative with the relationship. Be active in whatever you do. Your time is limited here. Make the best use of it.
• Be aware that there are significant differences in some areas of Japanese culture – tread carefully especially in the beginning stages and be observant of the differences, in order to avoid giving offense. Once you get the hang of it, it will be easy.