My name is Megan McBride and I have just returned from studying at Kansai Gaidai in Osaka, Japan for a semester. I am a 3rd year Bachelor of Management Studies student at the University of Waikato, majoring in International Management and Japanese, so the opportunity to participate in an exchange in Japan was a valuable experience to add to my degree. I have studied Japanese throughout high school and university, but there comes a point where the only way to improve is to actually go to Japan, immerse yourself in the culture and speak Japanese everyday.
I took four classes at Kansai Gaidai – Reading & Writing; Spoken Japanese; Doing Business in East Asia (taught in English); and Ceramics. The Japanese classes were a lot more intense compared to classes in NZ and involved a lot more speaking (and homework!). However, the workload was manageable and I had plenty of time for going out sightseeing with new friends. Although grades are important (especially if you are relying on them for scholarship purposes), it is important not to spend all your time studying and to enjoy yourself and make the most of the opportunity you have been given.
Because the exchange programme at Kansai Gaidai follows the American calendar, the Japanese students were on holiday for the first couple of months I was there, which made it harder to make Japanese friends. Kansai Gaidai offers a ‘Speaking Partner’ programme where I was assigned a Japanese student to make friends with and help me out if I needed. The holidays also made it difficult to join a club or circle, which is a good way to make Japanese friends and practise your Japanese. However, I was lucky enough to take part in the KG Ski Tour to Nagano for 3 days skiing/snowboarding with about 120 Japanese students. It was really fun and I got to experience a typical Japanese trip (a bit like going on a school trip at say, intermediate, except with karaoke on the bus!) and also got to see some more of Japan.
I lived with a host family during my time in Japan, an experience which I would highly recommend, not just because I got the opportunity to speak Japanese with them everyday and experience a typical Japanese lifestyle, but they were also kind enough to take me to many places, including Tokyo Disneyland! My family was quite large (host mum, dad, grandma, two brothers (18, 21) and a sister (23) and a dog), so there was always something going on and someone around to talk to or help me with my homework. Although it would have been fun to live in the student dorms with other international students, I am glad I did homestay and I would definitely recommend it to those wanting to improve their language skills. It is often difficult to find people willing to speak Japanese to you otherwise (and who will correct your mistakes), as many people want to practise their English - even though English may not be your native language, you will find people will assume it is if you are obviously a gaijin like me!
Another upside to living with my family was that I got to try a wide range of Japanese foods. I would recommend that you don’t ask what it is until after you have eaten it. Although some foods won’t look so appealing to your tastes or what you are used to back home, it’s not going to kill you - unless its puffer fish, then possibly! I have definitely come home with a wider range of tastes and already I’m missing the food. Although Japan is said to be one of the most expensive countries in the world, it is surprisingly cheap to eat out if you go to the right places and you can easily get a decent meal for under $10. The ¥100 store and the food equivalent “Shop 99” are good places to find a wide range of essential items at very low prices. The cost of transport soon adds up, especially if you have to commute to university. I lived about 15 minutes away by train so I bought a student commuter pass which saved me a lot of money and it meant I didn’t have to buy a ticket every time I took the train. The cost for a 1 or 3 month pass will depend on how far you travel but if you are using it everyday it works out a lot cheaper. Make sure you take a substantial amount of cash with you to cover your initial costs – especially if you get stung with huge bank fees for using overseas ATM’s! Also, if you are tall and/or have big feet make sure you take enough clothes and shoes with you because it is difficult to find sizes big enough!
Overall my advice would be if there is something that you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ASK! There are always people willing to help and often they will go out of their way to find out for you or show you where to go, even complete strangers! Make the most of the opportunity you have been given and give everything a go.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to the Sasakawa Fellowship Fund for their financial assistance, which made it possible for me to have the experience of a lifetime, meet awesome people and go to some amazing places!
My host family (my brothers got woken up at 9am on a Sunday for this
picture – hence their unhappy faces!)
My host family’s house – they always tried to tell me it was small but
it wasn’t at all!
My ski group on the KG ski tour (I am on the far left)
Trying Salmon Roe at the Fish Markets in Sapporo (I am second from the
left)
Dinner with Japanese & international friends (I am the blonde one…)
Walking to university from the train station (I am on the right)