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Study Abroad in Japan

Blogs > Souma
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Souma
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
2nd Worst City in CA8938 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-07-22 06:30:19
July 06 2011 12:04 GMT
#1
Note: This blog will be frequently updated. Come back for a read if you're interested!

+ Show Spoiler [BG Info/Before the Flight (6/18 - 7/3] +
Hi! In honor of receiving the Gilman Scholarship for study abroad, I have decided to start this blog to satisfy the project requirement. The purpose of this blog will not only be to chronicle my study abroad experience in Japan, but also to provide tips and guides to help make one’s experience in Japan easier and more fun. You can also learn from some of the many mistakes I’m sure to make. ^^

A little about me:

I’m currently an upperclassman at the University of California, San Diego. My major is Japanese Studies with an interest in Political Science. My goal? To become an American diplomat with a focus on Japan (and perhaps East Asia as a whole, eventually).

My reason for studying abroad is simple: to understand this country known as Japan and its citizens. I wish to experience as much as possible while I’m here, and one of my priorities is to become familiar with the thoughts and opinions that Japanese citizens hold. To put it casually, I want to get to know as many native Japanese people as I can. v^^

I have two fears regarding studying abroad in Japan: food and navigating around.

I don’t eat vegetables or fish; however, while I’m here, I’ll at least try to get accustomed to eating fish. I generally don’t enjoy the taste, but since Japan is such a big fishing country and fish is cheap here, I’ll force myself to eat it as much as possible. Hopefully I’ll grow to like it.

As far as navigating around goes, let’s just say I have a terrible sense of direction. Oh well! It’ll be an adventure. ^^

About my program:

I will be studying abroad at the International Christian University (ICU) in Mitaka, Tokyo through the University of California’s Education Abroad Program (UCEAP). The program is for one year and begins July 5th but we must be there by July 4th (July 4th in Japan, not America).

The summer program is called the Intensive Language Program (ILP) and lasts until August 13th. It is a six-week program that I hear is tough and really tests your Japanese ability. Unfortunately, due to this, students are not allowed to have a part-time job during the summer program. Sucks, since I could really use the money. -_-

Speaking of money, my program is quite heavily funded by Financial Aid and a couple of scholarships I was able to obtain. The estimated budget for the entire year came out to be a little over $36,500.

Financial Aid (without loans/scholarships) covered about $20,000 and I took out a subsidized loan for $5,500. I managed to obtain the Duttenhaver Scholarship (http://eap.ucop.edu/financial_information/duttenhaver_dan_wise.shtm, strictly limited to UCEAP students who are studying abroad for one year) and the Gilman Scholarship (http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program, open to any U.S. undergrad student currently receiving a Pell Grant and planning to study abroad for at least four weeks), each worth $5,000 for a total of $10,000.

I initially applied for four scholarships but was unable to obtain the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship and the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) scholarship. I’m not fretting about it too much though, since I did not expect to receive two scholarships when applying. My excitement when I was informed I would be receiving the Duttenhaver and Gilman scholarships was at a high point.

For both scholarships, if I remember correctly, the minimum GPA required to apply was a 3.0. My GPA at the time was around a 3.15, so I don’t believe I was chosen based on academic merit.

For the Duttenhaver Scholarship, I believe the essays were truly important. After being accepted for the scholarship, I was able to meet the donor, Linda Duttenhaver. She was a truly kind lady who wanted to help students’ dreams come true and promote an experience that she was able to partake in while she was a student herself. She was really interested in my Statement of Financial Need, so if you decide to apply for this scholarship, make sure you don’t skimp on this part!

I’m extremely grateful to Mrs. Duttenhaver, and the charity that she has provided me will not be in vain. I’m not sure how many students were able to receive this scholarship, but it seems only a few students from UCSD received it, so I’m that much more grateful. Thank you so much, Mrs. Duttenhaver!

The Gilman Scholarship is a government-based program which accepted a third of their applicants, so they seem to be quite lenient. They distribute aid based on financial need and length of program up to $5,000. I’m assuming they hold your financial need in high importance and also your Follow-up Project (this blog is mine), so make sure when you write about your Follow-up Project that you’re truly prepared and know exactly what you’re going to do. To be able to have the government provide me with so much aid (this scholarship on top of the normal financial aid) is quite a blessing. Hell yeah, America!

I’m a little under budget, but once the year begins, I should be fine with a part-time job. I plan on either teaching English at an Elementary School or tutoring English to ICU students if the former doesn’t work out.


Some great advice given to me by others...

From a friend:
+ Show Spoiler +
Things I would personally bring to Japan:
-sun block (super expensive here, 30ml is US$4 for the cheap stuff)
-any OTC drugs (aspirins, etc... the OTC drugs here are quite weak and if this is the first time living in Japan, you'll get sick ...a lot)
-deordorant (unless you don't smell, then the weaker and more expensive Japanese stuff may do for you)

The other stuff you can get here.

You might want to leave your undershirts at home and invest in some silky-dry tech stuff here for the hot and humid summers, and heat-tech shirts for the cold winters. Trust me, you'll want something that'll dry quickly, feel cool and be bacteria resistant in the summer, and normal cotton "Fruit-of-the-Looms" or "BVDs" don't cut it. Japan is gonna cut air conditioning use this summer to save electricity and prevent rolling brown-outs, so it's gonna feel "hot" even indoors. At "Uniqulo" they run about 980 yen per shirt. If you want cheaper stuff, "Shimamura" has similar, lower quality stuff for 600 yen. The reverse is true for winter.

Also it rains a lot in Japan so I suggest you bring a pair of shoes that are water-proof (not water-resistant). Your feet will thank you for it.

Don't forget to hang your futon and comforters outside every week to dry unless you want mold to build up. Don't forget to open the windows to air out your place too now and then. You can ask George how much it was to repair the damage. And in the summer try to keep everything as dry as possible (bathroom, sinks, bedding, clothes etc...) or things with turn black in no time.

From TLers:
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=240968#10
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=240968#20
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=240968&currentpage=2#24


Now, on to the real stuff! :D


Before the flight… (June 18 - July 3)

I began feeling homesick two weeks before my flight. It first hit me one night when I checked Facebook and I saw some friends planning events that would occur after I arrived in Japan. From that night on, the feeling never left me: I was incredibly sad that I would be leaving my friends and family behind, to the point that I was having second thoughts about going.

But of course, that didn’t stop me. If it did, I wouldn’t be writing this blog!

There was a whole new experience waiting for me, and I would not allow all my efforts to be wasted.

For the couple weeks leading up to my flight, I spent every waking moment with my friends and family. Time was truly precious; so much so that I didn’t pack until the day before my flight.

Let me give you a tip about packing: make sure you actually plan out what you’re going to pack and what items will go in which suitcase. The UCEAP advisor told us to pack a couple days worth of necessities in one suitcase since we could use a baggage delivery service at Narita Airport to deliver the rest of our luggage to the dorm. I was stupid enough to pack it all in a duffel bag (50 pounds worth) instead of my suitcase with a roller. Yeah, I’m sure you see the problem (for reference, I’m a little 130-pound Asian kid).

Here’s a site with some helpful packing tips that my friend showed me: http://lifehacker.com/5788501/how-to-pack-your-suitcase-as-efficiently-as-a-flight-attendant

Unfortunately, he showed me the site too late. I was already finished packing when I received the link and was too lazy to redo it all. Oh well! T_T

The day of my flight… (July 3)

My flight was at 7:55 A.M. I didn’t sleep the night before as I planned to sleep on the long plane ride. My first flight was from San Diego to Los Angeles, then from Los Angeles straight to Narita.

Once in the air, it only takes 23 minutes to get from San Diego to Los Angeles. I was so exhausted, however, and began to doze off, but the plane was really small and a little rickety so I didn’t fall into a deep slumber.

Once I arrived at LAX, I had to wait a little over two hours before my next flight. I was first planning to use this time to begin my blog, but for some reason I couldn’t connect to their Wi-Fi. What’s up with that!?

I was starving, so I opted to just get some breakfast. $6.50 for a banana muffin and a bottle of apple juice. Damn airports. -_-


+ Show Spoiler [On the plane - Arrival (7/3 - 7/4)] +
[image loading]
The gate to my dreams...


It was time to get on the plane. My heart raced. I was finally leaving America.

Something I forgot to mention, while at the airport I managed to get a lot of compliments for the shirt I was wearing. It was pretty funny.

+ Show Spoiler [The shirt in question] +

[image loading]


On the plane…

I was able to get a window seat. My carry-on was a little too big for the side compartment so I had to use the compartment for the passengers seated in the middle-left portion of the plane. I had no idea those compartments were bigger up until then.

Korean Air. It was no surprise that there were plenty of pretty stewardesses. Since the flight was on route to Narita before stopping at Seoul, there was also a group of Japanese stewardesses, and a couple of stewardesses were able to speak Korean, Japanese and English! Hopefully one day I’ll be able to do the same.

Their entertainment system was not shabby. The movie selection wasn’t up to par, but their music was great. They had Korean, Japanese, Chinese, the latest top hits from America, Classical, and a bunch of other genres. I spent most of my time listening to the Korean songs, from pop to ballads. I only watched one movie, which was Meet the In-Laws, a Korean movie with English subtitles. It was a cliché Romeo & Julie type movie which was mediocre at best, I felt.

I didn’t notice it at first, but apparently I was in the wrong seat. The lady who the seat belonged to said she preferred to sit in my original seat anyway, so all was okay. As fate would have it, the person sitting beside me was a man who was involved in International Politics and was going to Japan for some business (along with pleasure). He gave me his card and told me if I was to ever go to Odawara or Yokohama, then I should go to the Mayor’s office and flash his card to the Mayor so I could be guided around to see some cool stuff. I certainly plan on doing so if I’m ever in the area.


After landing...

[image loading]
Unfortunately I couldn't take many pictures because my hands were full and I was exhausted.


When we landed at Narita Airport, he also introduced me to a friend of his—a lovely lady, probably around the age of 30, who helped me get my bags delivered to my dorm and showed me the way to the Narita Express. Funny story: I told one of my friends that I was going to get a pretty girl to help me out when I landed in Japan. I didn’t think it’d actually come true!

Before I boarded the Narita Express, however, I decided to buy a prepaid phone. Fortunately there was a Softbank at the airport (past the stairs leading to the Narita Express and to the left if you keep walking straight) with an employee who spoke very good English. It took about an hour to set up the phone, and the phone itself cost me ¥9,500 (they only had one type of phone available at the time). I invested ¥5,000 for phone calls (which is useable up to 60 days, and the phone number that came with the phone is valid up to 360 days). Thanks to the English-speaking employee at Softbank, everything was very easy to set up.

Finally it was time to make my way towards the university. At the time, I had these to guide me:

http://www.uctsc.org/ICUILP/NRT-ICUILP2011.pdf
http://www.uctsc.org/pdf/N'EX_Narita-Musashisakai.pdf

They came in handy, but this being my first time in Japan, I wanted to make sure I was taking the right trains and headed to the right place. Whenever I got even a little confused, I would ask random people for help. I must have talked to about ten different strangers that day. Knowing the language certainly helped, because I know I would have felt uneasy the whole time if I couldn’t ask people for aid.

To be honest, from the moment I landed in Japan, I didn’t feel like I was in a different country. It must be because I already feel quite knowledgeable about the country and know how to speak the language well enough to get around. I’ve felt at home and incredibly comfortable ever since I landed (aside from the hot and humid weather).

[image loading]

Somewhere along the way I lost my train ticket from Tokyo Station to Musashi-sakai station. I managed to find a security guard and he directed me to someone who was able to help me. I had to repay the fee for the ride from Tokyo Station to Musashi-sakai, but it wasn’t too much (I forget the exact price).

Next was to take the bus from the station to ICU. Apparently in Japan, there’s a spot to board the bus and a spot to get off of the bus. I tried to board the bus from the other spot, but the driver obviously didn’t let me. It was kind of embarrassing, and what was worse was that I was lugging my 50-pound duffel bag around the whole time, so I was incredibly tired already but had to walk to the other stop which was about 75 meters away.


ICU at last...

By this time it was night. When I arrived at ICU, everything was pitched dark. I didn’t know the way to my dorm, and I was way too exhausted to carry my bag around. Not to mention it was still humid as hell at night. I spotted a student walking by himself and called him over. I asked him for directions and he offered to help me carry my bag. Japanese people are so nice. As expected of a student at ICU, his English was good. He guided me to my dorm and we had a nice conversation during the walk. Once we reached the dorm, we split ways. I gave him my thanks and entered the dorm.

There was a ton of people in the front lounge. Apparently they finished the dorm orientation and everyone was getting acquainted with each other, which sucked for me as I missed out on everything and didn’t know anyone. I was guided to my room by a Japanese student who was working at the dorm for the summer. Thankfully he carried my bag for me.

The dorm was a lot nicer than I expected. It was better than any dorm I’ve ever seen in the states. It did cost ~$1,000 for six weeks, though. I was given a key card which I had to use to get in and out of my room and the dorms. Instead of describing everything, here are some pictures:

+ Show Spoiler [Dorm Pictures (IMAGE HEAVY)] +



[image loading]
Looking from the inside out. The thing by the door is where I touch my key card to open the door.

[image loading]
Shoe boxes! They gave us sandals to wear while inside. Woo hoo. ^^

[image loading]
Outside lounge area. This is the table where the Japanese helpers usually sit and chill or study or whathaveyou.

[image loading]
Main part of the outside lounge area. As of writing this, they've added a couple more couches.

[image loading]
White board that people usually use to plan stuff and write notices.

[image loading]
Guy's lounge area. Guys are restricted to the first floor while girls are on the second and third floors. >=( Complete with N64 and Smash Brothers! Also to note, each floor has their own kitchen, laundry room, and study room as well.

[image loading]
Also part of the guy's lounge area.

[image loading]
B for B Pod. There are three pods on every floor, each consisting of seven rooms (two people to a room). Each pod has their own bathroom and fridges.

[image loading]
B Pod's fridges.

[image loading]
A further look.

[image loading]
Door to my dorm.

[image loading]
My room!

[image loading]
My desk!

[image loading]
My cupboards.

[image loading]
Where I hang my clothes.

[image loading]
More cupboards! And the air conditioner on top. My savior!

[image loading]
Bathroom sinks. There are NO paper towels or air dryers in any of the bathrooms on campus except for the cafeteria. This makes things incredibly inconvenient. No wonder Japanese people always carry handkerchiefs. -_-

[image loading]
Toilets, where the magic happens. Three of them in each pod bathroom, and all have heated seats. The top left button plays the sound of running water when pressed, just in case you have trouble taking a leak. These rascals think of everything. Kind of sad there's no button to wash my butt for me, though.

[image loading]
Showers. Three to a bathroom.

[image loading]
A look inside one of the showers. That's obviously not me reflected in the mirror! >_> Not even sure why they have a mirror there, anyway; it just fogs up when I take a shower.

[image loading]
Closer look at the shower head and stuff.

[image loading]
Where I put my clothes and stuff while I take a shower.

[image loading]
Kitchen, where the other magic happens. Right now the kitchen is never packed, but that's because only half of the rooms are filled. I'm hoping it's not too bad when the year starts.

[image loading]
Make sure to separate your trash!

[image loading]
Stoves! A couple more on the other side too.

[image loading]
Sink! Ewh, washing dishes.

[image loading]
Rice cookers and stuff!

[image loading]
Two-in-one microwave/oven. Pretty neat.

[image loading]
Community fridge. Everything in there is fair game!

[image loading]
Yay, an iron! Wrinkles, be gone!

[image loading]
Guy's study room.

[image loading]
Left side of the guy's study room.

[image loading]
Laundry room!

[image loading]
Closer look at the washer.

[image loading]
Closer look at the dryer.

[image loading]
Room to hang-dry your clothes.


After I got settled inside my room, I opened my duffel bag to unpack some of the things. As luck would have it, my shampoo, which was wrapped inside a plastic bag, leaked through the bag and onto more than half of my clothes. I was down to a couple of shorts and one t-shirt… my Guild Wars 2 t-shirt that I got from PAX Prime last year.

An announcement rang throughout the speakers in the dorm. Apparently the Japanese helpers were taking everyone out to buy things. Perfect chance for me to buy some detergent, I thought! I washed up a bit before heading out with them all.

[image loading]
Don Kiho-te (Don Quixote). Apparently this place has the cheapest prices around town (aside from the 100-yen shop which has a limited selection of things). I would have taken a picture of the front but there were a ton of people there and I didn’t want to seem like a creeper. To get there from ICU, just exit the South Gate and keep going straight. It'll be on the right.


One of the helpers helped me find some detergent and a laundry basket. I also bought some water and some Kirin Lemon Tea because I wanted to taste an authentic Japanese drink in Japan. The lemon tea was DELICIOUS. One of my favorite drinks now. The bottle of water was also pretty cheap. Not sure how many ounces it was, but it was a standard vending machine bottle size and it was only ¥58. I think the Kirin Lemon Tea was ¥98.

The difference between Japanese markets and American markets: you put your basket of groceries on the counter and the cashier will unload all your stuff into another basket after they scan it. They’ll drop your original basket in the stack beside them beforehand. Also, you don’t hand the cashier your money directly. Instead, you put your money in this tray beside the cash register and the cashier will take it from there.

After you’ve paid and received your change and receipt, you take your basket of groceries to a table past the cash registers to pack your stuff inside the plastic bags they give you. Yep, that’s right: you pack your own stuff. It’s a pain opening those plastic bags. T_T

I had no idea about any of this beforehand so I was a little confused at first. Interesting experience!

The next morning we all had a placement test to take, so after I got back to the dorm I took a long-awaited shower and headed to bed. I was able to meet my roommate finally before going to sleep, a very nice Chinese-Canadian guy who was about to start working on his PhD for Japanese Literature at Princeton University. Needless to say, he’s incredibly good at Japanese, and most likely the best in this summer program.

So it was time for bed. I had no problem falling asleep at all, as I had barely gotten any sleep on the airplane and was exhausted throughout the day. Thank god for the air conditioner in our bedroom.


Something I forgot to mention in my previous entry:

Although my dorm is pretty amazing, it comes with strict rules. For one, there are no guests allowed inside unless it's family, but even family aren't allowed inside the bedrooms. Pretty crazy if you ask me.

Second, you can only drink alcohol inside your individual room. How depressing is that?

Lastly, there is a curfew set at 11:30 P.M.; however, for the summer, they don’t really abide by that curfew. Once the year starts, though, they’ll strictly enforce it. There are forms that you can fill out if you plan on staying out past curfew, but I don’t have detailed information on that, yet.

Also, in the spirit of getting to know my roommate, before I fell asleep I asked him if he had any pet peeves. He said as long as I don’t smoke (which is forbidden inside the dorm anyway) he’s fine.

On the other hand, I told him as long as he doesn’t jerk it while I’m in the room with him, all will be good.

At least we got that out of the way.


Day of the placement test (July 5)…

Although I was exhausted, I was only able to sleep for a mere six hours. The air conditioning was blasting all night and was making me feel really dry and uncomfortable.

It was about 7:00 A.M. and students were to be at the test area no later than 9:00 A.M. I forgot to buy food at Don Kiho-te the past night so had nothing to eat for breakfast. Luckily, my roommate allowed me to buy a pack of instant shouyu (soy sauce) ramen from him. Unfortunately, it was the worst tasting instant ramen I have ever tasted, but at least it filled me up for the time being.

I headed out a bit early since I was told to go to the UCEAP Tokyo Study Center office (the place that handles all the study abroad stuff for UC students; very convenient for me since it’s located at ICU) before the test. This was because I had missed the dorm orientation the previous night so I was missing a lot of crucial information.

I was handed a packet with a bunch of information the night before and they just wanted to explain its contents to me to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Afterwards, I headed to the examination room.

[image loading]
Exam room.


We were seated by our Student ID numbers. If I remember correctly, there are about 60-70 students in this summer program, a lot less than previous years due to the nuclear plant situation.

There were a handful of teachers acting as the proctors. They handed out pencils, erasers, a questionnaire, answer sheets, and eventually the exam itself. The questionnaire just asked you about your background in regards to Japanese (school, how many hours of study, textbooks used, etc.).

The exam was split into three parts:

9:15 – 10:00: Comprehension Test (65 Questions)
10:10 – 10:45: Reading, Writing, Vocabulary (90 Questions)
11:05 – 11:35: Writing Test (Pick two out of three questions to write about)

Before I go on any further, let me tell you about my background in Japanese.

I’ve officially completed the first two years of UCSD Japanese courses. However, my comprehension is on a much higher level due to all the anime I’ve watched since I was in high school. My kanji is terrible, though; I don’t study it frequently so I end up forgetting a lot of it. This was the first time I’ve taken a Japanese placement test, so I was excited (and terrified) to find out what level my Japanese was actually at.

The levels they have at this program range from C1 – C6. There used to be a C7 and C8, but since there weren’t enough students this year, they cancelled the C7 and C8 courses (to the detriment of a couple of students here, including my roommate, who are way above the C6 level).

Anyway, back to the test.

The comprehension test was quite easy for me… or so I thought. I took my time with the exam so I was unable to do the last part, which was a pretty difficult passage and made up the remaining five questions.

The comprehension test, aside from that last passage, was mainly just complete the sentence by choosing the correct particle or phrase. Not so hard, right?

The kanji killed me. I skipped about a third of that whole section (maybe more), literally. Some sentences were just nothing but difficult kanji that I’ve never seen before, so I didn’t have even a slither of a chance to guess.

The kanji was mostly you having to know the correct reading of the kanji. Really hard to guess, and according to the proctors, you shouldn’t guess anyway so that they can get a grasp of your real ability. What would happen if you kept guessing correctly and got put in a higher level than you deserved!?

For the writing section, there were three questions and you were supposed to pick two to write about. The first question was to just talk about yourself, the second question was to talk about your first impressions of Japan from the moment you landed till the present, and the third question was about global warming and what you should do to help the environment.

Of course, I picked the first and second questions. I didn’t know nearly enough kanji to talk about the third issue, and furthermore, we only had thirty minutes to complete both questions so that was really out of my league.

After the examination was over, I felt quite disappointed in myself. I really need to study dem kanji. -_-

After the test, everyone headed over to the cafeteria dining hall. It was time for our welcoming party.

[image loading]
Free foooood! Didn't expect free food before coming to Japan!


There were some speeches made by some of the important people here (I forget their exact job titles), then it was time to eat and mingle. I was able to meet a few people here, including soon-to-be friends and the students that were working at the Culture Program. The Culture Program is a program that was set up specifically for the summer program at ICU to take students to events that would allow them to experience Japanese culture first-hand. They have their own room in the main building. More on this later.

After the welcome party, we had a campus tour. This was such a busy and tiring day! Now, for the campus pictures! :D

+ Show Spoiler [Campus Pictures] +
[image loading]
Outside the main gate.

[image loading]
The main gate.

[image loading]
A look at the school's name plate.

[image loading]
A closer look! Kanji says kokusai kirisutokyou daigaku (International Christian University, obviously).

[image loading]
Looking straight forward from inside the main gate.

[image loading]
This is what you see the moment you step inside the main gate. Prepare to get stopped by security if you look suspicious!

[image loading]
Once you walk past security, you're surrounded by greenery. The trees are beautiful (and they're sakura trees, so come April they'll be blooming and pink!).

[image loading]
Walk down the road and you'll hit the bus rotary soon enough. This is the spot where the main buses come and go. So much green. I love it. :D

[image loading]
Left side of the bus rotary.

[image loading]
Right side of the bus rotary.

[image loading]
Walk past the bus rotary and this is what you see.

[image loading]
Campus map!

[image loading]
And to the left of that, we have the gym! It's quite ghetto to be honest, but it has the bare necessities so I'm okay with it.

[image loading]
Baseball field and tennis courts by the gym.

[image loading]
A closer look! I didn't want to get even closer because I didn't want them to think I was a spy or a creeper.

[image loading]
Some flowers right outside the gym's front door.

[image loading]
The gym's front door.

[image loading]
A look inside the gym.

[image loading]
Map of the gym.

[image loading]
Yep, gotta take off them shoes before you can make use of the facilities.

[image loading]
So back on track... This is what you see after you walk straight pass the bus rotary. Pretty nice view if you ask me. And yep, that's a church back there. As expected of a Christian University!

[image loading]
A closer look at what I call the "crop circle" and the church.

[image loading]
A closer look at the church!

[image loading]
This is what you see when you look to the right of the crop circle.

[image loading]
And this is what you see when you look to the left!

[image loading]
This is Honkan (otherwise known as University Hall). This is where ALL classes are located. Pretty convenient considering I had to walk about 15 minutes from class to class at UCSD. One day I'll take a picture of what it looks like inside.

The hills that you see in front of Honkan are called bakayama (Mt. Stupid). It got this name because students would skip class and just loiter around on those hills. Pretty clever if you ask me.

[image loading]
The left side of bakayama.

[image loading]
The right side of bakayama.

[image loading]
Post office. This is where you can pay all your bills, including your National Health Insurance and dorm fees. They also have an ATM in there and I hear they do cash traveler's checks, but I haven't used it yet so I have no detailed information.

[image loading]
A closer look at the post office.

[image loading]
The library.

[image loading]
A little closer look.

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The front door.

[image loading]
Gotta swipe your library card to gain entry.

[image loading]
The Lord of the Library. This automated beast fetches you the book(s) you're looking for and delivers them upstairs to you. All you gotta do is use one of the computers and request a book.

[image loading]
Another look.

[image loading]
The main entrance to my dorm.

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The name of our dorm, Ichouryou (the kanji), otherwise known as Ginkgo House.

[image loading]
This is Dialogue House, right across from Ginkgo House. This is where I'll be staying for my summer break, August 13-August 31, before moving back to Ginkgo House.

[image loading]
A further look.

[image loading]
Some scenery right outside my dorm.

[image loading]
More scenery!

[image loading]
A long road! Not even sure where it leads to to be honest lol.

[image loading]
This is where everyone at Ginkgo House keep their bikes.


There are a lot more places on campus. Hopefully one day when I'm not so busy, I'll tour around it myself and take more pictures.

In the evening I went grocery shopping with a couple of people I met earlier in the day. I'll eventually write a separate section on grocery shopping around here, so I won't go into detail about it now.

And that wraps up this day’s events. ^^ Tune in next time to see what level I got into and learn about my class!


More to come. In the meanwhile, feel free to ask any questions or give feedback on what's currently posted!


****
Writer
rift
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
1819 Posts
July 06 2011 12:11 GMT
#2
you don't eat vegetables...how are you still alive
Tobberoth
Profile Joined August 2010
Sweden6375 Posts
July 06 2011 12:12 GMT
#3
I lived in Japan for 1 year in 2007. It's an amazing experience, you'll definitely have a great time.
Amestir
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Netherlands2126 Posts
July 06 2011 12:14 GMT
#4
Nice to read, please make sure to keep us updated

I hope you have a great time, I also stayed abroad for quite some time, it's amazing!
We know nothing.
Psychobabas
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
2531 Posts
July 06 2011 12:25 GMT
#5
I go to Japan often. It's nice sure. But I prefer the UK.
Cambium
Profile Blog Joined June 2004
United States16368 Posts
July 06 2011 12:42 GMT
#6
I did an exchange to Japan from Canada, and it was the best time of my life.

Go with an open heart, and you'll definitely enjoy it.

I don't understand the vegetable and fish part; do you only eat meat? Poultry and eggs are cheap in Japan, pork is fair, but beef is expensive. I suggest altering your diet if money is a concern.
When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
Souma
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
2nd Worst City in CA8938 Posts
July 06 2011 12:58 GMT
#7
Meat and fruit make up most of my diet. Other than that, mostly stuff like bread, rice, potatoes, and other seafood such as shrimp, crab, scallop, clam, etc.
Writer
Abenson
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Canada4122 Posts
July 06 2011 13:07 GMT
#8
It's always been my dream to go to Japan and hopefully learn Japanese...
I'll be checking this blog a lot, so keep updating! :D
onlinerobbe
Profile Joined August 2010
Germany547 Posts
July 06 2011 13:18 GMT
#9
I'm a little bit jealous (°o°)
"the gate to my dreams" was good^^, can relate to that a bit

I'll be waiting for updates and wish you good luck and a lot of fun there.
ohayo- on afk-op teamliquid | tuturuuuu! mayushi desu - 유인나, 이지은 사랑 (멍 지효 <3 )
Bortlett
Profile Joined October 2010
United States302 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-07-06 14:00:13
July 06 2011 13:51 GMT
#10
I studied abroad at ICU during their summer program back in 2006. I had an amazing time and it was the best 6 weeks of my life.

Some tips:
- You are going to want a bike. I did a homestay so my family provided me one, but I would talk to somebody in your program to get advice on wear to buy (or rent if it's cheaper?) one.

- Do you know any Japanese at all? If you don't, getting around Tokyo will be difficult initially (the train/subway system is monstrous). There are english handheld maps though and all the stops have the stop name in Romanji so it's not impossible .

- Sounds like the food will be tough for you to start because vegetables and fish are staples of the Japanese diet. All I can say is good luck here and expand your horizons!

- Do your best to make friends at the University. If you speak mostly Japanese with them your Japanese will improve tremendously and quickly. They also might want to practice English with you. They'll also be able to help you find fun things to do, good restaurants, etc.

- You're going to have culture shock initially. I had it too but got over it after a week or two.

- Don't eat much at the ICU cafeteria, there are much better places around to eat. It's not terrible or anything but it's not amazing. It is convenient though.

- Definitely spend time just wandering around. You never know what you find. Also a good way to learn the area.

You're going to have an amazing time - good luck!
Zergneedsfood
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States10671 Posts
July 06 2011 14:07 GMT
#11
Grrr....how I wish I could go to Japan.
/人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Make a contract with me and join TLADT | Onodera isn't actually a girl, she's just a doormat you walk over to get to the girl. - Numy 2015
29 fps
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States5724 Posts
July 06 2011 14:11 GMT
#12
there's so much to learn about Japan. I've been here for a while, so I can answer any Qs you have. PM or message here works.
4v4 is a battle of who has the better computer.
Spekulatius
Profile Joined January 2011
Germany2413 Posts
July 06 2011 14:21 GMT
#13
I so envy you. I've wanted to go to Japan for such a long time now...
Always smile~
Nairul
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States262 Posts
July 06 2011 15:20 GMT
#14
Are you a white male? Japanese girls will love love love you.
clayn
Profile Joined November 2010
Germany444 Posts
July 06 2011 16:20 GMT
#15
hey man i wish you so much fun in japan! i wanna go over there for a while aswell when im done with school
HaruHaru
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
United States988 Posts
July 06 2011 17:29 GMT
#16
ucsd hwighting! hope you have fun in japan i was planning to study abroad too my junior year
Long live BroodWar!
Wolf
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Korea (South)3290 Posts
July 06 2011 17:41 GMT
#17
Hey, have you gotten there yet? How easy is it to travel around Japan without any Japanese? I'm planning to go there soon.
Commentatorhttp://twitter.com/proxywolf
TL+ Member
pr0bez
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States50 Posts
July 06 2011 17:50 GMT
#18
On July 07 2011 00:20 Nairul wrote:
Are you a white male? Japanese girls will love love love you.


This is a myth and it irks me when white people go to japan to get Japanese girls. Unattractive, sweaty, white males have more trouble than the next guy.
Nairul
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States262 Posts
July 06 2011 18:10 GMT
#19
On July 07 2011 02:50 pr0bez wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 07 2011 00:20 Nairul wrote:
Are you a white male? Japanese girls will love love love you.


This is a myth and it irks me when white people go to japan to get Japanese girls. Unattractive, sweaty, white males have more trouble than the next guy.


My best friend studied abroad in Japan and confirmed this to me.

Are you saying OP is unattractive & sweaty?
pr0bez
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States50 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-07-06 18:46:32
July 06 2011 18:38 GMT
#20
I went on the same program as you last year, except I didn't do Intensive Language. Here is my input:

Eating: + Show Spoiler +
Since you don't eat fish or vegetables, I recommend the following:
1. Gyu-Don
[image loading]

As long as you don't mind onions, Gyu-Don or "Beef Bowl" is an amazing breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is authentic Japanese fare, although most Americans think of it as fast food and a foreign concoction. Trust me, Yoshinoya is way better in Japan, and is much cheaper. When I was in Japan, there was a beef bowl price war at the time between the three major beef bowl dispensaries: Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya. You could get a beef bowl and Miso for 270 yen !! It's practically all I ate!!

2. Ramen
[image loading]

Ramen is very light on vegetables and comes in four major styles: Miso, Shio, Tonkotsu, and Shoyu:

Miso = Miso based broth
Shio = Salt based broth
Tonkotsu = Pork based broth (very rich and delicious)
Shoyu = Soy Sauce based broth

Theres so many ramen places in Japan so I can't really recommend a best one; however, a place called "Buriki-ya" near the ICU campus was a favorite among students.

3. Konbini Food

[image loading]

Japanese mini marts (7-11, AM/PM, SunKus, FamilyMart) are absolutely the most amazing places. The food there is so cheap and so bomb. They are like your lifeline. It's the 24-hour, one stop shop for food, drinks, cigs, and beer. You can always grab a sandwich, Onigiri, bento, or instant ramen for a quick and delicious dinner. They will gladly microwave your food for you.


Getting Around + Show Spoiler +

Since you say you have trouble with directions, let me see if I can help. The most important thing about getting around in Japan is to understand conceptually how to get somewhere. The people who get lost are the types of people who rely on "lists" to get places. However, travelling in Tokyo is actually quite simple.

You will be doing 99% of your travelling by train and by foot. There are two major rail operators in Japan. Luckily, there is a convenient cash card that covers both of them. The first thing you do when you arrive in Tokyo is to pick up a Suica card, which is similar to an Oyster card in London albeit more advanced. It stores cash electronically and all you have to do is touch it to a detector to deduct the change. You can purchase it from one of the machines at major stations - an attendant will be happy to assist you.

[image loading]

Additionally, Suica cards can be used to purchase items at the convenient store. This is very important when you are late to class and need to grab some cigs and an onigiri.

As for rail lines, you will mainly be using the Chuo line. It's the yellow lane that traverses westward away from Tokyo. Mitaka is quite a ways out from downtown tokyo but very easy to reach via the Chuo line.

[image loading]
The Chuo Line can actually be this packed if you are catching the last train.

(BTW trains stop running at 1AM and open at around 5 AM. Be aware of this or be prepared to pay for taxi or stay out late. This can actually be a good thing. If you are going clubbing, then you are committed to staying out late and it's a lot of fun.)

The most important thing is to make sure you are going in the right direction. This is indicated by the final destination that the train will stop when the info is displayed on the electronic board.

Another important line is the conspicuously green Yamanote line which is the most important rail line in Japan, crucial for millions to commute every day. This line goes in a convenient loop.

You get around in Japan simply by looking at a map and figuring out which stations you need to go to. There are a few nuances, however. Some trains are express, some stop at all stations. For example, I lived in Shinjuku and commuted to ICU in the morning. Only at the Nakano station was there an express train that took me directly to Musashi-Sakai (The closest station to ICU). Saved me about 20 minutes.

[image loading]

Don't be intimated by the map. Carry one with you at all times and just focus on the lines that you need to go to. PM me if you are confused for my contact info. I am grandmasters at directions in Japan.


Drinking + Show Spoiler +
Assuming that you drink alcohol, drinking in Japan is absolutely amazing, but is very expensive. You will likely meet people at ICU and possibly join a student club, in which you must abide to Japanese drinking customs (Kohai/Sempai relationship). You might just drink in the dorms, in the rooms, or on the streets. I recommend the following :

-The "Konbini" game: I don't encourage being a loud and obnoxious foreigner. Those guys piss me off. However, bars can be expensive, and convenient stores are everywhere. It is legal to drink on the street in Japan, but rude to walk while drinking (or eat, or smoke), so stop walking when you drink. If you want to save money, go to Shinjuku, Shibuya, or pretty much any district and buy a drink at a convenient store and finish it by the tme you walk to the next convenient store. Repeat until you are all blacked out drunk.

I usually pick up an Asahi since that's my favorite beer, but it costs at least 200 yen. [image loading]

If you really want to get faded, try a few of these:

[image loading]

It's called Chu-Hi and it's kind of like a four-loko that doesn't suck. It comes in Strong (higher alcohol) variation, different flavors, and in a tall can or standard can.

-The "Nomihoudai": Nomihoudai in Japanese means "All you can drink". These are usually around 2000 yen, but can be found for as cheap as 1000 yen. You pay usually for at least two hours. Be careful. A lot of the drinks on the menus are really delicious girly drinks that don't taste like they have any alcohol in them. Most Nomihoudai are offered by bar/restaurants called Izakaya which means drinking + small plates (tapas). Izakaya are so much fun because you get your private room/booth with all your friends and are really relaxing and laid back.



Some other tips:

-Have an open mind. You really don't eat vegetables or fish? You don't like them at all? I'm just saying that because they taste way better to me in Japan than in the states.

-Socialize. This is pretty obvious, but ICU can be a pretty cliquey school. None of the clubs at the school were for me, but many of my friends really enjoyed the clubs. I preferred to explore the city with a group of friends than hang out around ICU.

-It's okay to get lost. You might find some really cool stuff.

-Travel around. Tokyo is massive and limitless, but get out of the city to enjoy the more relaxing side to Japan. Also, ride the Shinkanesen (Bullet Train) at least once while you're there !!

Let me know if you have any questions and good luck fellow ICU student.
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