Simran's Exchange to Kansai Gadai University | Japan
My name is Simran and I studied abroad at Kansai Gadai University in Japan in Semester 1, 2019. At Murdoch University, I am studying a double major of Physics & Nanotechnology and Finance.
The key factors for myself choosing to study at Kansai Gadai were:
For me it had to be Japan and since
there was only one university in Japan that was open to students who were not
undertaking an Asian Studies major, I really only had one option – Kansai
Gaidai University.
Japan has a culture that is very unique and exciting. During my time
here I have travelled to various tourist and local hotspots as my host
university, Kansai Gaikokugo Gaidai (関西外国語大å¦), resides in a central location. From the famous Fushimi Inari with my
Japanese speaking partner to a delicious ramen shop near the station all of
which have accumulated an extraordinary view of Japan as a culturally and
historically diverse site.
A little about Kansai Gadai University...
As Kansai Gaidai has connections with countries all around the world it attracts both Japanese and foreign students who are both friendly and eager to make the most of their time whilst abroad. Therefore making friends with common interests and unique skills all from different countries has been one of the highlights of my time here in Japan as I have met various people I do not wish to forget. Japan’s rich historical and cultural diversity as well as its easily accessible transportation has made it easy to live everyday to its fullest potential.
My university had two campuses in close
proximity to each other. I lived in the dormitory on one campus and had half my
classes on said campus while the other two were on the main campus a 15 minute
walk away. As none of the units I could take in Japan would be able to count
towards my Murdoch degree, I decided to explore new units and enjoy something
that I would otherwise not be able to do. The units I took were:
Japanese 5 (4.5 hours/week)
Kanji 5 (3 hours/week)
Religion in Japan (3 hours/week)
Representations of Asia in Popular
Culture (3 hours/week)
And all of them presenting unique
learning experiences in an environment where I had more fun than work. The
classes themselves were highly Americanised as I soon found out catered to 2/3rds
of the International cohort, and even the literature unit focalized on American-Asian
relations. It felt like I was learning about two very different but powerful
cultures and I relished it.
A little about the country I lived in, Japan...
One aspect of Japan I have come to love is that despite being a string of islands, travelling in Japan is both simple and easily accessible. During spring break, my friends and I visited the southern island of Kyushu via an overnight ferry (approximately 12 hours). We first went to the city Beppu in the Oita prefecture and utilised our time in various hot springs (onsen) before travelling three hours via a bus to the party capital of Fukuoka (on the opposite side) where we spent our time at Nagasaki and the reclining Buddha. Kyushu albeit so close to where I study was completely different! From their speaking style to the mountain-esque view and even the ramen flavour – it felt like I had visited another country! Furthermore, on the ferry back from Fukuoka we had met a group of students who had decided to attend a concert in Osaka. They only expected to be there for a short time and yet it surprised me that they were willing to spend 24 hours on transportation!
The city I stayed in was Osaka – a very
popular and tourist-friendly location. Japan is known for its incredible public
transport system so getting around on was only limited in my ability to
comprehend Google Translate – not my strongest suit. Even when I did find
myself in an unfamiliar place it was simply a matter of asking a local for help
and they were always willing to help.
Food in Japan was quite cheap,
plentiful, and aesthetically pleasing. I wasn’t much of a seafood fan so I
instinctively ruled out sushi and tempura, however they had such a variety of
yummy food I was able to enjoy something new every day. My favourite foods to
eat were the various breads/pastries you could buy at ‘Welcia’ right next door
to campus. If you went after 7pm (prime snacking time) you could get them for
half price.
The locals were friendly and helpful and I never
had any problems communicating with them. Since I was studying at an
International university, the Japanese students were always eager to make
friends and start up a conversation in English so I didn’t need to put much
effort in. 
The best parts of my experience...
I remember my birthday soon after arrival where I
had decided to explore the area and test my language ability. I walked to an
arcade near the station and upon my visible confusion was taught by an elderly
Japanese woman how to use the machines. After that we talked for nearly half an
hour in simple Japanese as I was brushing up on my bordering gambling ability
and I was then surprised to see that she had bought me another round of playing
chips as a ‘birthday present’ despite only knowing me for a few minutes. It was
a simple gesture but it had warmed my heart.
I think the best part for me was
just being able to relax. I am and have always been a busy and active person so
having a semester to myself where I was away from my normal hectic life and
faced with many different experiences and challenges that I won’t be able to
achieve at home was exhilarating. This may seem anticlimactic being in a
foreign country that holds the top tourist spots in the world but my favourite
part was during Golden Week (the emperor was abdicating for the first time in
forever and we had a 10 day unprecedented consecutive holiday) and I got pretty
sick so I cancelled my trip to Korea with a few friends and spent the whole ten
days cooped in my room with tea and instant ramen (thanks Japan) watching anime
on Netflix. I had to go to the hospital twice during that time and the pharmacy
next door basically every day but there was no pressure to do anything or go
sightseeing and everyone else save a select few were travelling so it felt like
I had the whole dorm to myself. Don’t get me wrong, being sick was absolutely
awful and I spent so much money on lemon tea I could start my own company but
it was the most relaxing thing I had experienced. They had a little thermal pot
in the kitchen which kept water at boiling point so making tea was so easy and
inviting.
Either that or Spring Break when I
actually went travelling with friends.
Some of the challenges about studying abroad . . .
I’ve travelled a lot since youth
so there was nothing that I didn’t expect nor did I feel homesick. The only
trouble I had was interacting with the other international students. Although
Australia is a multicultural society I had never been exposed to so many
foreign students in one go and learning how to interact, especially communicating
what was sensitive to them or me was a learning curve. But I made some lovely
friends so it was all worth it.
A little about my accommodation whilst Studying Abroad . . .
I lived in the dormitory. They had an
options to do a home stay but I had already done that last time I visited Japan
and had never really lived by myself so I thought it would be a great idea. I
was pleasantly surprised. The dormitory at Kansai Gaidai was beautifully
furnished and vibrant. Each unit fits 27 people, had two very spacious
kitchens, 5 toilets at one end and 4 showers at the other. There was a large
common lounge in the middle and each unit was assigned a colour theme. Mine was
“Yamabuki” and represented a deep red flower that grew in the mountains. The
dorm was 5 stories high and cordoned off into gendered sections (4 units per
floor for women and 2 for men).
There were also karaoke rooms, vending machines
literally everywhere, a gym, a nurse’s office, counsellor, book shop,
convenience store, several food outlets (including a Starbucks), a cafeteria
that served good food at cheap prices among other great things. I believed
staying at the dorm allowed me to have more liberty and fun with other
cultures. If you wanted to immerse yourself in the culture and love Japan for
all its quirky perks (also if you can’t cook), then I suggest a home stay.
Funding my Exchange experience . . .
I was lucky to receive the Cheong
Kong Scholarship ($5000) specifically for exchange before I left. Furthermore,
I was awarded a Summer Research Project grant for a Nanotechnology project
($4000) and I was able to complete the project without actually using any of
the funding. So I put those two scholarships together, created a very detailed
excel spreadsheet to religiously budget my expenditure and lived a very
satisfying life for those 4.5 months. I didn’t use all the money I allocated
for the trip and I was prone to doing some shopping at Daiso and second
hand stores but I never limited myself on money – Japan is just a cheap place
to live if you know what to do.
Advice I would give to someone considering Studying Abroad . . .
Japan specific
Research the place you’re going
to. A bit unfortunate but for Japan specifically if you do not know the
language then you are going to have a tough time getting around and
experiencing it for what it’s truly worth. I had studied Japanese for seven
years – two of which were self-studied and had visited before, did a home stay,
travelled etc. yet I had times when I had difficulties negotiating to get on a
bus to the airport or explaining my query to immigration. Japan’s level of
English proficiency is low and that’s putting it kindly so it really is up to
you to communicate to your best ability.
Also, although transport is
reasonably priced, it adds up. There is just so much to do in Japan if
you haven’t planned out a priority list it will be costly going back and forth.
Exchange General
Something I could have optimised better was keeping up to date with what was happening in Perth/Murdoch. I
glossed over emails that would have potentially benefited a good read whilst
on exchange thinking that it was in the future so I need not worry about it
now. I also got two very good internships at really major banks in Japan but I
had to turn it down because I was prepared enough and wouldn’t make the
deadline for a visa extension. All in all, keep up to date with your
opportunities elsewhere. Maybe just check your email or the Murdoch page once a
fortnight for a few minutes – it’s never too early to plan your next step.
One thing I wish I did when I
travelled in Japan a first time was not keeping an account of what I did. So
this time I kept a diary that I wrote in every night or at least the morning
after. It was simple – what I did in a nutshell, who I hung out with that day,
maybe the food I ate, interesting conversations etc. Nothing major but now two
months back home and thinking of my friends that I would most likely not see
face to face anytime soon, it’s good to have that little reminder that your
memories were very much real and cultivated your experiences abroad. Overall,
another piece of advice, memories are subjective to your brain capacity but the
written word never fails you.
- Simran studied abroad at Kansai Gadai in Japan
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