Tag Archives: Tokyo

Kai Lim

Kai Lim

MAJOR: Business Admin/International Business

PROGRAM: SJSU Exchange – Sophia University, Japan

EMAIL: kai.lim@sjsu.edu

BIO: As someone who was born in Tokyo and has family over there, I share a strong connection with the city and Japan overall. I want to pursue a career in international business, which may involve long-term travel and interaction with diverse groups of people. Thus, I felt Tokyo to be a more than suitable location for my study abroad.

LEADER, VOLUNTEER, OR JOB EXPERIENCES: I have had two internships and two jobs, one in Tokyo! I was also the Service chair for my fraternity right before I left for exchange. Now I am the Alumni Relations chair for the same fraternity.

GOALS: I was hoping to be more immersed in Tokyo, to experience the life of being a student in Japan. I wanted to explore as many facets of Japan as I could. I was immersed in the fashion, the trendy areas, the local areas, food, nightlife, and general lifestyle. I wanted to make friends from all over, so that when I do further traveling in my own time, I can have points of contact during my travels. The goal was to make lifelong friends, and experience new experiences in Tokyo with them.

Yukata day at Sophia University. We boarded the booze cruise soon after

ACADEMICS: I would say the academics in Japan are easier, as their system has it so that middle and high school are intense, while university is more relaxed (much to the opposite of the United States).I did not want to take a heavy course load so that I can enjoy my time in Japan as much as I could, which I achieved. I even took another Japanese class, which met 5 days a week. I could have taken 2 business classes but I chose Japanese due to myself wanting further immersion.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: It makes me understand more that while every culture has different behaviors and mindsets, people are people at the end of the day. A German likes to party as much as a Brazilian, and a Japanese student likes to hang out and go to cafes like any other American, The world seems so different and vast, but we really are similar.

CAREER: I understood what mannerisms + behaviors are applicable to most people globally. I can just about converse with anyone from many different backgrounds. I figured out how to maintain global friendships.

PERSONAL GROWTH: So much of myself changed due to the study abroad program. I became more social than ever, and living on your own in a different country makes you a more independent individual. Creating friendships from scratch.

IDENTITIES: Being Asian American, especially half Japanese is an interesting dynamic in Japan. In Japan, to be truly Japanese, you need to be a part of the culture, to have grown inside it and understand the niche jokes of the generations.

FUTURE: It helped me a lot with independence and connecting.

TIPS: Talk to as much people as possible. DO Live in a share house with MANY other people. CONGREGATE in the lounge to make friends, and SAY YES to spontaneous adventures.

 

Ryan Huynh

Ryan Huynh

MAJOR: Business Admin/Business Analytics

PROGRAM: SJSU Exchange – Okayama University, Japan

EMAIL: ryan.huynh02@sjsu.edu

BIO: I chose to study abroad for a variety of reasons. One of my main reasons for choosing to do this program was that I wanted to explore the world and do some soul searching in a sense. Doing things like living by myself, paying bills, and going to classes. Plus I get to learn how a country, such as Japan, operates and learn how to traverse it. Another reason why I choose to study abroad is that its been a life dream to study abroad in either a different state or country

LEADER, VOLUNTEER, OR JOB EXPERIENCES: I’ve done a lot of traveling and volunteer projects which I would say greatly contributed to my leadership abilities. I’ve taken a class where we spent a weekend participating and helping the locals perform the Tottori, Misasa festival. During the festival we would help the locals with each and every part of the preparation of the festival. Such as, preparing the driftwood, making “ties”, and assisting fellow participants with what to do in order to finish the preparations of the festival in time. For traveling with friends I would be the main person figuring out how to get to a certain destination. My friends would give me places they wanted to go to and I would be the one to figure how and when to go. For example, the address, which train to take, how long, etc.

GOALS: My main goal for studying abroad was learning how the country of Japan operates, both in the city and in the rural parts of Japan. Which I think now I have a very good understanding of the history, culture, and why its the way it currently is. Another goal they I’m really glad I learned was how to learn and adapt to visiting/living in another country. Since I’ve never lived in another country, outside of USA, for very long I wondered if I would have been able to adapt.

At a shrine in Kyoto

ACADEMICS: Extremely different compared to how academics works in USA, in Japan the first term is rather easy. With many holiday breaks and 3 day weekends. However, their is no break between 1st and 2nd term plus the pacing of the classes drastically changed. Instead of one chapter per week it was more like 1 chapter every 2 days. The main courses I took was introduction to Japanese 1, Reading and writing 1, and Comparative politics for both terms, except for Comparative politics which I only took for 1 term.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: My experience has greatly impacted my perspectives of the world because of all the connections I made with people from Burmese, Europe, Korea, and Japan. I have a completely different view of the world compared to when I only really lived in the states. Like their are so many benefits that countries such as Japan or Poland that we Americans have to pay for, but at the same time there are many things that at least for me living in Silicon Valley that I’m really grateful for. Such as the power of the USD and very high minimum wages compared to the rest of the world.

CAREER: One of the main skills I learned during my study abroad experience is how to plan. For example, when planning a trip to Osaka, Tokyo, etc. in order for efficient use of time and Maximum fun.

PERSONAL GROWTH: The biggest impact that this experience had on me was a combination of finding what I wanted to do with my life and making meaningful connections with people abroad. Living by myself and making new friends have really made me realize what I am capable of and what I would like my future to look like.

IDENTITIES: Being an mainly international student really changed the way Japanese people would approach me. First I have a tattoo so its one of 2 things; I’m either a yakuza member or a foreigner so Japanese people find it hard to approach me.

FUTURE: Studying abroad has prepared to meeting new people from all over the world, regardless of gender, race, religion, or nationality. Plus I’ve learned how to travel into a completely new country and figuring out how to navigate any particular country with minimal issues.

TIPS: I would advise future Global Spartans to take a chance, it might be the best choice of your life. But do balance between School work and Having fun.

Alexey Kolechkin

Alexey Kolechkin

Alexey Kolechkin
Major: Finance
Term Abroad: Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
Program / Location: SJSU Exchange Sophia University, Tokyo Japan
IG: @alexey.kolechkin

Why did you want to study abroad? 
I’ve been interested in Japanese culture ever since taking Japanese language classes in high school, so I wanted to experience living in Japan firsthand, improve my language abilities, and meet lots of new people.

What has been your most surprising, positive, or challenging experience abroad?
Realizing how much money I’ve been spending, which is ironic considering that living in Japan is fairly cheap right now since the dollar is so strong compared to the yen. But since I go out a lot, whether it’s exploring/traveling or shopping or just hanging out with friends, I end up spending a lot of money on experiences. It’s not something I regret, since thankfully I have enough savings to cover it and I’m making lots of great memories, but it is something I will have to keep in check later on.

Any advice to potential study abroad students?
Seek growth and learning through discomfort. Living abroad for an extended period of time can be scary and challenging, but it’s one of the best opportunities for growth and self-development that you will ever have in your life, so take advantage of it and go somewhere exciting!

How are you managing your academic success abroad during the pandemic?
I minimized the amount of classes I’m taking so that I could put more focus on each one while dealing with the challenges of studying abroad. There is almost always something new that pops up that I have to deal with, or exciting experiences or events that I want to participate in, so I realized I had to take a lighter course load to have time for everything and still be able to succeed academically, as well as succeed in my other goals.

What are some ways that you are interacting with the local community ?
I’ve made friends with several Japanese students and they’ve shown me around different parts of Tokyo and taken me to places like restaurants, bars, karaoke, observatories, shrines, and temples. Having local connections really helps to better integrate with the local community because they show me how to act, speak, and what is considered acceptable and not acceptable.

What are some tips for managing your health and safety while traveling during the pandemic?
Take the normal precautions as you would anywhere else; wear a mask, wash your hands, try to avoid crowds if you can, and make smart choices