Learning the joys and responsibilities of being human in Tokyo August 16, 2024

By Sophia L (Humanities, Yale University) - abroad from 08/24/2023 to 06/22/2024 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Tokyo

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Language skills, cooking skills, communication skills, studying skills, work skills, travel experience, how to be environmentally responsible, etc... It was most definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Academic rigor was low, student engagement in classes is also low in many classes (perhaps this is a shared trait across all schools). However, I was able to enroll in some higher level seminar courses that were much more engaging and interesting. These courses required higher level of Japanese proficiency as you had to actively participate in discussion every class and do presentations as long as 30-40 minutes, not including Q&A. I appreciated ICU's dedication to communication in the classroom and overall enjoyed my courses greatly.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	On-site administration was lovely. The program director and assistant director were wonderful people to work with, and they took good care of us. In the last semester, there was some turnover in administration, and things felt much less stable. There were some concerns about lack of preparation and communication between admin and the students, but things worked out.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I loved my dormitory. It was so great to live with Japanese students and have a clean, safe space to meet other girls.
* Food:	The cafeteria food was good, not spectacular but worth the money. Japan's food scene is just amazing in general, which makes the cafeteria food a little bit lackluster, but I truly enjoyed all of the experiences with food I had in the country and I miss it everyday.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Overall, I felt pretty well integrated. I credit a lot of that to the fact that I am Korean (visually passing as East Asian) and am highly proficient in Japanese. I had a good grasp of the city and public transportation. I never felt unsafe or anxious, and I always had people to reach out to. One wonderful thing about Japan is that they still employ people to do many tasks that signs or kiosks do in other first-world countries, so when I am in need of help it often isn't too difficult to find a help desk or security guard to consult. As long as you abide by the rules in Japan, life is not difficult, and if you are open to learning Japanese customs and unlearning some of the lifestyle and customs you had in your home country, Japan is a really great place to live. I felt really integrated into the culture and way of life by the middle of my program, and I honestly didn't want to leave.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I was signed up for national health insurance, and if I needed to see a doctor it was super easy to get a referral from the school health office and bike to a nearby clinic (within 10 minutes biking) to get seen by a doctor. It is also much cheaper and easier to see doctors in Japan. There were no prevalent health issues in Japan, and people are very wary about transmitting sicknesses so people mask up diligently and frequently.
* Safety:	Very safe. I have never felt that I was in danger during my time abroad. Even when I am walking 40 minutes from the station to my school past midnight, I am not concerned about something bad happening to me as police cars are on patrol and there are lights everywhere. One thing for students to be wary of, however, is that Japanese people tend to avoid wearing revealing clothes---and that is for good reason. It is unfortunately common for those dressed/appearing as women to be looked at sometimes even touched in public areas, so I would advise against wearing low tops, short pants, even sleeveless shirts is pretty uncommon in Japan.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I enjoyed every aspect of my time there so much. If I were to try and say everything I would talk for hours. I grew in more ways than I can count, and I felt challenged but also cared for by the people I encountered. It was a truly fruitful and memorable year.

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget? (1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)	Easy
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Varies per week, at its lowest $60?
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Go grocery shopping at Gyoumu Super! Learn recipes from your floormates and cook with your friends! Also, learn how to ride a bike and bike around instead of using the bus.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	We had a language pledge to always use Japanese.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	The highest level offered by CET-Japan
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	If possible, try to read and write in the language as much as possible. When you have readings in Japanese, the temptation to translate it and only read the English is so great, but it will benefit you much more to then go back and see which word means what. I learned so much more translating word for word rather than sentence to sentence.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Fieldwork Content courses conducted in Japanese Wonderful dormitory
* What could be improved?	More communication with admin More transparency in purpose of various activities Greater consideration for those of lower proficiency
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	How easy it would be to enroll in and utilize the healthcare system.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	International Human Rights Law
Course Department:	Law
Instructor:	Osamu Arakaki
Instruction Language:	Japanese
Comments:	The teacher was knowledgeable and very engaging. He always faced the classroom while speaking and was very intentional about making sure students were paying attention and understanding the lecture. The course was fully in Japanese and we had weekly reports (3000 characters) on topics related to the lecture for the week as well as in class discussions as the professor saw fit. The class size was small (maybe 20 people), so each student was given a whole class period (1 hour 15 minutes) to present on a topic in International Human Rights Law and conduct a Q&A. The presentation content was difficult to put together as the professor had very high standards for accuracy and depth of understanding regarding the subject. The presentations were generally 40 minutes long, but the Q&A was always the most difficult as students in the course were proactive about asking questions and finding holes in one another's arguments. The professor's questions and comments were challenging, honest, and sometimes brutal. When it was clear that work had been put into it, he was quick to praise the students, but when it was clear that they had not done sufficient research he was honest about his disappointment. I say this not to complain, but to say that this experience was incredibly unique. I learned so much in this course and felt motivated to try harder than probably any other course I have taken in college. The professor's intense investment into his students' understanding and work made a difference in our attitudes, and we all thoroughly enjoyed the course, albeit the challenge it posed. I was the only non-native speaker of Japanese in most of the courses I enrolled in at ICU, but that gap in ability actually spurred me to try harder and I spent exponentially more time studying at ICU than I did at my previous institution. It was a season of growth for me, and I will never forget how much fun I had while learning.
Credit Transfer Issues: