REPORT
STUDY ABROAD IN OSAKA UNIVERSITY, JAPAN
September 2018 – March 2019
1. Study programme
I came to Osaka University in September of 2018. I was a full-time student at the University of Groningen before, studying a Master’s Degree on International Relations, with a specialization on East Asia.
When I was in Groningen, I realized I could go to study abroad in my second semester and I took advantage of this big opportunity. Therefore, after the summer of 2018, with my first full semester of the Master finished, I was accepted at Osaka University as an exchange student and came to live to Japan for a complete semester from September 2018 to March 2019. It has been a wonderful time.
While in Osaka, I had to write my final Master Thesis, and at the same time, I need more 10 European university credits to finish my Master’s Degree. For that goal, I took four courses in the University of Osaka, which would be equivalent to those credits needed. In the end, everything was successful and I am on track on finishing the Masters on International Relations.
In Osaka, I was a student of OSIPP, or Osaka School of International Public Policy, a place that became home for me during 6 months. At Masters level, there are a lot of courses in English language available for foreign students to take here.
2. Language
As it happens in other countries like mine, Spain, in Japan, not everyone talks English, at least not fluently. However, this real, to a certain extent, stereotype was not in any moment an obstacle for me while I stayed in Japan all these months.
At the university, there were many courses in English, Japanese students spoke English and there were many international students too, all of which communicated in English. With access to internet, the “lack” of English was not a problem at all. In the end, I have been in a foreign country where people do not have to speak English to live. For that reason, during my stay in Japan I continued my studies of Japanese, which I feel have improved a lot since I started studying it by myself one year ago back home.
3. Finance and other conditions
During my stay in Japan, I self-financed with help from my parents in Spain. A second source of financing which helped me a lot was the Marco Polo Scholarship. I applied for the scholarship when I was still in Groningen and, with all the requirements fulfilled, they gave me right away 70% of the full scholarship, money which was extremely useful. The Marco Polo Scholarship gives you 30% left of the grant after you end your study abroad period.
I am very thankful for the Marco Polo grant.
4. Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after your stay From the very start, contact with the administration and members of the faculty of OSIPP from Osaka University was friendly and very helpful.
Professors helped me a lot before coming to Japan. In the summer of 2018, I already had bought my flight to Osaka but some documents from the university had not arrived yet, and it was only thanks to professor Akihisa Matsuno先生 who accelerated the process and sent me the documents faster. I got them just in time. I will always be grateful for their help.
Another stereotype of Japanese people is that they are very kind. In my experience, during 6 months here, I have had not a single problem in this country. In addition, indeed, every Japanese I have met has been nice to me. I can only speak for my experience, which it has been wonderful.
5. Housing
The sooner on starts to search for a place to stay in Japan the better. I tried at first to find a place in official dormitories from Osaka University but I did not find any available. For that reason, I have been living close to the city downtown in a share-house, and the experience has been great.
Housing is not expensive, at least that has been my case, because the utilities were included in the price. I cannot talk though about experience in the dormitories on the multiple campus of the university, but from what I have heard they are very convenient for students and the transportation between them and the university campus is easy. 6. Culture
I already loved Japanese culture before coming to Japan and afterwards I simply came more interested on it. Japanese culture is huge, from history and temples, to delicious food, Manga and Anime. Osaka is a huge city, and very close by train you can visit places like Nara, Kyoto, Kobe or Himeji. It has to be lived.
7. Free time
Having schedule and organizing time is the key in order to have free time. Nevertheless, in no moment I felt I was too busy to enjoy my life in Osaka.
There are many things to do the city. Osaka is one of the biggest cities in the world. Transportation is easy, and one can move around and visit different places, meet people, go to events, try karaoke with friends, go to Japanese cinema or just wander around the city.
8. Travelling
The University is located in the big city of Osaka, what provides plentiful of opportunities for students to travel around Japan. Osaka is located less than 1 hour away by train from historic capitals of Japan like Nara and Kyoto, World Heritage sites, along other historical places like Uji or Wakayama.
A little further away but still really close to Osaka, there are beautiful cities like Himeji with its amazing castle or Hiroshima, to the West, a place I visited in December. You can also go to Tokyo, further north.
At first, when you arrive to Japan, how to move around seems a daunting challenge. However, once you get used to using trains in Japan as the main way of transportation, it becomes easy and convenient (便利). During your stay, you probably will spend an important amount of money on transportation, but it is worth it. Besides it, Japan has not been as expensive as I was told it would be.
9. Other
These last half years in Japan has been an awesome experience! I wish I could have stayed here longer. I have made friends, enjoyed a good time, travelled out, discovered a new country, with its own history and culture. It has been amazing.
I would recommend everyone to come to Japan. Here, everything seems different to Europe. Japan is quiet but warm, it is customs are different, manners are different; but I adapted perfectly to them. I think I am, made, fit, for Japan.
I intending to be back soon, maybe for a PhD in Osaka University or elsewhere. I have come to love Japan.
