Kayla Muraoka, My Adventure in Japan
Over the past two months I have enjoyed experiencing daily life as a local Japanese college student and reconnecting with my Japanese heritage and a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture. Now that I’m nearing the half way point of my semester-long study abroad in Nagoya, Japan at Nanzan University (南山大学), I can positively look back and embrace all the overwhelming and exciting experiences of learning abroad. The Japanese program is both intense and rewarding: my Japanese language class meets every day and I am immersed in 12 hours of language practice each week.
In my two business classes, I’m gaining an understanding of Japan’s human resource, decision making, corporate and industrial structure. In my Management Sciences course, I’ve been exposed to both theoretical and practical understanding of operations research and its application in The Japan business setting. I am amazed at the experiences I have been able to take part in, from interviewing business professionals at an authentic tea shop in Kakuozan, a famous shopping area in Nagoya (for my Japanese survey course), to hands-on practice of the classical tradition of wood block printmaking, a type of Japanese art that flourished in the Edo period (1603-1867) in my Hanga art class.
I’ve been immersed in the Japanese college life, making connections and meaningful conversations with Japanese colleagues, having joined the university’s track and field team (陸上競技) as well as the university’s photography club. I am excited to see how far I can truly advance my Japanese speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
Some of the best memories I have made abroad so far include: viewing a traditional Japanese Taiko performance; eating pufferfish for the first time; listening to a Rakugo storytelling performance. We also trekked out of Nagoya to Kanazawa, a traditional city on the coast of the Sea of Japan and visited the gardens of Kenrokuen (兼六園) and the old tea houses of Higashi-Chayagai (東茶屋街). We made traditional and elegant Japanese sweets (和菓子手作り体験) and crafts with gold leaf (金箔貼り体験) while enjoying a night at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). I have visited Tokyo, the capital of Japan and the world's most populous metropolitan area and was delighted at the amazing Mori Borderless Digital Art museum, mixing art with high-technology.