Study Abroad: Japan 
August - December 2025

Nerves. Anxiety. Uncertainy. These were all the feelings I had on the way to the Pittsburgh Airport, just moments away from starting my journey to Nagoya, Japan. 

 

I still remember how intimidating and scary it was walking into the Lawson convenience store next to my dorm to get lunch on my first day. Checking out was a disaster. My non-existent Japanese language skills made it impossible to understand what the cashier was trying to communicate. However, with some patience from the cashier, I successfully checked out and made sure to take my receipt in case something went wrong. Every trip to the store after that one got better.

 

​Overall, studying at Nanzan University for a semester was a great experience. I spent my downtime at the international student lounge hanging out with Japanese students. I loved living in the international dorms. Constant collisions with people of all walks of life. Small conversations about homework, their home countries, and what's for dinner tonight. 

 

One of my proudest achievements from Japan was improving my foreign language learning skills. I greatly struggled in a Japanese language class last spring at UC. However, at Nanzan, I did my best to fully engage in learning the language. The natural immersion of everyday life did wonders for me. わたしはちょとにほんごを話ます。とても、難しです。(I speak a little Japanese. It's very difficult). 

 

On the last day of class, my Japanese teacher, Fujimoto Sensei, gave us a speech that became emotional towards the end and said, "Always be happy and never stop learning Japanese". It was extremely endearing, and I'll always remember that moment. 

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When I look back on my time in Japan, I think about all of the little moments. ​I think about staring at the sunset in Gifu, sharing a bowl of ramen in Tokyo with my Slovakian friend, wandering through Osaka with no agenda, looking at the light lamps in Nagoya, and sitting in the kitchen of my dorm, shooting the shit with my dorm mates. 
 

It's difficult to put into words how I feel about Japan. It's easy to romanticize, and I'm sure I do, but I also remember how difficult certain times were. In those moments, perhaps I wished I were at home. Now, as I sit here and write this reflection, I think about how I wish I were there now to get a bowl of Japanese curry and wash it down after with a Sapporo on the streets with my friends from across the world. 

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