My first encounter with Japanese culture was through learning martial arts. I started quite early during middle school where I trained for a total of 4 years before going to Japan. I've always wanted to participate in a Karate Contest in Japan, since there were none in my home country. So immediately after arriving at Shizuoka University, I joined the karate club there and later on competed in two of local competitions.
Shizuoka University, located in the middle of Tokyo and Kyoto, specializes in Engineering and Information technology. The university was home to one of the most innovative technological pioneers named Takayanagi Kenjiro, widely known as the father of Japanese television. Located in the middle of the big cities Shizuoka prefecture serves as an industrial hubspot in Japan. And also, there is Mount Fuji too.
After working as an interpreter at a Technical Trainee Center in Japan for a few months, I encounter the issue where one of the trainees went missing. Harsh working conditions and the legal violation from the Japanese employers seem to be the root cause as I investigated further regarding the issue to write a thesis report for a contest. This contest is also supported by the Japanese government and I placed 3rd in it, hoping to bring the issue to light to Japanese society with this report.
I decided to do an exchange study in Canada from Japan near the end of 2024 which has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I have ever had. Experiencing different cultures and being able to compare the different lifestyles surely widens your perspective on the world.
Applying to an internship maybe intimidating especially when you are still on your first year. However, despite feeling unqualified, I decided to gain experience by actually doing the internship. The topics covered during the internship was manageable, but it did not go well on my final presentation.
I had the desire to pursue better education after studying abroad in Japan for a year. And that is when I found out about the tuition-exempted study exchange between Canada and Japan. Even though I faced quite a few challenges in the initial stages of the exchange program, it was also an opportunity for me to improve myself as a scholar.
Having studied in Japan for two years, I have tried a variety of part-tme jobs from a convenient store staff, prep chef at a restaurant, all the way to an interpreter at a technical trainee center, doing an internship at Yamaha and being a research assistant at my university. All the different type of jobs do vary in wages, but I can say that the best and the most effortless way to finance your study in Japan is with scholarships.
During my first hike to Mount Fuji in 2023, I was almost stranded on the summit without shelter with temperature near 0°C at midnight. I hope by sharing this experience, it will help others hiking mount Fuji better prepare for it in the future.