Life in a Foreign university | ‘Studying in Japan has been my best decision’

Nearly 80 students from our country were selected to visit Japan for about a week. During that trip, we visited mainly Tokyo and Yokohama. I experienced homestay, school visits, cutting-edge technology and cultural experiences such as visiting the gardens where Tagore stayed during his Japan visit. I instantly fell in love with Japan. On one hand, you had robots doing surgeries and on the other, houses had traditional rooms with Tatami floors (made with rush and hemp). I loved this contrast in Tokyo and appreciated the richness of culture in a developed country like Japan.

I wanted India to be something like this where we advance scientifically and economically, and value our heritage on our road to being a developed country. This made me want to study in Japan.

I loved Chemistry and contacted the University of Tokyo’s India office in New Delhi. They suggested I apply to Tohoku University or Nagoya University (both being part of the seven former imperial universities of Japan — the country’s Ivy League) as they offered Chemistry in English. Since I could also get the scholarship, I finally decided to study in Japan — a decision I cherish to date.

Therefore, both the course and the culture that made me want to study in Japan.

I completed my Class 12 (CBSE, Science) from BK Birla Public School, Kalyan in March 2015 and shifted to Japan in October. I travelled around two weeks in advance in mid-September to complete all the administrative procedures, setting up of my hostel room, etc.

‘My parents, especially my mother’ have been a pillar of strength and an inspiration to me throughout this journey,’ says Trishit.

It’s been almost a decade, and since then, I have been in Japan. I am currently pursuing my final year of PhD in Chemistry at Tohoku University. More specifically, I focus on Biophysics where I study how different proteins move on DNA and how can we make them move faster.

Japan — Safe for physical, mental and social health

Being an Asian country, Japan is similar to India in many ways. I felt closer to my added identity of being a Bengali. People remove their shoes when entering someone’s house, consume lots of fish, rice and sweets, and show respect to people around them by bowing. The influence of Buddhism historically also means that many of the cultural aspects of Japan find their roots in ancient India. People are kind and crimes are rare. In fact, to this day, I often leave my house unlocked and there has been no problem with it.

The only cultural shock was the Japanese culture of Onsen (hot spring bath). Japan’s geography includes many mountainous regions with volcanoes that give rise to hot springs. People usually bathe in them together without any piece of clothing. Coming from India made me anxious initially, but after I tried it for the first time, I was extremely comfortable with it. The hot springs are great for health with their natural minerals and people do not judge each other. Therefore, one can freely access it without being concerned with their body image. It is a great way for community building too.

Although my university environment is in English, the local life requires basic knowledge of Japanese. Initially, I faced difficulties in identifying different leafy vegetables, meat, etc. Since I don’t have any food restrictions, it was easier as I could at least eat and see for myself even if I didn’t know what it was. Over time, I have become much better at identifying food.

I did not have to do any part-time job as my scholarship for my undergraduate, masters and PhD programmes covered both the tuition and living expenses.

The Japanese people, particularly, have been very kind to me. I remember one incident when I took a taxi from the city centre back to my hostel. In Japan, taxis are expensive as the minimum cost is Rs 350, so it is not something students can afford easily. It was a busy local festival day. The driver forgot to switch the meter on and he realised it only after we arrived at the destination. This ride would have cost me Rs 1,200. However, the driver refused to take any money from me as he thought it was his fault. This level of honesty impressed me.

Learning Japanese

I did not know any Japanese before coming here. I did not grow up on manga, anime or J-pop music. In the beginning, the university helped a lot with the language. I had a mentor appointed by the university to assist with opening a bank account, post office, buying a SIM card, internet installation, etc. I took a Japanese class at the university for the first 1.5 years and that was the only formal training I had in the language. Since I fell in love with the language, I picked it rather quickly and now I can even have business conversations in Japanese. Indian language grammar such as that of Hindi, Bengali, etc is extremely similar to Japanese.

‘The Indo-Japan relations being good are still limited at the governmental level. We do need to increase people-to-people exchanges for this to trickle down. This makes my role and the role of other Indians in Japan crucial and novel. We can create something new in society even as students leading to new paths,’ Trishit believes.

Learning a bit of Japanese gives you a head start but even without that, focusing on it when you arrive here can also help you a lot.

Battling Covid, earthquakes

Covid-19 was a major challenge and there were many cases in Japan but thankfully, the free vaccination programme and medical infrastructure helped a lot.

As part of Japan’s social security programme, all residents (citizens and people like me) are enrolled in the government’s National Health Insurance programme. We pay a small premium monthly to the government but in return, 70% of all medical expenses are borne by the government. Only 30% is paid by us which is also tax-deductible.

During the pandemic, the Japanese government paid ¥100,000 (Rs 60,000) to all residents (including me) as a small financial relief. People with children were paid more depending on the circumstances. I was extremely humbled by this experience as I never expected a foreign government would do so much for me. As I did not need this money due to my scholarship, I donated it to a local food bank providing relief to those in need during the pandemic.

Advice to future aspirants

One of the things that is not discussed enough about the merits of studying abroad is the transition of oneself into a minority. Getting to experience the life of a minority is essential for us to look at our home from a third-person perspective which allows us to see the good, the bad and the ugly in both societies.

My advice to students is to not choose a place simply by its opportunities. Ask yourself why you want to go somewhere and what is it that it will add to your character from such an experience.

Finally, it is always essential to remember that we become representatives of our country abroad. Therefore, thinking about how we can contribute to our immediate society not only adds value to ourselves but also enhances the image of our home country.

(This letter is part of a series by The Indian Express where we bring to you the experiences of students at different foreign universities. From scholarships and loans to food and cultural experiences — students tell us how life is different in those countries and things they are learning other than academics)