I enjoyed a year in Japan as a student in the Japanese Language & Culture Studies Course at Gifu University. During the past year, I experienced various aspects of Japanese culture. It was exciting and great to experience and enjoy Japanese culture and events such as the tea ceremony, noh and kyogen, pottery making and a sumo tournament, closer at hand than ever. Another thing I will never forget is that I wrote a thesis on completing the course. Although writing the thesis was a painful process, I am sure I will look back with great pleasure on the experience of overcoming the difficulties on my own and on the helpful guidance I received from instructors. During the past year, I met various people and learned various things. My experience in Japan will be a valuable asset to my future.
To put it simply (although it is not easy to do so), the Japanese Language & Culture Studies Course at Gifu University offers diverse learning opportunities. Through this course, over the past year we were able not only to improve our Japanese language skills, but also experience various aspects of Japanese culture, such as noh and the tea ceremony. Moreover, while learning at first hand about Japanese society as well as its characteristics and problems, we were able to deepen our understanding of Japan.
I could say this course was challenging because we had to learn at a very fast pace, but I have just realized that my Japanese language skills and knowledge of Japan have improved surprisingly. Therefore I would strongly recommend people wishing to deepen their understanding of Japan to choose the Japanese Language & Culture Studies Course at Gifu University.
Thanks to the Japanese Language & Culture Studies Course at Gifu University, I was able to spend a fulfilling time as an exchange student in Japan. Through this course, I learned to analyze Japanese society and culture. In addition, during the autumn semester, I attended a Japanese language course to improve my overall Japanese proficiency. During the spring semester, I acquired a deeper understanding of Japanese society and culture by studying general subjects. Meanwhile, I wrote a thesis on a theme of my own interests, while conducting research and attending a seminar. I also learned about various aspects of Japanese society and culture through hands-on experience and observation (performing noh, pottery making, attending a sumo tournament, etc). At first I felt a little lonely, but the instructors and students at Gifu University were kind to me and I made many friends. It took me six months to complete my thesis and that was hard. I still cannot forget how busy I was and how happy I felt.
I had a fulfilling time during the past year. Everyone at Gifu University was very kind. Many people helped me cope with my life and studies. In the beginning, I felt a bit lonely because I was not used to the surroundings and I had few friends. I joined a circle in April and participated in various activities. In April I also began to write my thesis. Writing the thesis felt like the most important part of my life between April and August. I read numerous books to complete my thesis. My Japanese language skills improved under the guidance of dedicated instructors.
