This year was a great experience for me. I was able to study Japanese language and culture that I could not study in my country, and learned more about Gifu and Japan. Before coming to Japan, I hadn’t thought much about the future, but over the past year, my attitude toward the future has changed. This was my first time to attend classes and lectures together with Japanese students, and I struggled a little at first. Once accustomed, I really enjoyed it. Writing a thesis was quite tough. Since I had never written a thesis or searched for previous studies, it did not go well initially. But it was very fun to do research on a theme of interest. Teachers gave me great advice and instructions, and so were thesis writing tutors. They helped me to learn new Japanese words and acquire thesis writing skills. I am truly grateful to them.
I had three goals for studying in Japan.
The first goal was to improve my Japanese. I feel my skills of reading, listening, writing and speaking have significantly improved. The second goal was to gain hands-on experience of Japanese culture. I joined a wide variety of events such as a tea ceremony, noh play, wearing a 12-layered ceremonial kimono, and pottery making. I appreciated the attractiveness of Japanese traditional culture. And the third goal was to experience local culture in Gifu. In class, we tried picking persimmons, a specialty of Gifu. We also learned about wagasa (traditional Japanese paper umbrella) and ukai (cormorant fishing) at the Gifu City Museum of History. We then went up Mt. Kinka and visited Gifu Castle, where we listened to a story about the Warring States period.
Thinking back now, I believe I have mostly achieved my goals. Furthermore, I have gained the most important ability of thinking for myself. This is definitely necessary to read a lot of reference books in the latter half of the course when writing the thesis. But I also realized that it is highly significant to think for myself how to write my own unique thesis to satisfy myself.
Looking back at the past year as a student at Gifu University, the first thing I would like to say is “thank you.” I learned various things and made new friends from other countries, creating lots of memories. I feel I have grown up.
When I first arrived in Japan, I was afraid of everything since it was my first time living by myself, and my Japanese was not so good. Thanks to my teachers and friends, I soon got accustomed to life here. It is embarrassing to say this but I didn’t know much about Japan despite majoring in Japanese literature. By studying in Japan, I have gradually come to know more about Japan and Gifu. I developed not just Japanese proficiency but also an attachment to Japan.
Japan and South Korea need to know more about each other for the future of both countries. I am determined to do what I can to maintain the good relationship between the two countries. Studying in Japan has been an unforgettable experience for me. In addition to Japanese language, I learned about life. I am glad I came to Gifu.
