MEXT Undergraduate Scholar
Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture ー A lot has happened in the past few months. In western Japan, we’ve experienced a major earthquake, torrential downpours, and a heatwave. At school, I finished my first semester and tested my Japanese language abilities far more than ever before. I’ve also been busy volunteering and started a new internship... Continue Reading →
One of the most powerful earthquakes to rock the Kansai region in decades struck Osaka and neighboring prefectures Monday morning, leaving at least four people dead and more than 300 injured. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.1 and registered lower 6 on the Japanese intensity scale to 7, hit at 7:58 a.m. at... Continue Reading →
Kagoshima Prefecture — Once the home to one of Japan’s most powerful families, the Satsuma clan, Kagoshima is full of history, nature, and, of course, great food. Its key landmark is none other than Sakurajima, an active volcano that still coats the surrounding cities in ash from time to time. I had the pleasure of... Continue Reading →
Toyonaka, Osaka ー It's been a busy few weeks moving and starting university, but I've finally settled in and have finally gotten around to updating my blog! Osaka University's entrance ceremony was held on April 3rd, marking the beginning of the school year for 6,406 new students. The first week was spent attending orientation sessions... Continue Reading →
Minoh, Osaka Prefecture ー Graduation was held this morning and was yet another reminder of how fast time has passed since arriving in Osaka last April. It was nice seeing everyone dressed up and excited to wrap up what's been a challenging year. Most of my classmates will be heading off to Tokyo to continue... Continue Reading →
Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture ー If you are ever in Kyoto and are looking for a refined, light lunch or dinner, then there is no better place than Tousuiro (豆水楼). Tousuiro specializes in Tofu and you may need to leave behind what you know about western tofu in order to truly enjoy your meal. There is... Continue Reading →
Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Prefecture ー With exams starting next week, there was just enough time to go on one last quick trip before switching to study mode! The original plan was to go to Kanazawa which is famous for gold (among other things), but unfortunately, there was a severe snow storm that stopped the trains... Continue Reading →
Nara Prefecture ー Another weekend, another chance to get out and explore! This week I went to a number of different places all throughout Nara Prefecture. The weekend started out by taking a train to Shigisan where we then walked up a mountain to a big organic farm to go strawberry picking. However, unlike your... Continue Reading →
Amanohashidate, Kyoto Prefecture ー It has been quite some time since my last blog post. Things have been very busy here between exams, winter holidays, and university applications. It's hard to believe that it is already 2018 - Happy New Year - and that there are only a couple months left in the prep year.... Continue Reading →
