Through the study abroad program at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies I was able to experience so many different things. I loved living near Nagoya because there are so many things to do. Nagoya is also a very warm place during most seasons which I enjoyed when traveling. It does get cold late fall to early winter though. With public transportation being so accessible, I was able to explore all over Japan. I chose the NUFS program for these reasons.
Studying at NUFS was a new experience for me. It was great learning the differences between colleges in Japan as opposed to America. The campus was beautiful as well as having several food options located near by. The library was a great place to go for study. Teachers were very approachable when ever you needed help on anything. The resident assistants were also very helpful if you needed information on anything outside of school.
While I was a student at NUFS, I was given the opportunity to have a very kind host family. With my host family I was able to travel all around seeing different castles and shrines. We even went to some of the cities that have maintained houses over 200 years old. I experienced a few other things such as making noodles and seeing how miso, a common Japanese dish, is made. If I wanted to experience anything I could ask and the family would see what they could do.
Sumo normally has 6 tournaments a year in Japan and Nagoya is one of the locations! The temple in which the wrestlers would stay at during the tournament is actually located near the NUFS dorms. It was actually so close that a few of us went by to try and see them practice. Also, because of being an exchange student at NUFS, I ended up being able to go to the matches live! It was one of the most fun experiences for me while I was in Japan. Everyone was eating, drinking and having a great time!
Overall my experience living in Nisshin was great. The study abroad program opened up a lot of opportunities for us students to experience the Japanese culture. We lived in a great location to travel around to neighboring cities as well as having a lot to do on our own. I look forward to returning back to Nagoya one day.
Jonathan Gautreaux is working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. He spent a year studying abroad in Nissin Aichi, Japan at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies.
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