USAC Japan: Nishinomiya - Japanese and East Asian Studies

Studying abroad in Japan through USAC was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve made in college. Before going, I was excited but also nervous about the language barrier and whether I’d feel out of place, but USAC made the transition way smoother than I expected. From orientation to day-to-day support, it felt like there was always someone I could reach out to if I needed help.

My time in Japan was life-changing. As a Nikkei student, I reconnected with roots my family had lost after internment and generations of cultural distance. From dorm life to local hikes, food, and community events, I gained authentic insight into daily Japanese life. Beyond travel, it was about reclaiming identity, building cross-cultural friendships, and finding confidence in who I am.

I have so many fond memories from this program. From the small interactions with locals to going on multiple day-long trips, there is was so much to love. I gained a much greater understanding about just how different cultures can be and how to adjust to unknown situations. My favorite thing I would do often was just going on day trips on my own or with friends to the countryside or just anywhere that is less touristy. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else, and I couldn't recommend it more.

Never in a million years did I think I was ever going to get the chance to study abroad! I was digging around the web during Covid for programs that could give me more out of my college experience. Covid gave me time to think about what I wanted out of life and definitely made me see how much I took for granted. I always wanted to study abroad but I didn’t think I would be able to afford it or have the courage to travel to another country alone. I passed USAC’s program on the web and immediately applied out of sheer confidence that this is what I wanted to do. I got accepted and the rest is history. This experience has made me grow so much as a person and develop a new appreciation for relationships and cultures. I have fallen in love with being able to communicate with people from all over the world and gain new found friendships that will last a lifetime. I got out of my comfort zone so many times and have never regretted a second of it. I have learned so many new things about myself as a person and as a member of society. Nishinomiya will forever be my home away from home. The city is absolutely beautiful and the people are so amazing and friendly. The university I attended, Kwansei Gakuin University, is even more so. The professors and full time students were great. They welcomed us with open arms and made sure we felt comfortable. There were also so many opportunities for Japanese and exchange student interactions, but my favorite was the Global Lounge. Exchange and full time students hung out in the lounge together and it is how many of us became friends. There are so many relationships I’ve made that I am going to miss. To anyone who is thinking of studying abroad, I highly recommended it! There might be some rough patches throughout your time abroad, especially if it’s for an extended amount of time, but it will all the more help you grow. Studying abroad is a life changing experience. I have never travel abroad in my life until this program. I am incredibly grateful and will remember this for the rest of my life.

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Studying abroad is the best way to experience a new country, with a perfect balance of independence and being involved in a community. I had a wonderful time in Japan and was able to fully immerse myself into the culture and daily life. I developed new routines that I would have not encountered in my home country, and stepped outside of my comfort zone to experience new responsibilities. By broadening my perspective of the world, I better understand the differences in societies, including all of the obstacles, and will remember my time here in Japan forever.

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Studying abroad in Japan was a dream I had for so long, and to say the experience lived up to my expectations is an understatement, it exceeded them. Even just the daily routine of going to classes was so fun and I really feel like I was able to do something new everyday. I loved the location of this program and plan to go back in the near future. Nishinomiya was such a fun, vibrant city and locals were always so kind and helpful. Even when my Japanese was hard to understand, everyone was so nice and welcoming to me. Being so close to some of Japans most exciting areas was really something I loved about this program. From wearing a kimono in Kyoto, petting the most polite deer ever in Nara, breathing the fresh sea air in Kobe, and celebrating Halloween in Osakas nightlife center, it’s feels unreal to look back at how many unique and fun experiences I got to have. All these cities are less than an hour away by train, and Osaka was only 12 minutes away! The city life was fun, but what I’ll miss most was everyone I made friends with while I was there. All my class buddies, dormates, conversation partners, I lucky I was to meet all of them and share such a fun time of life with them. When I look back at my photos from the past few months, rarely is it just me. So many adventures were with my new friends and I’m glad to have made those memories with them. I also enjoyed my time solo traveling too, and as a woman in Japan, I actually felt quite safe and took the opportunity to indulge on night walks as well as 1am convenience store runs to family mart! I could go on and on about my semester in Japan, but I’ll end here by encouraging you to study abroad if the opportunity arises. I think it really changes how you see things, and exposes you to so much. I learned more about Japan on a cultural level, my language skills improved, my connections worldwide grew, and I left feeling a sense of accomplishment and growth, as well as the desire to see more of what the world has to offer.

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My time in Japan has been the absolute best. I got the chance to experience the beautiful scenery of Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto while learning about the history, eating the best food, and living the night life of each city. However, not only did I get to experience many aspects of Japan’s culture, I did it with people who would become my greatest friends. The University that I attended was also great! All my teachers were kind and caring of their students. This study abroad trip has broaden my horizons, given me the best time of my life, meaningful friendships, and unforgettable memories.

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Studying abroad was the best decision I could’ve made! I made it a goal to go abroad as soon as I came to college and I am so happy I made it a reality. I got to immerse myself in the culture and meet so many amazing and great people that I still talk to! I wouldn’t change it for the world and I am so happy with my experience! Your next!

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I really enjoyed my study abroad experience through USAC. It provided me with the courses to go from a very minimal basic understanding of the language to comfortably talking with others in Japanese. I still made errors, but the progress I made was awesome. Beyond courses of different things within Japan and east Asia, the courses were very basic. I took a class on psychology, thinking that we'd discuss the differences in care/perception and the like, but it was a basic intro to psychology class. Other than that, my experience with the classes were great. I learned a lot and gained a huge appreciation of Japan. The locations are really neat too. The dorms were minimal, but the homestay option really helped and encouraged growth in language as well as cultural differences. It also really helped me feel connected to someone in a new place as well as feel encouraged. With the program, I really think it becomes what you make of it and being aware of what you want from the experience.

Like any other study abroad experience, you get what you put into it. If you're willing to embrace the culture and accept it for what it is, I believe your time in Osaka will be fantastic. Culture shock is a very real thing, and for some of my fellow exchange students it was rather difficult. But I believe that the issue was because they were unwilling to adapt and embrace the culture. I find that the other Japanese students at the University (Kwansei Gakuen University of KGU) are usually willing to be your friend, but they are just as scared of leaving their comfort zone as much as you are. The difference, though, is it is much easier for them to stay in their comfort zone (seeing as how you're in Japan), and many of the tend to be shy as well. So as the foreign guest, more often than not it'll be up to you to keep yourself from solitude outside of the exchange student group. However, KGU has a huge focus on accommodating foreign students, with a number of programs in place to help support you and get you more comfortable with the other Japanese students. And because of this focus, KGU's foreign exchange staff are VERY nice and helpful and patient and overall wonderful people. BUT, even though I say this, do keep your expectations realistic. Japan is notoriously bureaucratic, and KGU is no exception. You will find other students, staff, etc. who may be difficult to deal with. Take that to heart, as I believe it can make or break your experience at KGU. Being open minded will be in your best interest. You may realize this by now, but the the scariest parts of the program involve the Japanese culture and its people. However, the benefit here is that this program is in the Osaka area, which is not only a large city with all sorts of progressive thinking folk, it is also one of the regions with the most open-minded and laid back people in Japan. Frequent trips to the city or to random areas everywhere in between, can result in some memorable, or even lifelong encounters (especially if you look foreign, I didn’t have that going for me… My friends did, though). Those are my thoughts the program outside of the scope of the ratings I have given. Here are some details on each rating I gave: Academics: You will test into which course you will be place in. I don’t know much about the higher levels, but the lower levels will definitely keep you busy as well. The text we used wasn’t to my liking, and one of the teachers wasn’t very helpful. Living Situation: The dorm options were all pretty spiffy from what I could gather from my friends and can be a great experience. As for the homestay, my personal experience was great and so were most of my other friends’ experiences; however it is still a gamble. You may score with a great family, or you might get to experience the asian parent stereotype (the bad kind) firsthand. Cultural Immersion: I mentioned this earlier. The KGU foreign exchange staff (CIEC) are very helpful. Program Administration: Again, the CIEC staff are great. The Teachers are, for the most part, also great. Health & Safety: Japanese insurance is great (coming from US health insurance). Everything is so much cheaper. If you want the Japanese Encephalitis shot, I suggest you look into getting it in Japan, it’s much cheaper. And Japan (at least Osaka), is insanely safe. With the exception of a few sketchy areas, you could lose your wallet and expect to get it back with everything still in it. Community: With official support from KGU, you’ll likely be able to make some Japanese friends with little effort. Just make sure you put in the effort in the first place. And I’m sure you’ll make friends with the other exchange students, since many of them will likely speak english, and because they’re all there for likely many of the same reasons you are. I hope my opinions were helpful, and I wish you all the best of luck!