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Adam JUHASZ
Student of Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Exchange to Kansai Gaidai University, Japan
Going on exchange for a semester to Kansai in Japan was an incredible experience, one I wouldn’t trade for anything. With a friendly atmosphere, interesting classes at the exchange university and a great location in the cultural heart of Japan, I feel taking a semester abroad to Kansai was without a doubt the best decision I have made during my time at university.
Being dropped into a relatively unknown land for six months may sound horrifying for many, but you’ll be surprised how fast a person can adapt, even with limited language skills. In no time at all, once you learn some simple customs and get to know some of the locals, the place starts to feel like home. Indeed you start to consider it a home away from home, and as important as your original one.
One of the main factors that drew me to choose Kansai Gaidai as my exchange university was its location, which provided easy access to Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe, making sightseeing on weekends in all these locations fairly simple. The whole region provides an endless stream of amazing locales to visit, festivals to see, and friendly people to meet, ensuring a visitor never gets the chance to be bored. There really is something for everyone in Kansai, from Osaka’s vibrant nightlife to two hour hikes up the mountain at Kyoto’s ancient Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine, passing through thousands and thousands of torii gates as you ascend.
Not only living in the country, but with a Japanese family via the university’s homestay program, was also a great experience, and one I highly recommend to anyone who gets the chance, as that extra immersion in the culture at home as well makes the whole exchange experience much more rewarding. I’ll never forget going camping in the Japanese countryside or out for the afternoon to Kyoto’s ancient temples to view autumn colours with the family, and honestly consider them my second family.
Transport was also not a large issue, with the campus, as well as the entire Kansai area being very well served by highly developed rail and bus lines, making getting from homestay to classes, and more often to amazing places on the weekends, pretty much trouble-free.
My semester on exchange not only helped to improve my language skills by speaking Japanese daily, but left me with a huge amount of amazing experiences and memories I will not soon forget. I can’t emphasise enough the value that can be gained from studying overseas for a semester in a new and interesting foreign locale, and will always be thankful that I had the chance!
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