Bianca

22, Spain

What is your education level?

Vocational school

What is your current (or most recent) job?

When did you apply to come to Japan originally?

01 – Apr – 2021

Why does studying Japanese in Japan mean so much to you?

I have been studying Japanese since I was in High School. In 2019, I finished the Illustration Vocational School and went to Japan for two months. After I came back to Barcelona I decided to start working in order to earn money, so I could afford to go to Japan in April 2021. The pandemic exploded in 2020 but even for the students who were planning to go Japan the next year was so hard and confusing. We were planning about the future and nowadays making plans for the future is practically suicidal. However, here we are. We are still waiting for our dreams to come true, and we are not going to stop believing.

How do you think that as a student in Japan that you will add benefit to Japan society?

It is well known that foreign students make a big part of a country’s economy to increase. Is not only about the tuition but also about the daily expenses: rent, food cost, personal expenses or even domestic tourism. Many sectors like restaurants or bars have being suffering the pandemic measures. And I understand it is important to take control of the situation and prevent new COVID-19 waves. However, I also think that forbidding students from coming is a mistake. They can help the economy growing and recovering from this crisis. In my opinion, the priority is letting the students to come in always taking control of the COVID-19 tests and the quarantine measures.

What will it mean to you if there is another delay for students to be able to come to Japan?

I have been feeling like in a roller-coaster recently. I watch TV and I feel like we are not doing so bad here in Spain, but I am also afraid of the 4th European wave. Reading Japanese news I feel more or less the same. In the first of May I was euphoric thinking about the State of Emergency being lifted. It was not. This last week I was so happy that finally the number of infected was gradually decreasing, so Japanese government was about to lift the SoE Nevertheless, I did not hear a single word about the international student affair. I felt so bad because I was really looking forward to going to Japan in April. I have already rented the house, and now I do not know what to do anymore because politicians do not say a word about when will they open the borders for students to go. Furthermore, I try not to think too much about it and do my illustrations and projects, so I can keep myself entertained.

Chamika, 30, Sri Lanka

I am waiting from April 2020 to get into my university as a self-financed student. April intake was postponed because of the corona situation. Then I was able to register for the September intake. However, because of COE delays, I couldn’t get in during the time Japan was open for students. My research is already on hold since I cannot perform the experiments needed for data acquisition. Because of this uncertainty, I now have to consider a Ph.D. topic change even after spending 8 months into my research. I left my previous job in 2019 January thinking I’ll be able to get in by April. Because I don’t know when Japan will start accepting students, I can’t apply for any other job positions either. There is a minimum contract period that I must complete before quitting all most all of the jobs. So my life is on hold since January of 2019. It is not an easy task to keep going [especially mentally] when you are already 30 and you have to depend on your parents for food and a roof over your head. At this point, I am prepared to accept any conditions imposed by the Japanese government if it means that I can start my research. Even something like quarantining in a paid embassy designated quarantine location in my home country before I come to Japan. So, total of one month quarantining is a possible action for me now at this point. That’s how desperate I am at the moment, and I know it would be same for many students who dreamt of studying in Japan. Another long delay will force me to drop my research dream and focus on a different path for the sake of my mental health alone.

July 16, 2021 No Comments

Giulia, 26, Italy

I have been studying Japanese for seven years. I spent the last year stuck at University, keeping paying taxes even if I finished all the exams in Winter 2020 just waiting for Japan to open and let me in, since I am trying to write my MA thesis regarding women contemporary literature in Japan.

May 27, 2021 No Comments

Lissette, 30, America

It is very important to learn first hand in Japan because it will let me keep pushing forward to learn. There is no better way to learn a language than in the country it comes from.

May 26, 2021 No Comments

John, 30, America

Studying in Japan has always been part of my dream. I wish to pursue not only studying and becoming fluent in Japanese, but to be able to build a life in Japan. I have visited many times and made many Japanese friends. Each visit has had a profound effect on my life, and I wish to be able to communicate fluently, in order to become a contributing member of Japanese society.

May 25, 2021 No Comments

Veronica, 25, Italy

I always dreamed of going to Japan as soon as I graduated in Japanese (which was last October). My goal is to improve the language, as I would like to become a translator in the future.

May 20, 2021 No Comments

Abhishek, 23, India

studying Japanese in Japan is means a lot to me because for me it’s always my dream to live and study in japan and experience their culture while enjoying student life which I always dreamed of.

May 20, 2021 No Comments