Students Stories

We received hundreds of submissions from students to see how the travel ban has affected them.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Iris

My life is standing still for over a year now. I have quit my jobs 2 times now. It’s difficult to find work for a short period. I’m living with my parents because I cannot rent or buy an apartment. My patients and flexibility are stretched to a breaking point. I’m willing to do everything from quarantine to vaccinations but Japan has to give us something at this point a clear date would be preferred.

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Benjamin, 33, Germany

When I was in elementary school, an employee of the Japanese embassy visited our school and showed us a documentary about Japan and folded some origami with us. I was so fascinated by this country which seemed so different to Germany and my small hometown.

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Sveno, 27, Swiss

Since Japan has one of the best health care systems and is a pioneer in using technology for medical purposes, we want to establish a connection to use synergies between our company and the japanese health care system. On the other hand it was a dream of mine to study Japanese language and it’s culture since I was a little boy.

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Adeline, 32, Australia

This is the first step to rebuilding my life in Japan. This is the first step to be properly integrated into Japanese society and reuniting with my loved one there again. I want to be a bridge between Japan and the rest of the world.

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Iris, 29, Netherlands

My life is standing still for over a year now. I have quite my jobs 2 times now. It’s not easy to find work for a short periode. I’m living with my parents because I cannot rent or buy a apartment. My patients and flexibility are stretched to a breaking point. I’m willing to do everything from quarantine to vaccinations but japan has to start giving us something at this point a clear date would be preferred. For now I probably have to look again for a new job… since there I no sight on entering japan any time soon. It makes me really sad and frustrated

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Zuzanna, 30, Poland

It is very tough as the situation affect me mentaly, but waiting is not as difficult when you know how long you have to wait. Being left in a dark with no real hopes makes me feel demotivated and unwanted by the country i love the most. Students are willing to quarantine and follow all safety measures. It feels hurtful and unfair to be a holder of Certificate of eligibility waiting and risking it’s expiring is incredibly stressful and depressing.

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Maria, 24, Colombia

Japan has one of the best universities for the legal field I’m interested in, and that program will allow me to materialize the dreams I have for my career.

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Laura, 27, Germany

After my studies, I wish to seek employment in Japan and contribute with my language skills as well as knowledge about politics and law in the European Union and Japan to academic and economic exchange between the EU and Japan. During my studies, I furthermore plan to contribute with my Master’s thesis to the research field of international relations in East Asia and relations between the EU and Japan. My research focuses on Japan as playing an important role as an international actor to advance liberal values on the global stage and can help the understanding of how to develop this role further, especially in its cooperation with the European Union.

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Ashish, 20, Nepal

My school in France is very prestigeous and by sharing my exchange story in Japan it will attract even more people to travel there. Also I want to exchange with Japanese People about our culture differences, and why not help some people with French language.

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Cleto, 22, France

My school in France is very prestigeous and by sharing my exchange story in Japan it will attract even more people to travel there. Also I want to exchange with Japanese People about our culture differences, and why not help some people with French language.

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Marel, 29, Germany

Because my entire life, my job and most importantly my partner are already there. I have nothing anywhere else. Japan is my home.

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Diogo, 26, Brazil

The opportunity to return to Japan and to study the japanese language, as well as pursuing my Masters in Law, would make an expressive impact on my career and personal life. Being chosen by the JICA scholarship in order to invest my time and efforts in Japan in order to enhance not only my japanese and professional skills, but also create bonds with the japanese society is of paramount importance for my country [Brazil] and Japan.

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Manuel, 20, Switzerland

I have studied in Japan for one year in high school from 2018 to 2019. I was able to live in Japan for a year, make friends, and learn many things about Japanese culture and society. During that time, Japan became my second home and I decided that I would definitely return to Japan. However, living in Japan for four years was very expensive, so I worked hard for a year and a half in Switzerland to save money. On top of that, I haven’t seen my girlfriend for a whole year and a half, believing that the borders will open up and promising to see her as often as possible. I also enrolled in a university this spring, but since I am only taking online classes and there is a time difference, I wake up at 1:00 in the morning and go to bed at 6:00 in the evening every day in Switzerland according to Japan time. The other thing is that I have two Japanese friends who are professional soccer players in Switzerland, and while I have not been able to go back to Japan for a long time, they have gone back to Japan many times to hang out with their friends and family and then go back to Switzerland. Many times, I almost cried as I saw my friends off and watched the plane take off for Japan right in front of me. In other words, my heart is in Japan and my life is happening in Japan, but I haven’t been able to go back to Japan for a long time.

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Frank, 26, USA

Studying Japanese in Japan means so much to me because I would have the opportunity to practice the language in a native context. Currently, it’s difficult for me to practice Japanese in a way similar to speaking with local Japanese people. If I am studying Japanese in Japan, I will be able to practice the language in unique contexts which I would never have the opportunity to do so outside of Japan. Another thing, being physically present in Japan is an important opportunity for me to meet professionals that share an interest in robotics and software. Japan has a unique robotics industry that is different from other country’s robotics industry which is attractive to many foreign engineers such as myself.

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Paula, 21, Mexico

I will have to give up the scholarship I won, I will not be able to participate in that call again and that means that in my career I will not be able to live the experience of being an exchange student.

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Andira, 26, Indonesia

Translational study in handai is a huge project, the more students come to conduct research it will bring better output, it will escalate the magnitude the depth of the study itself. The more background of international students who are coming to be japan international student will also provides wide variety of perspectives who might not be able acquired from native japanese students. I am coming there to learn and also contribute my time my effort my knowledge to the advance of science.

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Lisa, 36, France

I cannot foresee my future now that my training is jeopardized for I don’t know how long. A delay will have tough consequences on personal and professional levels. I resigned to be available mid-june for a quarantine period and to start the training in July. I may have to give up my dream to face these consequences.

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Yan, 23, China

I worked as a chef for five years, but quit my job to go to Japan to study. I sincerely hope that the Japanese government will allow me to study in Japan as soon as possible.

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CHENG, 30, China

After more than a year of waiting, the only word that comes to my mind is “despair”. You can’t stop or grab it, and the youth that doesn’t come back disappears and dies.

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Giang, 19, Vietnam

As a Vietnamese, I am proud of my country because it has very good disease prevention methods. I have learned how to prevent and protect myself from infectious diseases. When I go to Japan to study, I promise to quarantine myself according to Japanese regulations, enroll into the national health insurance scheme, and comply with all conditions set by the school or the Japanese government.

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Liu, 23, Liu

A year is a short time in my life, but I don’t want to waste it. I really wanted to do something for this world. I was in pain all the time. I couldn’t sleep properly at night, and it was painful. As I wrote this letter, I couldn’t help but cry.

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Trinh, 22, Vietnam

Studying in Japan will give me the opportunity to communicate directly with native people, learn many new things, and experience a very new and unique culture. With the knowledge I will acquire living and studying in Japan, I will be able to get closer to my own dreams and ambitions.

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Khương, 19, Vietnam

This delay will not only affect us mentally, but also financially as we have to wait for news from Japan to move, and we are currently unable to work in Vietnam. Also, delaying my entry into the country wastes a lot of time. I believe that Japan is trying to control the epidemic in order to stabilize this country. By doing so, they will be able to accept foreign students to study and we will be able to realize our dreams.

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Clemens, 42, Germany

The delay right now is already an ordeal. Like I partly mentioned before, I have no own apartment anymore and live at my mother’s place which is rather challenging after living on my own for almost 20 years. Plus it is straining nerves and resources. I had to throw away almost everything I owned, all my appliances, furniture and lots of other possessions.

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Davide, 46, Italy

Each delay weighs heavily both financially and in terms of the time required to learn the Japanese language

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Emily, 26, USA

I have been interested in the Japanese culture and language for quite some time. Having the opportunity to study Japanese in Japan would mean having the immersion needed to truly experience the language. Studying online is not the same as having a conversation in a cafe, museum, or park that would inevitably happen if I were studying in Japan.

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Iku, 29, Belgium

I was supposed to move to Tokyo at the end of March 2020 right when the pandemic started. I had quit my day jobs, sold all my furniture and put my apartment up for rent. I was lucky enough to be able to extend my lease for my apartment but I have been living here surrounded by carboard boxes and no furniture for over a year now. Because of the pandemic, I cannot get a job and I’ve had to rely on my freelance work to survive which has been mentally draining. I feel like it has been a year of my life put on standby, unable to make plans for the future. To say that it’s been difficult is an understatement and both my physical and mental health have suffered from this wait and this lack of purpose. Now that a whole year has gone by, I’ve had to make the decision to go temporarily live with my parents just in case I have to leave suddenly once the borders re-open. Leaving the city to go back to the countryside is a huge decision and I’m only able to make it on the grounds that this is a TEMPORARY matter. My visa has already been extended for a year so it’s getting to a point where it can no longer be extended. If I’m to move to Japan, it has to happen very soon. It may sound dramatic but this is my livelyhood in the balance here as well as I’m sure the livelyhoods of many other students here. I’m sure I’ve aged 5 years because of the stress from this past year. For our mental healths, please let us resume our plans or at least help us make a proper decision if we are to give up on our visas.

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Charis, 21, United Kingdom

It is very likely that I will give up entirely on my dream of moving to Japan. I really want to go, but I have wasted a year of my life waiting already and I need to move on to other things.

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Alexander, 35, United States

Without the chance to live and study in Japan I do not believe that my ability to truly learn the culture and language will ever be possible. There are so many things about a language that cannot be taught by a book and cannot be learned by watching videos. There are nearly endless lessons I could learn just by waking up and living in Japan and when you combine it with the opportunity to exchange cultures, make meaningful bonds, and study there truly is no alternative choice to studying Japanese anywhere else in the world.

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Austin, 19, United States

Experiencing delays is very difficult on my family and I. I quit my job back on March 1st so I could come to Japan, but now that there have been delays I am stuck with no income. This has been very stressful for me.

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Julia, 27, Germany

The world would mean it for me. By that I mean it would mean another world collapsing for me and I would be devastated again. I wanted to come to Japan last year to study, but thanks to Corona that never happened and I ended up finishing school at home, via online school. I was very sad and devastated when I heard that I could not go to Japan. I had hoped that I would finally be able to enter this year to study there again and had to painfully learn again that it won’t work out. So as I said, it means the world to me when it is postponed again.

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Lara, 25, Germany

Ever since I found my love for japanese folklore and art through the Anime “Inuyasha”, I dreamed about studying in Japan. In Summer 2019 I was lucky enough to study in Kyushu as an exchange student. That gave me a lot of motivation to pursue my dream of studying in Japan (and therefore the language). Also I met my current boyfriend during the exchange program 2019. Due to the pandemic we have been apart for 1 year now..I really want to continue my education and see my boyfriend again. That’s why it is so important to me to study in Japan as soon as possible.

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