Japanese Government (MEXT) Undergraduate Scholarships in Japanese Studies

MEXT Alumni Personal Experiences

James Darsley
Japanese Government (MEXT) Undergraduate Scholarship in Japanese Studies
Waseda University, September 2023 – July 2024

I studied at Waseda University in Tokyo for a year as part of my degree in Japanese, departing in September 2023 and returning in July 2024. My teachers and professors first encouraged me to apply for the MEXT Scholarship in Japanese Studies, and I knew it would be my only chance to attend such a reputable and historic institution as Waseda. The application process was long, so preparing early was essential, as was fully thinking out my reasons for application and study plan, which came in particularly useful in the interview.
 

Arriving in Japan, knowing I would be there for the next year, felt very strange. I had never been there before, nor did I have any real support network there, so for a period, I felt quite isolated and did not know what to occupy myself with, but I would soon come to fully appreciate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I had been given.

I met the other MEXT students before term started, some of whom would become my good friends from then on. We were from all over the world, brought together by our interest in studying all things Japan. It initially felt quite odd to converse with the Chinese and Korean students in Japanese, as we shared no other common language, but I would soon come to appreciate the value of this opportunity to make connections from all over the world. Although our classes were with other foreign students, we were still well-integrated with the rest of the university. We were free to join circles and take part in campus events (like the Waseda-sai), and I spent many a night in the izakayas (Japanese-style pubs) around Takadanobaba, which is where Waseda students tend to congregate, sometimes very loudly.

Our classes were primarily aimed at strengthening language ability, and there was a wealth of choice regarding how to do that. I took classes that utilised TV dramas, newspapers, radio segments, public service advertisements, all kinds of media to help us improve our Japanese. I also had the chance to take intensive grammar classes and cram vocabulary at a rapid rate, present an entire 1.5-hour long lesson, and read my first full-length book in Japanese – at the end of the programme, I felt like my Japanese ability had exponentially risen compared to how I was upon arrival. I also hugely strengthened my self-confidence through living in Japan. Being away from home may have been challenging at the beginning, but I came to appreciate the self-reliance I developed during this period, and recognise that it was a prime opportunity to become more confident in navigating unfamiliar and difficult scenarios.

I spent a lot of my free time in Japan visiting local castles, mountains, and scenic areas. I enjoyed going on many long walks around the Tokyo area – enjoying the tranquil countryside of the Miura peninsula, scaling the many peaks that form the Hakone caldera, retracing the route of the old Tokaido through Kanagawa. Tokyo is one of the most fantastic cities in the world. It is just a short train ride to the mountains, to the beach, to Shibuya or Ginza. And under the veneer of shiny glass modernity lies a vast trove of historic sites, which make exploring Tokyo a fascinating experience.

I highly recommend the MEXT Scholarship in Japanese Studies, and studying at Waseda. It was a time that I look back on very fondly, and it created a strong desire within me to continue developing my knowledge of Japanese, to continue learning about the country, and to hopefully return there one day in the future.