The STEP project I completed was a year long study abroad experience at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. From September of 2023 until August of 2024, I experienced complete immersion as a full time college student in Tokyo.
Prior to going to Japan, I had never left the United States. I came to OSU with ambitions of learning much more about the world and expanding my views through study abroad. My majors of International Studies and Japanese created solid foundations, but going abroad had been a priority before I even started my first semester at OSU. My time in Japan was incredibly helpful in achieving those goals. I would not say I underwent a drastic transformation or that my worldview completely shifted as a result of studying abroad, but it certainly gave me a lot of new perspectives. I learned to appreciate many things about the United States that I had never thought about before, such as the immense diversity of people and food. At the same time I discovered a host of things I felt could be improved in the United States, such as collective efforts towards cleanliness and safety. My time in Japan really solidified for me the notion that there is no “best” country to live in. Waseda University is an incredibly international school and I was exposed to so many students from across the world and realized that everyone has different priorities with regards to where they want to live. As an American, you often grow up entrenched in a sentiment that the world revolves around the U.S.. It was refreshing to be removed from this environment and gain insight from people that are not Americans.
The events that predominantly influenced my development were the relationships I formed with other students and the classes I took at Waseda University. As an International Studies student, specifically focusing on International Relations and Diplomacy, my classes at OSU have naturally had an incredibly strong U.S. influence on how they are taught. For my time at Waseda, I really wanted to take international relations classes, so I could gain a new perspective. Two classes at Waseda in particular were key in providing new perspectives for me. I took “International Law” and “Global Environmental Politics and Policies”. “International Law” was a fantastic class that went over how different countries approach international law and for what reason. It covered a variety of cases that happened across the world and was wonderful at providing a rather objective perspective on the U.S.’s role in international law. In addition, the class “Global Environmental Politics and Policies” had a very unique teaching style that was incredible for seeing how different nations addressed climate issues individually as well as together. The class was a partnership of several universities, so there were lectures being taught from the Chinese, Australian, Japanese, and Samoan viewpoint among others. These classes were incredibly fulfilling and aided me significantly in my efforts to learn from a less U.S. centric perspective.
The other major factor that influenced my growth in Japan was the relationships I made. While at Waseda University, I studied at the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) and the Center for Japanese Learning (CJL). SILS was a great setting to meet a lot of Japanese students and I made a number of friends through my classes there. CJL was a setting where I got to meet a host of peers that were also from outside of Japan. In just one of my Japanese classes there were thirteen different countries represented by my classmates. I was able to form close ties with people from Spain, Australia, Thailand, and more. This large breadth of friendships was a real gift from time in Japan. I gained insight on what different countries prioritize and how the world views the U.S. as well. It was an incredibly special part of my study abroad experience and I look forward to maintaining these friendships through the years to come. Due to SILS international focus, I already have two friends coming to study abroad in North America this school year and can’t wait to meet with them again.
It is hard to point to many other specific events or activities that contributed to my growth during my time abroad because my time in Japan was a bit long. Rather than highlighting another specific experience, I want to focus on the more mundane things in day to day life that also impacted me. I would say the biggest form of personal growth I had while studying abroad was not related to my worldviews or a change in assumptions, but gaining comfort in being by myself. In the U.S. I have never felt particularly comfortable going out and doing things on my own. Societal things such as safety, abundant public transit, and a social norm of eating alone made adventuring on my own feel much more approachable in Japan. While part of it may be cultural, I think to a degree it was a personal mental block. There is nothing quite like being uprooted from all of your relationships and put in an entirely new environment to shake up your approach to life. Of course I made friends while in Japan, but that sort of thing takes time and I had so many things I wanted to do from the moment I arrived. Being in Japan forced me to quickly get over doing things on my own and make the most of my time even when friends aren’t available. I went on a host of solo trips across the country and came back home with a lot more confidence in doing things by myself.
The things I learned and the growth I experienced during study abroad are important to me across all aspects of my life. I made great headway in my personal goal of becoming bilingual, while not yet fluent, I gained great tools and relationships for furthering my Japanese abilities. From an academic perspective, my time in Japan was incredibly fulfilling. Just as I’d hoped to, I took courses that provided me with a new viewpoint of international relations and policy. My wider breadth of knowledge will also help me in my professional endeavors as I will speak from a place of experience with regards to Japan. As I navigate what kind of work I will pursue after graduation, I hope to act as a liaison between Japan and the United States. This project was incredibly meaningful to me because I made lifelong connections in Japan that will aid me in my endeavors of learning Japanese as well as coming back to work in Japan one day.