IES Abroad Tokyo

A big goal in life of mine was to visit Japan and I'm so proud I can say I accomplished that by the age 20. I've been interested in Japanese culture since I was five years old. One day in the summer of 2017 I was watching random videos on Youtube and I found IES Abroad Tokyo's youtube channel and that one video made me immediatly apply to the program. I did more research online and each time this program sounded more amazing after each article.

The flight to Japan was nerve-racking and I was honestly scared, but as soon as we landed at the airport and met the IES staff, other students, and E-Pals (our online Japanese student pen pal) I immediately felt at home. Everyone was so welcoming and easy to talk too. We studied at Kanda University of International Studies which its students primarily focus on different languages, but English is a requirement to enter. So it was extremely easy to make new friends and be an active member on campus by joining clubs. The Japanese course that was mandatory for us to take actually helped so much I was able to utilize the language in less than two weeks of starting classes. IES Abroad took us on various cultural excursions we flew to the island Okinawa for 4 days and got to participate in activities that a normal tourist would not be able to do. We even met up with students at Meio University for a couple of hours and we all bonded and added each other on social media. We visited Kamakura which is known for it's temples and shrines, and we got to go to various locations in Tokyo! I'll forever be thankful for this program, because I know If I didn't participate in this program I would've not been able to do any of this.

From March to July of 2018, I had the opportunity to live abroad in Tokyo, Japan. I studied Anthropology and Sociology through IES Abroad's Tokyo Language and Culture program. IES Abroad's program was not only academically stimulating, culturally relevant and engaging. From the beginning of the application process, to my last day in Japan, the IES staff were extremely helpful in providing information and resources to prepare for an amazing semester. The Tokyo study abroad center itself felt almost like a second home. All of the staff were extremely kind, welcoming and even went out of their way to help me explore my interests in Japan. For example, I knew I wanted to explore popular culture, particularly fashion. With the help of the staff I was able to gain some information about different neighborhoods in Tokyo that were popular shopping districts . The staff also organized a number of opportunities to travel which were both interesting and financially feasible. I had the opportunity to travel to Okinawa and Kamakura, two places I wouldn't have considered visiting on my own. In regards to academics, the class offerings were diverse and interesting, and I had equal opportunity to enroll in classes through the local university as well. Kanda University, the partner institution was not only aesthetically beautiful, but there were also a number of resources (like free printing) that helped my succeed academically. The Japanese course I took through Kanda was challenging but I can very much say that my Japanese skills improved immensely over the course of 3 months. Overall, if you're looking for a supportive, engaging, and challenging experience I definitely recommend IES Abroad. There was a clear balance of academic rigor but also extracurricular fun and engagement.

When I travelled abroad with IES abroad, I was surprised by all the support I received once I got there. The heads of my program were so kind and helpful in every aspect, from helping me figure out my phone situation and just in general making sure we were all doing well as we travelled abroad. The events and trips that they planned were top notch. Some folks argued that it was too overplanned for their liking, but they managed to squeeze so much fun into the few days we had in Okinawa or the time we had in Asakusa that it was worth it! And even then, there was still plenty of time available for personal travel. The classes weren't too intense--the ones taught by IES were deliberately made intensive to meet the standards of a typical US classroom, whereas the classes taught at Kanda were pretty lenient. I enjoyed most of my professors all the same, short of the one who was teaching Japanese Architecture as if she were teaching it to architecture majors who had already spent years studying it and didn't necessarily grade fairly from student to student. Manga and Animation was my favorite course, simply because it actually did what many of my major courses lacked--taught some of the basics and histories, then let you utilize those aspects to analyze manga and anime of your own choosing! It was definitely a class where you got out of it what you put in, so I ended up really learning a lot in the end. The professor is also very passionate about it :)

Overall, I absolutely loved my time there, and I can't wait to stop by and say hello next time I make it back to Japan!

Looking back on my fall semester abroad (Fall 2017), I feel so grateful to have studied abroad through IES Tokyo specifically. The staff did an excellent job building community among our cohort, and I am leaving with life-long friendships because of it. Moreover, the trips throughout Japan--beyond the general Tokyo area--were so much fun.

In addition, I was able to gain real-world experience and improve my resume through the Field Placement program. My placement at the Self-Access Learning Center gave me a window into the workspace of an international Japanese institution--unlike a traditional Japanese workspace, everyone here spoke English which provided for a unique and eye-opening placement.

Japan was everything I could want and more. There never was a dull moment in the four months while I was there and the staff, without a doubt, was one of the many reasons why I loved my experience abroad. It was first time ever leaving the country and despite that, I was never afraid! The staff became like a home away from home and all the friends I made helped to make me feel welcomed and never lonely. I would go again in a heartbeat if I could. I wake up every day and I miss being in Japan. I miss traveling by the trains, ordering udon and takoyaki, I miss coming back to my homestay and speaking Japanese to my homestay parents. Leaving with "Ittekimasu!" coming home and saying "tadaima" and hearing "okaerinasai". It's the small moments that stick with the most like that.

I spent a semester studying abroad in Japan and I had a wonderful time. Although advertised as being in Tokyo, the university and housing were actually located at least an hour outside of the city. This was the one thing about the program that I found disappointing. I was still able to go into the city every weekend and many weekdays, but it made it more difficult. However, I know some people enjoyed being a little outside of the city.
The highlights of the experience were the IES staff and the university. The staff went out of their way to help every student have a great experience in Japan, from helping with ordering concert tickets to recommending food tours. They also set up the E-Pal program with KUIS, the partner university. This matched each IES student with a KUIS student before the program started and was a great way to make friends. Many of the students at KUIS study English and are interested in foreign cultures, so there was a really nice exchange. The emphasis on friendships with the Japanese students was a highlight of the program and certainly helped my language skills improve. There was also a student government made up of IES students and E-Pals. They organized events. I thought this was a good idea, however the students who ran it while I was there didn't put in very much effort, and it seemed that all the students missed out on some opportunities as a result.
The academics on the program were not challenging and sometimes not particularly engaging. The language classes were well taught and interesting, but some of the other teachers for the IES courses didn't seem particularly qualified to be teaching their subject. This was a little frustrating, but in the end I was glad to have the extra time to explore in Tokyo.
Overall, I really loved my experience in Japan. The commute into the city and the academics were disappointments, but in the end the friendships I made with students at KUIS made up for the location, and the time I spent exploring in Japan made up for the academics.

Going into my undergraduate career, I knew I wanted to study abroad. My original intention was to go somewhere in Europe, since at the time I was quite the Anglophile. But I ultimately decided to study in Japan to learn more about my cultural heritage. Having grown up in a white household and in a predominantly white suburb, I didn’t know much about Japanese culture at all. IES Abroad Tokyo certainly changed that!

There’s no good way to explain how studying abroad in Tokyo changed me. I am a pre-med student, and my academic life at my home institution is very rigorous and extremely challenging. In truth, I was pretty unhappy during my first three years in college, mostly due to how cutthroat life is on my campus. Being removed from that scene really changed my outlook on life, and helped me to become a happier and mentally healthier person. A lot of this has to do with the way the program is set up socially. There is a deep sense of community in IES Tokyo. The staff is so helpful and they make the IES Center feel like your “home away from home.” They can give advice on almost every aspect of life and really get to know each of the students personally. The staff does a wonderful job of pairing each student with a Japanese e-pal, a friend who you will get to know and will spend time with you throughout your stay (not just during the first couple of weeks). They also do a great job of choosing host families, if you apply for one. I did find that the academics are not as challenging as I thought they would be. While I did learn a decent amount of Japanese, I found that I was not very well prepared for taking Japanese at my home institution. With that being said, I did learn a lot about Japanese culture. The field placement program is also hit-or-miss. I was pretty satisfied with my placement (they do their best to match your interests with the job site); however, I wish I could have done more to help my placement, and I almost felt like a burden to work flow when I was there.

Seeing lots of Japan was no issue at all. I travelled into the center Tokyo at least 5 days a week. (I actually lived in Tokyo, unlike most of my peers who lived in Chiba, where Kanda University is located). I was constantly exploring and enjoying the food scene. There was never a shortage of things to do and see (there are many events going on in the city all the time, and the IES Center staff can really help you out finding what to do!). We were also able to travel around Japan, since the program includes a couple of trips to other Japanese cities. The staff is also really helpful in planning independent trips.

Overall this was a wonderful experience and I couldn’t ask for anything better!

I made the choice to study abroad long before I entered college. I was fortunate enough to have some international experience growing up; I genuinely felt like I knew what I was getting myself. I was so wrong. Turns’ out, living in another country for 4 months is a lot different than sightseeing around Paris or Machu Picchu. It’s better. As a tourist, you miss everything that isn’t on the front page of the guidebook. Cool, you took a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower and posted it with a different caption on four social media sites. 7 million people visit the Eiffel Tower every year, and nearly all of them take the picture. It isn’t special anymore; it’s a humble brag. I’ve been to the Eiffel Tower; it gave me a few minutes of happiness, which at the time, I believed was because I went on this foreign excursion where I learned so much about France. Or something like that. Anyway, what you miss is people. Tourists don't make friends. How can you? If you only have 7 days and can’t speak a word of the language, meaningful relationships can’t be built. My time in Japan isn’t memorable because I went to Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji fish market, Sky Tree, Kyoto, Osaka or Hiroshima. It’s memorable because of who I spent that time with.
My only reason for choosing Japan rode along the lines of “I’ve never been anywhere in Asia. I’ll go somewhere there!” From that, I applied for IES Tokyo. I knew surprisingly little about Japan before getting there. Many IES Tokyo students are Anime/Manga fans and cited that as the reason they came. Don’t worry, there’s a lot more in Japan than cartoons. IES Tokyo has an E-Pal program where they assign a local student from KUIS to help you in your transition. They are mostly English/International business majors, who speak English if you have no Japanese skills. The E-Pals in Autumn 2016 were wonderful. They aren’t being paid; they are there for the cultural exchange and the opportunity to meet foreign students. Don’t even consider not signing up for it, it’s the single best thing about IES Tokyo. The first two weeks you spend a lot of time as a big group of IES/E-Pal, and during this time, I started so many unforgettable friendships with not only my E-pal, but many others too. You’re going to Japan for cultural exchange; so do it! Take a genuine curiosity in your new friends, and just maybe you will find that they are also interested in who you are.
Japan itself is a fantastic country, you’ll get used to it fast. Use your Japanese skills, and you will find that Japan is accessible, customer-service oriented, and efficient. Almost everything is a tad different than we are used to in western countries, which is a good chance to do some cultural reflecting as to why that is. Broaden your mind! Also, Japan is safe. So safe, that if you lost your wallet, a Japanese person will run down the street to return it to you. Venturing out at night and feeling safe is something we don't have in the United States.
IES Tokyo is actually in Chiba, not Tokyo. Please be aware of this if you think you’re going to be living in Shibuya or something. That said Chiba is great! The dormitories are somewhat central between KUIS and Tokyo station, and many homestays are too. I lived in Ichikawa-Shi with a wonderful host family in a very central location. Most students were in homestays, and all recommended it. IES has a great pool of host families they use, so take advantage of that! Your host family is there to be your family, try to be close to them because they care a lot about you. I spent countless hours chatting with my host mother after dinners, I learned so much just by talking. Many older Japanese people have different worldviews than your peers at KUIS, so take advantage! The staff at IES Tokyo is wonderful. They are kind, helpful and knowledgeable if you need anything. Need a doctor? Ask the staff! Lose your glasses? Ask the staff! Mail a letter, feeling homesick or need to know the best ramen shop in Tokyo? Ask!
Caleb (IES Tokyo director) told me of what he called the “magic” of studying abroad. When IES students and E-Pals come together, it creates an atmosphere so amazing, he could only call it magic. I couldn’t agree more. It’s impossible to recreate, you need to live it yourself. When I first arrived in Japan, I told myself that this would be my only chance to be here, to take advantage and have fun. I’ve never returned to a country before because I like to see new places. Japan blew that out the window. I can’t imagine not going back now. Saying goodbye hurt a lot, which made the last day at the airport even worse. I was not ready to leave.. My story in Japan isn’t over yet. Actually, it’s just getting started. Take a chance on IES Tokyo, and it might change you. See you soon.
Kellen