Culture & Education
2024/4/24
My life in Japan - Louise Blennerhassett (Research, 2021)
Cherry blossoms on the banks of Nakameguro River
Wearing Kimono at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo – Japan April 2023
Having been locked away for so long during covid, I’m sure most of us discovered our thirst for new adventures and thrills. Sitting in my room for so long, I discovered my true love for asteroids. Having been following all of my favourite professors and missions I started to notice that all of these were taking place in Japan. But how could someone like me from a little town in Ireland, even dream of partaking in such breathtaking history in a country so far away?
After lots of careful research on if this was even possible… BOOM! I discovered MEXT while watching one of my favourite YouTubers in Japan. I did a bit of googling and discovered that this was a fully funded scholarship to help other students fulfil their dream of coming to this amazing country for research.
The application was easy to understand and just required a research plan. I already knew what I wanted to research, so I submitted my application and just waited until I got my result. To my surprise, I had got to the next stage and even more surprising I had been awarded the scholarship!
I arrived in Japan in peak Covid days and 5 days before the border closed. I remember my first time walking into the University of Tokyo, massive Ginko trees dominated the entrance leading all the way up to the Yasuda Auditorium, which is the classic clock image of what we see about Utokyo. Next to my graduate school was the beautiful Sanshirō Pond. Many times during lunch I would come here to reflect on my thoughts and to escape the hustle and bustle of busy Tokyo. There are many Koi fish here eager to chat with you; I promise you they are great listeners!
Naturally, I was nervous about moving to Tokyo due to the sheer size of it and how there were so many people. I was scared that I would be lonely in such an enormous metropolitan city. However, something I found interesting about life in Tokyo, especially coming from a small town in Ireland is that there is strangely a community here. I live in Shibuya, one of the busiest parts of Tokyo and I somehow know everyone! It’s like I never left my hometown. You are constantly bumping into people and they also have a similar drinking culture as Ireland. (You will be surprised how wild the Japanese are!)
I have travelled to many parts of Japan and even had the experience of skiing! My favourite place to explore is the Japanese Shinto shrines. There is a thing in Japan where you have this special book to collect Japanese Shinto shrine stamps from all over the country. They are so beautiful and a great memory to keep. I have hiked up mountains to get some of these stamps!
A big tip for Irish people missing home is to join the GAA community group here in Tokyo. Even if you have never played before or are really bad (like me), don’t fret because there are people of all sorts of skills here. To my surprise, the Japanese are actually a lot better at Gaelic football than a lot of the Irish!
Also, some more tips,
1. Don’t bring lots of things, especially clothes. You can buy everything in Ireland over here. I made the mistake of bringing way too much and I have no room in my Japanese apartment.
2. A great place to make friends is either in dorms or share houses. Even though Japan has millions of people, you still might feel a bit lonely especially if you live in an apartment by yourself or have just moved over. So, I recommend for at least a few months to live in these types of shared residences and they are also a lot cheaper!
3. My biggest tip is to bring LOTS of tea. Well, Barry’s tea (for me hehe). Japan has some great snacks and tea, but if you are ever missing home, I recommend bringing a couple of snacks that remind you of home.
Living in Japan has opened my eyes. I have experienced things and met people I never thought I would back home and to my surprise, I actually think I might stay here. If I wrote everything down about my experiences here I could write a whole novel or two at this point!
For any new Irish MEXT scholars out there or anyone even thinking about applying, just do it. You won’t regret it, it might be hard at the beginning but trust me, it will get better.
After lots of careful research on if this was even possible… BOOM! I discovered MEXT while watching one of my favourite YouTubers in Japan. I did a bit of googling and discovered that this was a fully funded scholarship to help other students fulfil their dream of coming to this amazing country for research.
The application was easy to understand and just required a research plan. I already knew what I wanted to research, so I submitted my application and just waited until I got my result. To my surprise, I had got to the next stage and even more surprising I had been awarded the scholarship!
I arrived in Japan in peak Covid days and 5 days before the border closed. I remember my first time walking into the University of Tokyo, massive Ginko trees dominated the entrance leading all the way up to the Yasuda Auditorium, which is the classic clock image of what we see about Utokyo. Next to my graduate school was the beautiful Sanshirō Pond. Many times during lunch I would come here to reflect on my thoughts and to escape the hustle and bustle of busy Tokyo. There are many Koi fish here eager to chat with you; I promise you they are great listeners!
Naturally, I was nervous about moving to Tokyo due to the sheer size of it and how there were so many people. I was scared that I would be lonely in such an enormous metropolitan city. However, something I found interesting about life in Tokyo, especially coming from a small town in Ireland is that there is strangely a community here. I live in Shibuya, one of the busiest parts of Tokyo and I somehow know everyone! It’s like I never left my hometown. You are constantly bumping into people and they also have a similar drinking culture as Ireland. (You will be surprised how wild the Japanese are!)
I have travelled to many parts of Japan and even had the experience of skiing! My favourite place to explore is the Japanese Shinto shrines. There is a thing in Japan where you have this special book to collect Japanese Shinto shrine stamps from all over the country. They are so beautiful and a great memory to keep. I have hiked up mountains to get some of these stamps!
A big tip for Irish people missing home is to join the GAA community group here in Tokyo. Even if you have never played before or are really bad (like me), don’t fret because there are people of all sorts of skills here. To my surprise, the Japanese are actually a lot better at Gaelic football than a lot of the Irish!
Also, some more tips,
1. Don’t bring lots of things, especially clothes. You can buy everything in Ireland over here. I made the mistake of bringing way too much and I have no room in my Japanese apartment.
2. A great place to make friends is either in dorms or share houses. Even though Japan has millions of people, you still might feel a bit lonely especially if you live in an apartment by yourself or have just moved over. So, I recommend for at least a few months to live in these types of shared residences and they are also a lot cheaper!
3. My biggest tip is to bring LOTS of tea. Well, Barry’s tea (for me hehe). Japan has some great snacks and tea, but if you are ever missing home, I recommend bringing a couple of snacks that remind you of home.
Living in Japan has opened my eyes. I have experienced things and met people I never thought I would back home and to my surprise, I actually think I might stay here. If I wrote everything down about my experiences here I could write a whole novel or two at this point!
For any new Irish MEXT scholars out there or anyone even thinking about applying, just do it. You won’t regret it, it might be hard at the beginning but trust me, it will get better.
Skiing in Hakuba Resort in Nagano, Japan
Eating Chinese Street food in China Town, Yokohama with my Japanese tutor and another student