JAPAN DAY 2020 @ IIT Hyderabad
Build Your Future with JAPAN

Why Japan?

There are a couple of reasons such as :

1. I was lucky to study, volunteer and work with Japanese people during various conferences and workshops while studying in IIT Hyderabad. Those experiences have developed interest in learning more about Japanese way of living and tackling situations.
2. I also attended a special talk on “ India-Japan Friendship seen through SHICHI FUKU JIN (The Seven Gods of Good Fortune)” by Prof. Mami Yamada, Professor Extraordinary, Department of Economics, Meiji Gakuin University, Japan, while studying in IIT Hyderabad. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the cultural connectivity between Japan and India, which was a special sign from destiny to me for considering Japan for my long term plans.
3. Last yet the most important aspect was the fact that Japanese Technology are famous worldwide especially in the field of manufacturing and material science engineering. I do mean it based on my experience too.

Difficulties while living in Japan

It's been almost 5 years now so I am almost adjusted to Japanese system but without doubt there were some issues which bothered me in the initial years such as:

1. Language: It's rare to find english speaking Japanese people initially hence survival was a big concern for me.
   Because if I cannot express myself and understand them then daily life can feel like a burden.
   But after I learned some survival Japanese and tried connecting and contacting others by using gestures and broken English then I was able to build a community for myself very soon.
2. Food : I still miss Indian food without doubt but there are many delicious vegetarian menus in Japanese cuisine too so now it's no problem for me.Additionally, It compelled me to learn cooking during the same time frame.
3. Social Connectivity: Once language and food issue is resorted the social connectivity is simultaneously in place because of gesture therapy. I learned that, it's difficult for Japanese people to initiate conversation by themselves but if we can take the first move they are some of the best friends/people to connect with.
   I like the fact that they respect others' personal boundaries which is very crucial to me.

Message for juniors

I personally believe in the line that one must live by design and not by default. Hence, it's worth giving a thought about experiencing your stay in Japan(either for job or study) to taste the real sense of internationalization while feeling connected to India on multiple fronts .

Together we can rock the world!!

My journey

During my study at IITH, I got an opportunity to come to Japan for an internship at the University of Tokyo. This was my first visit to Japan and it was really inspiring and motivating to come back to Japan. Later, I got another chance to visit Ritsumeikan University for an exchange program. Both these experiences drew my interest in pursuing masters from Japan. I felt life is very convenient here and there is a discipline in everyday’s life. I was also fascinated by the research environment at the concrete lab of University of Tokyo and thus contacted my professor if I can join as a masters student. At the same time, I came to know about the JICA FRIENDSHIP scholarship program. I immediately applied for it and luckily got it. Now, I was little worried about the life ahead because I knew the culture is very different and in addition I don’t know the language.But, after I arrived here, the JICA staff arranged everything for us and also gave us a book to understand the culture and different rules in Japan. Slowly, as I got to know more about the Japanese life style and learnt basic Japanese language, I felt I could stay here for longer. I liked the work culture and also wanted to get trained by a Japanese company. Thus, after graduation I applied for jobs here and fortunately found one. If you are thinking of studying /working in Japan, I would recommend to visit Japan once (if possible) and experience the culture. Of course it is not easy to live in a foreign country as it is staying at home but your seniors and JICA are here to make your stay as comfortable as possible.

Japan's high educational standards (especially in the prestigious institutes) attracted me, and because of that, I chose Japan. My interest was in the area of nanotechnology, and Japan is doing exceptionally great in this field.

The part I love about Japan is its culture, punctuality, politeness, and hospitality.

One of the difficulties I faced in Japan is the conversation problem with the locals because I do not know much Japanese language, so I could no able to talk to them. Though learning some basics of the Japanese language will surely make your life very comfortable in Japan.

In my opinion, JICA scholarship for higher studies in Japan is one of the best opportunities. Apart from financial support, JICA also helps students for finding jobs, helps in day to day life, organized few trips, and so on, which is not there in other scholarships such as MEXT.

On a cultural level, Japan and India have several similarities. On the economic level, Japan is more stable and industrialized compared to India.

Message to Juniors: Japan is a good country for high studies, as well as for the living. If planning to come, get ready to work hard (as Japanese people are very hard-working). All the best for the future. Contact me in case you need any suggestions.