A Winter School in Japan

The Winter School in Japan was a dream come true for Sarah Biel. Photos: Private

Sarah Biel is studying mechanical engineering with a specialization in mechatronics at TU Clausthal. In her private life, however, she has been passionate about the language and culture of Japan from an early age. The Winter School Japan has now made it possible for her to experience this special country and its people for herself. She spent three weeks at Kindai University in Osaka, one of TU Clausthal's partner universities, learning Japanese. She also had the opportunity to travel around the country. In this interview, the Master's student reveals her experiences and tips.

How did you find out about the Winter School in Osaka?

I attended the Japanese 1 and 2 courses at the TU and approached Mr. Heidemann from the Clausthal International Center (IZC) in the middle of 2023 and wanted to know how I could travel to Japan. That's when he told me about this Winter School.

Why did you want to go to Japan specifically?

I have been fascinated by Japan and its culture since I was little and it was a lifelong dream of mine to travel to Japan. I wanted to learn as much as possible about the culture and not just take a “two-week vacation”.
My love for the country started with watching anime. The more of these Japanese series and films I watched, the deeper I immersed myself in the culture and the more I wanted to learn about it.

 

Students from Germany, Korea and Taiwan took part in the Winter School. They did a lot together with their Japanese hosts.

Did you need any previous language skills for your trip?

I've already had two Japanese courses here at university, but that was a year or two before I started my trip. There were also two German students on the three-week language course at Kindai in Japan who hadn't done anything like that before. However, it is definitely an advantage to know the characters (hiragana and katakana)! In everyday life, you can get by very well with Google Lens or Google Translate.

How long did your stay abroad last?

My flight from Germany took off on January 12, 2024. The Japanese course ran from 15 January to 2 February 2024. I returned to Germany on 3 March 2024, so I spent about a month traveling around Japan on my own.

What was a typical day on the language course like?

The course lasted three weeks, and we always had weekends off. On the other days, we had Japanese lessons from 9 am to 10.30 am and from 10.45 am to 11.45 am, then there was a lunch break during which we could get something to eat for lunch directly at the university in a kind of street food street with lots of little stores. Then there were lessons again from 12.15 pm to 1.15 pm. Japanese students regularly accompanied our lessons and studied with us. As it was not just a language program, but also a culture program, we had taster lessons in various Japanese martial arts in the afternoons, attended a tea ceremony and tried on yukata. We also went on a city trip to Kyoto one day.

The cultural program during the Winter School: taster lessons in martial arts such as naginata (spear fighting)...
... and sumo with one of the best university teams in the country. The sport is only accessible to a few people, especially women.

Is there anything in particular that has stayed with you?

The realization of how much I can do on my own. It wasn't easy to make the decision to be so far away from home on my own for two months. And it wasn't always easy during the two months either. But looking back, I'm very proud of everything I managed to do and experience.

Do you miss anything from your time in Japan?

The Japanese mentality is different from the German one. No matter where you go, everyone is very nice and courteous. You felt comfortable everywhere in the country and everyone showed consideration for each other. It was especially great how orderly things were at train stations. I really miss that here.

What are your plans for the (near) future?

First of all, I would like to complete my Master's degree at the TU, but of course I still have wanderlust. The TU not only has a partner university in Osaka, but also in other Japanese cities. In Tokyo, for example, a summer/winter school is also offered and I'm thinking about taking part in it at the end of my Master's degree. Either way, there is still a lot to see in this country and I will definitely travel there again.

 

3 tips for other students:

  • If you are interested in a country, its language, its culture, just go to the IZC and find out how you can get there. Because the best experiences are not gained through a normal vacation, but through something special like this.
  • Don't worry about language barriers. With an internet connection and a cell phone, you can get anywhere.
  • Are you having doubts about whether you should go on a trip abroad? Yes! What have you got to lose?
After the Winter School, Sarah used the lecture-free period to travel. In addition to the capital Tokyo...
... her journey took her all over the country.

Thinking about a stay abroad? The IZC offers many opportunities to spend time at a partner university or research institution during your studies. You can find all offers and information here: Ways to go abroad

 

Do you have any questions, suggestions or a topic for a blog post? Send me an e-mail: blog@tu-clausthal.de