Shimane University Conversation Partners and I

Author: Kile Harvey | Major: Computer Engineering | Semester: Summer 2023

This June, I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Japan for a month, along with two University of Arkansas Japanese language professors and eleven other UArk students, in order to further our skills in Japanese. The program gave me six hours of credit for Advanced Japanese and allowed me the opportunity to take the N4 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), an internationally recognized exam that tests Japanese language learners on their current abilities in Japanese.

I’m currently minoring in Japanese and have taken courses towards this for the past two years. When I had heard that there was a U of A faculty-led program that would allow me to earn credit towards my minor and experience Japan, I knew that it would be the perfect program for me. Since I’ve started learning the language, I’ve felt somewhat confident in my reading and writing skills but knew that my speaking skills were far behind what they should be for my level, so I figured that getting to immerse myself in the language, having to use and interpret it on a daily basis, would be a perfect way to work towards getting my skills to a more comfortable level.

Before we went to Japan, we spent three weeks in pre-departure classes, from 9 to 12 every weekday, and once we arrived in Japan, we kept this same schedule up until we took our final. While it sounds like a lot, to me the classes really did seem to fly by, as I loved the classes and the professor for the Advanced students. Along with classes, at the universities we visited in Japan, we were assigned conversation partners, which were native Japanese students that would talk to us in Japanese during lunches or outings with the school. I think talking with the conversation partners did a lot on its own to take my speaking skills up to a much higher level than they were at before I got to Japan.

In Japan, we spent most of our time in two areas: the city of Matsue, in Shimane prefecture, and the city of Yokohama, which is very close to Tokyo. This was wonderful as we got to experience both the rich history of Matsue and the bustling city life of Yokohama. We took classes on the campuses of Shimane University and Kanto Gakuin University, which are in Matsue and Yokohama respectively. Both universities welcomed us with open arms, and had wonderfully kind students and staff, with whom we experienced life in Japan for two weeks each. Throughout the trip, we grew strong bonds and connections with the students that we spent time with every day, and it was hard to leave them when the trip was over.

Matsue has a population more that twice that of Fayetteville yet felt closer-knit and welcoming than any city that I’ve been to in the US. Everyone that we interacted with was extremely kind, helpful, and, most importantly when you’re a student that only has a foundational grasp of spoken Japanese, patient. Most days after class we went on various excursions to different historical locations or museums in Matsue, including the beautiful Matsue Castle. Throughout the city you can easily find landmarks, statues, or buildings with historic significance without trying, and Lake Shinji to its west is absolutely breathtaking.

Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan, with incredible shopping districts and a lively nightlife. The areas around Yokohama station were where did most of our eating, shopping, and hanging out with students from Kanto Gakuin. The izakayas in Yokohama were the best that I went to in Japan, the perfect places to get drinks and food with friends at the end of the day.

The public transportation in Japan was leagues above anything that I’ve ever experienced, with my favorite mode of transport being the trains. During our stay in Yokohama, I rode different trains to different stations dozens of times. They were almost always perfectly on time, only rarely being late by at most a minute or two. At first the system is a little confusing, but once you get used to it you can easily find your way around even Tokyo with very little issue. The larger train stations were so much fun to walk around and explore, and the convenience of it all is hard to overstate.

For students taking Japanese at the University of Arkansas, I would highly recommend this program. You can get credit for either Intermediate Japanese I and II, or for Advanced I and II, depending on the last Japanese course you take before the trip. Both professors are extremely kind, funny, and a joy to be around and talk to, and it is very clear that they have a passion for teaching and care about their students. The things you get to see and do on a daily basis are wonderful, and there is ample free time to do things on your own. The amount of immersion required for everyday tasks like ordering food or asking for directions is a wonderful way to level up your Japanese knowledge, and you’ll feel much more confident in your abilities by the end of the program. Since it is only a month long, it is much less of a commitment than a year or even a semester abroad would be, and since you have other students and faculty with you every step of the way, it’s much less intimidating than it would be by yourself.

In all, my time in Japan is something that I’ll be able to cherish the memories from for years to come, and the odds of me visiting again someday are very high after getting to experience what it is like firsthand. I’m beyond thankful for the challenges I faced and the things that I learned, and I’ve already started to miss the friends I made and the places I grew to love.