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Hi Blog. What follows is a guest essay from a 3-year exchange student on the GOJ dime who has come to Japan to study and found it highly undesirable. Others who have had similar experiences, please comment. All names etc have been changed to protect the guilty. If interested in getting in touch with the author, please contact me at debito@debito.org and I’ll forward your enquiry. Arudou Debito in Sapporo
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GUEST ESSAY FOLLOWS
My name is Laura Petrescu, and I am a Monbukagakusho-MEXT scholarship grantee that has been living in Japan for almost three years. When I came here, I was expecting a high-quality academic environment and an overall positive experience. I was disappointed time and again by irregularities, double standards, absurd situations and blatant displays of racism.
Therefore, I thought I’d share my ryuugaku experience so far. I think that by getting the word out I’m giving prospective foreign students a chance to learn ‘other’ truth about living and studying in Japan. On the surface, things might look good – after all, who would say no to going to college for free? Still, there are many things that can turn an average ryuugaku experience into a complete disappointment and a waste of time.
A little background information:
I came to Japan in spring 2007. I spent my first year in Japan at the former Osaka University of Foreign Studies (currently, the Foreign Languages division of Osaka University). Here, myself and other foreign students studied Japanese and other tangent subjects.
At the beginning of our second year here, each of us was sent to a university (supposedly) of his or her choosing. Things went downhill for a lot of us afterward, and plenty of people have already given up their scholarships and returned home. Those of us who stayed are still dealing with the ups and downs of an inherenty flawed system that seems to care more about pretty numbers on a sheet of paper, and less about the overall well-being of each of us, as a person.
What follows are the ten major reasons that essentially ruined the whole “Study in Japan! Free forever!” thing for me.
#1. Double standards for Asian and non-Asian foreign students at OUFS
At the OUFS foreign students’ dorm, Asian student groups were allowed to get away with pretty much anything, from shooting fireworks indoors and setting a curtain on fire (subsequently leading to foreign students’ parties being banned on campus grounds) to using shower stalls as public restrooms and even cheating on tests. Several students displayed an increasingly reckless behavior and walked away with a mild warning and nothing more.
On a side note, the regular Monbukagakusho newsletter that gets sent to all foreign students mostly features Asians and information for Asians looking for jobs, etc. I think I’ve only seen a non-Asian interviewed once.
Back to OUFS, non-Asian students were harassed and ridiculed by teachers and dorm staff on several occasions. One particular incident comes to mind, where a white girl’s Japanese language abilities were ridiculed in class by none other than her teacher, to the point where she broke down crying. The Asian students in said class (two Koreans and two Singaporeans) watched and laughed. For the record, the girl had passed the JLPT-1 examination and was one of the best Japanese speakers I know.
Half a year later, Asian students had a barbecue. When non-Asians did the same thing one day later, the dorm supervisor called the campus guards and we were forced to “cease and desist” immediately. We asked why there was no problem if Asians did it, but if we did it, we were somehow in the wrong. Mid-conversation, he turned, said something unintelligible in English (even though we’d all been talking to him in Japanese the whole time) and stormed off.
Another time, due to a faulty English translation of a notice, almost all foreign students ended up locked out of their rooms. All rooms were scheduled for a fire alarm maintenance, and al of us were notified. The Japanese notice (which most of us couldn’t read at the time) added, “出かけるときは鍵を持って行ってください”. The English translation was, “Please keep your key.” Guess who got yelled at when gingerly trying to point out the mistake: a native English speaker, who was told by the dorm supervisor something along the lines of, “I studied in the US for 10 years, I know English!” and promptly dismissed. I got yelled at too, when I politely asked the supervisor to please let me in my own room.
#2. Pressure and “mind games” at OUFS
As far as “mind games” go, myself and another student were in dire straits for having missed some classes (although it was never made clear that attendance mattered, and in both our countries attendance does NOT count towards a grade). On a side note, I missed most of those classes due to medical reasons. The program supervisor set up a “trial” with the two of us, himself and another teacher, and spent an hour and a half making us believe that we’d screwed up irrevocably and we’d face grave consequences, possibly even failing the year and being deported straight away.
At the end of the meeting, he gave each of us a paper that said we renounced our scholarship benefits then and there. And all we had to do was to sign on the dotted line and that would be “better for us, right?”. Naturally, we both refused, much to the supervisor’s bafflement. Ironically enough, an Asian student had an even worse attendance record, but they never attempted to pressure him into giving up.
#3. Poor-quality teaching and evaluation at OUFS
Some teachers at OUFS were, in my humble opinion, hardly qualified to teach. One spent most of the class time talking about anything but what he was supposed to teach, and even going so far as to ask inappropriate questions, such as, “So, do you have a boyfriend yet?”. He’d skip from topic to topic, ramble for a bit, then move on to another topic before just as suddenly going back to supposed “teaching”.
Towards the end of the year, the same teacher called me and another student to his office and proceeded to tell us that, due to poor attendance, he would be “forced” to fail us both. He then asked us why we missed so many classes. I answered first. “You weren’t teaching anything”, I said. “And also, your class has nothing to do with my major. It’s boring. And I don’t care.” The other student said nothing… and in the end, we both passed. The bottom line is, nobody failed their first year at OUFS. The program was simply made that way.
Exams were a major pain for hard-working students. Students who couldn’t speak a lick Japanese scored top grades, while people who actually studied everything there was to study scored 80% or less. The reason? Exams always consisted of the simplest possible Japanese language questions, so that everyone would supposedy pass with flying colors. It was easy enough to lose sight of simple Kanji characters when you spent weeks drilling complicated ones into your head. To make things worse, classes moved at a pace too quick for anyone to actually understand everything, and revision time was basically limited to one or two pop quizzes a week, with new stuff to learn following straight after. The bottom line is, students who couldn’t speak a lick of Japanese got into top-level Japanese universities, while fluent speakers / writers had to settle for the “average” ones.
Besides the language itself, we were taught Economy, Culture, History and Politics in Japanese from day one, even though more than half of us had zero Japanese knowledge (our orientation guide specifically stated that no previous knowledge of the language is required – apparently, that changed from 2008). Our textbooks were in intermediate or advanced Japanese with plenty of technical terms. Some of the teachers didn’t even speak English, so they couldn’t help us understand things better, either.
#4. Disregard of personal university choices
Myself and another student with poorer grades than mine both opted for Osaka University as our first university of choice. Inexplicably, he got in, while I was sent to Tokyo ○○ University (third on my list). I had solid reasons to stay in Osaka (Osaka University had the exact course I wanted to major in, while the other one did not; and also my fiance of that time lived in Osaka with his family).
I went through every possible avenue to try and overturn the decision, but what chances would I have against a system that just doesn’t care? I wonder what was the point in making us write our “choice list” (入学希望大学リスト) in the first place, when it was clear that: a- “advanced” students were among the only ones who got into their university of choice, and b- the selection criteria were shady to say the least.
#5. Misinformation by Tokyo ○○ staff at orientation meeting
At a university orientation meeting (大学説明会) at OUFS, I asked the Tokyo ○○ representatives whether I’d be able to obtain a practice license if I completed a bachelor’s degree . The answer was, “Yes, definitely”. This is what made me include Tokyo ○○ on my options list to begin with. I only found out much, much later – after my entrance examination – that this was not the case, and I would need to also complete a masters’ course in order to get my license – maybe.
#6. Injustice at Tokyo ○○ and no intervention by university staff
This one still stings, even though it’s been more than a year and I’ve passed the class (courtesy of a much more understanding teacher) since. In my first year, my Information Technology (情報処理) teacher failed me, even though:
– My highschool major was Information Technology;
– I knew more about computers, operating systems, standard programs, programming languages and the Internet than anyone in that class, including the teacher;
– I had a good attendance record that was not in violation of university rules;
– I completed all my assignments on time, including my end-of-year presentation;
– I’ve been using computers since I was 10, and sitting through half a year of, “This is a computer. To turn it on, you press this button… no, not that one!” was a sheer nightmare.
The teacher came up with an extraordinary set of rules so he could fail me. I wrote to the teacher, then went to the Student Affairs division, then all the way to the head of my faculty — where I was promptly told that it was “his class, his rules”. The IT teacher even made an error while tallying attendance records (and I had proof). That was never even brought into discussion. In the end, I had an uncontrolled burst out (a sarcastic equivalent of “O rly?” in Japanese), for which I naturally had to apologize afterward. Nobody apologized for the “discomfort” this situation had caused me.
#7. Little to no support for “gakubu” foreign students
I’m a foreigner. I was only given one year to master the Japanese language so I could take courses in Japanese. Is that enough? With a complex language such as Japanese, definitely not. Sadly though, most courses were exclusively in Japanese, with tons of references, print-outs and projects in Japanese. Some teachers were very supportive, yes. But other teachers were not.
Some didn’t even allow the use of electronic dictionaries (電子辞書) at end-of-term examinations. While my listening and understanding (聴きとり) are on a fairly good level, academic language has never been my forte. One particular teacher didn’t want to give me the extra time I needed to finish my paper (I write very slowly), and consequently, instead of getting an A, as I should have, I got a D. I knew all the answers. I just didn’t have time to put everything on paper.
To put it bluntly, my grades sucked, and I gave it my all. At least in my first year. By the second year, I’d already earned myself the “honorable” status of being the perpetual “dumb kid”. In my country, I graduated high-school with full marks and was among the top 10 students in my promotion country-wide and with several national and international awards under my belt. Go figure.
#8. Inappropriate (and sometimes racist) student attitude; teachers do nothing
My first-ever group project at Tokyo ○○ was a four-people effort to do some research on a key Buddhist figure. After groups were made, one Japanese student exclaimed, “I can’t work with a ryuugakusei! You’ll just mess things up!”
In my second year, on a different project, I became the resident ghost: I’d speak, and the others would pretend they didn’t hear a thing. Once, I gave a suggestion and was met with silence. A few minutes later, a Japanese made the same suggestion and was granted the standard “Oooooh, you’re so SMART!” response. On the same group, I was told, “You Americans don’t understand how the Japanese think, so your opinion means nothing.” Excuse me? I’m [Eastern European]. And my opinion should weight the same as everyone else’s – if not more, considering I’ve seen the world, whilemost of these kids have lived their whole lives in their own little fairytale bubble.
#9. “If you’re sick, that’s unfortunate, but I don’t care.”
This one nearly had me in tears. I missed a class twice, both times for medical reasons. I let my teacher know and brought proof from the clinic. His response after the second time? “If you miss one more class, you’ll fail the course” – which, by the way, is compulsory. At the time of my second absence, I was a flu suspect and was expressly told to go and get myself tested ASAP, and do NOT, under any circumstances, set foot inside the campus (this was during the swine flu hysteria). Hypothetically speaking, if I had any kind of flu, this could have started an epidemic at school. Guess who would’ve gotten the blame later.
#10. “Me” vs. “them”
I’ve had plenty of cases where I’d try to strike a conversation at university, only to be met with the standard “Wa~i! It talks!” response. Nearly all the conversations I managed to have were the invariable “gaijin”-themed discussions: where I’m from, what things are like “over there”, why I came to Japan, etc., etc., interlaced with the typical “Sugo~i! Your Japanese is SO good!” (and variations). This thing dragged on even with people I’d known for months. It gets tiresome after a while. I was never a part of my class, per say; always left out of conversations, decision-making in projects, “nomikais”, etc. And I tried. I really did. It’s almost like there is an invisible wall between me and the rest of the students in my class.
To sum up…
Some people might say, “You knew what you were getting into when you came to Japan! And if you didn’t, all you had to do was research!”. I got most of my information from the Japanese embassy and from general advice websites by MEXT and JASSO. I had no idea what I was in for. That’s part of the reason I decided to write this open letter.
Yes, throughout these three years, I met some extraordinary people at both universities who genuinely tried to help. As an old [Eastern European] saying goes, “One flower doesn’t bring springtime.” It seems to me that foreign students are little more than pretty numbers on a paper as far as MEXT is concerned. (Oh, on that note, last year they cut down our scholarships in an effort to get even more foreign students into Japan, when our current scholarship was not enough to cover living expenses in certain areas to begin with – especially in Tokyo, where rent alone is sky-high. And they got away with it. Naturally.)
On the outside, I may not seem like a “serious” student as far as the Japanese standards go. The truth is, I’m already starting to give up. I realized that even though I did my best, I would never raise to the expectations of my university – especially where written papers and attendance are concerned. It still puzzles me how Japanese students can drag themselves to class even when they’re so sick they can barely stand. I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. Doctor’s orders. (Of course, I have no paper to prove it, because my physician back home is not Japanese).
ENDS
105 comments on “One NJ exchange student’s rotten experience as a J MOE-MEXT ryuugakusei”
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I know someone who had a rotten time at Osaka Gaidai too, for much the same reasons, although not as extreme as Miss Petrescu’s case.
I’ve had a very good experience at Kobe University as an exchange student so far, as have friends who are full time faculty students, but I think it definitely depends on the university, and despite my good experience I have no trouble believing that there are universities which harbour those kinds of attitudes in Japan (especially having perused your blacklist).
I suppose the only input I can make is that it pays to search for testimonials from other foreign students before committing oneself to the four years.
Respectfully, as someone who has gone through school…
I have no doubt that the young lady has gone through some negative experiences, but this particular set of comments are unfocused and could use some editing.
First, I have never encountered Japanese people who out-and-out laugh at foreigners to their face. Undoubtedly it happens in Inaka and in 4th rate colleges, but in Tokyo?
Second, respect must be taken if it is not politely passed on. Foreigners generally have an easy time intimidating the Japanese; I do not suggest violence, but there is no need to out-and-out avoid the few beneficial aspect of memes that are spread about gaikokujin in Japan.
Finally, I’m somewhat curious about how an IT major could have been failed by a teacher modifying her rules. That was the most damning point, but we are left without any sort of idea as to how it happened. I don’t want to cast doubt but…
On your discussion about japanese being amazed that you could speak, I have to agree its annoying. Its like “gah! Why is it so darn amazing? We think nothing if someone comes to our country and speaks the native tongue!” I realize there are some who are sincerely happy that one can speak japanese, but for the most part, its like we are animals or something. “Wow, look at the weird gaijin! He talks!” Sorry, blowing off steam here.
The shameful thing is that this small essay won’t be shared (in Japanese) with the people in charge of administering the program.
Let them say, “one bad apple!”. But you know, if there are others, at some point the administrators will only look competent at saying “one bad apple!”
I’ve had mostly positive experiences at my school, though perhaps grad students get more respect than undergrads. But still, I think it probably depends a lot on the university and department.
In my work and school experience, I’ve heard a lot of people using sickness (physical and mental) as an excuse for absenteeism. It’s the whole “Boy Who Cried Wolf” problem, except everyone (including the legitimately ill) is treated as suspect because of the actions of a few. Except, it’s not just a few, is it? It’s a majority who get out of work because of hangovers, or concerts, sightseeing, or (most likely) depression. Then throw in people who ARE actually sick, but stretch out the little vacation a couple extra days because they have a doctor’s note.
But hey. Welcome to Japan. If you’re not hospitalized actually are in danger of death, you get to go to work. I am surprised that your school didn’t accept the flu excuse though.
I also wonder if a few of these cases of “discrimination” regarding activities being cancelled were just cases of the girl and her friends having impromptu barbecues/parties without getting approval beforehand, which the “Asians” maybe had done. And she either remained ignorant of these kinds of common bureaucratic requirements, or just chose not to mention it.
But even then, it does seem pretty good as an example of misinformation on the part of the monbusho people regarding the entire program.
Everything happends for a reason, i belive you… if you are a tourist u will never live this experience, but if you live in japan, not all foreigner will live this, but for others will be a nightmare…
I understand that for MEXT is only numbers, they don´t really care…
Girl u can do it!!! so… gambate!!! 🙂
I’m really not surprised. I think there is an abundance of international students in Japan who have a lousy experience. My wife did her grad studies in Japan and the blatant racism, double-standards (one prof referred to foreign students as leeches – try and sugar coat that!), poor pre-program language training (1 year is not enough – 1 1/2 to 2 years would be much more reasonable given the task of going from zero to high-level academic proficiency – and the JLPT is very flawed), and last lack of policies at universities for students to challenge grades and receive non-bias student services/support (which is a problem for Japanese students as well).
I’m sure there are some good situations, but the problem is that there are many inadequate ones in Japan which make study there a dicey proposition for those seeking a meaningful and rich experience.
I’m disappointed to hear about Miss Petrescu’s travails, and don’t doubt that universities a rung below the top ones can be less skilled in handling their students. I’ve had several other friends who’ve suffered unnecessarily at the hands of arrogant and prejudiced professors and administrators.
The professors and class structure seem to be seriously lacking. There should also be a system in place for people with long-term sickness — my university has one, and while there are a few bureaucratic hoops to jump through, nothing like the nonsense that this unnamed university seems to be indulging in.
I myself am lucky enough to attend a national university as a grad student (self-funded; not MEXT), and have literally zero complaints about my professors, fellow students, classes, tests, or anything else. I didn’t live in a dormitory, but the people I know who do have never complained.
I’ve never felt left out of anything, academically or personally, and often feel that the atmosphere at this university is what keeps me in Japan. People here have the right attitude regarding foreign students who are, say, 95% competent in Japanese — they talk to you normally, with none of the silly praise for saying basic things, and respond rationally when you have the occasional word you don’t know.
This probably doesn’t sound like much consolation, but perhaps a better plan might be to finish your bachelor’s degree, enter the working world for a few years, save money, and then attend graduate school on your own dime, so that the bureaucrats won’t be able to hold your scholarship money like a knife to your throat.
Aim for the highest-quality school you can; don’t fool around with those places where the undergrads party for four years and then become salarymen. Go for an elite school. (If you’re from the US, national universities are cheap! I pay about Y540,000 per year; very doable if you have a job of some kind.)
Were the other foreign students at the unnamed Tokyo university also treated badly in comparison to Asians, or was that just at OUFS?
For Doubting.Thomas,
First, I didn’t get laughed at, but I was (and still am) considered a second-hand member of group projects because I am a foreign student. And yes, I was told that to my face.
Second, I don’t really understand what you meant to say about those “memes”, but I don’t think I’m intimidating in any way. I tried my best to blend in and be friendly and respectful to everybody (I even use keigo with my senpais).
As for the IT class, the rule change I was talking about was a last-minute change concerning the last two classes of the semester which I didn’t know about (it was either you attend both, or you’re considered an absent at both). That and the mistakes the teacher made when tallying the attendance e-mails (some e-mails got “mysteriously” lost even though they were right there in my “Sent” box, and I had screenshots to prove it) put me below the university’s 75% attendance norm. I hope this clears it up.
Yeah, I really hate to do it, but while at first I was very interested in this essay and Laura’s experiences (I am considering spending a year studying at an Osaka-n Uni), but for all the the touting she goes on about her academic capabilities and such, the essay manages to be lacking in rigor and focused points. She’s explicit about her conclusions, but misses details on the situation that might more convince the reader of her experience.
It feels, no matter how well formatted, like a rant. And… I’ve heard enough rants about this subject to just be skeptical.
And it’s not even that I doubt the xenophobia in many Japanese school institutions. I really believe she probably had some bad, highly injustice experiences. But I’m not really sure what to take away from reading this in the larger picture of understanding the problem.
Not casting doubt, but there are ways, in every country. Seen it everywhere. Miss Laura’s talents in informatics are pretty good, might even say she’s better than me, and I tehnically have a bachelor’s degree in that – but at the same time I saw people expeled for having the nerve of correcting their teacher. Won’t go into details either, cuzz that’s not the point here.
The point is that I’ve heard about this kind of behaviour from japanese people (and their double standards) but I tried not to listen. And when I’m thinking that I know people that wanna go study there… just as misinformed as Laura. Sure, there are great people there too, but we can’t overlook the difference in culture either. Sometimes it’s just not possible but being laughed at and mistreated for something like this… heh! I’ll try to behave and not say anything to radical.
Andi’s right that it depends on the university, but MEXT should still have a set of standards and guidelines for universities taking the scholarship students. It ought to have a central complaints and arbitration procedure as well, for when the students have a problem with the university. I’ve not researched the program, so it may have these already, in which case they should be a bit more active. There are plenty of examples from across the world of how to (and how not to) deal with the issues that international students face, so they shouldn’t even need to work too hard to set it up.
For someone to have had these experiences, both the universities and MEXT need to have failed to fulfil their responsibilities in quite a significant way. If it was a completely isolated case, it might have to be chalked up to the fact that even the best system goes wrong sometimes, but, really, it doesn’t look like that, does it?
I, personally, hd a great time at Kyodai, but a contemporary didn’t. She moved apartments (paying key money out of her own pocket) because she was sexually harassed in the co-ed dormitory in which she was originally placed, and generally she had a miserable time. In the end, although she graduated, she didn’t stick around for the graduation ceremony, and instead took the first plane home. To be fair, however, one problem she had was with the weather, which is beyond even the university’s control. Kyoto can be very cold in the winter, and she came from the Australian tropics, so she was unused to snow. All I’m saying is that not everyone’s experience of Japanese university is negative; I had a good time.
BTW, Ms. Petrescu, it’s per se, not “per say”. HTH.
I can’t really do anything but take this student’s word about discrimination in grading etc. But as far as the attitude of the teachers and other students, I absolutely agree. I was only a student here for one year, at Waseda, but the exchange students had 90% of classes in a building that was actually off campus, and if you dared to set foot in the student lounge in that building, this:
I’ve had plenty of cases where I’d try to strike a conversation at university, only to be met with the standard “Wa~i! It talks!” response. Nearly all the conversations I managed to have were the invariable “gaijin”-themed discussions: where I’m from, what things are like “over there”, why I came to Japan, etc., etc., interlaced with the typical “Sugo~i! Your Japanese is SO good!”
Japanese students would hang out there trying to get free eikaiwa, or sometimes they’d actually been ASKED by their teachers to write a survey in English and go ask the students in the ryuugakusei lounge. Before long, no one wanted to hang out in that lounge anymore. If a Japanese student missed class or was late “Oh, they’re so busy with their real classes and job hunting” (yeah right, like Japanese university students are busy with ANYTHING other than constant drinking and dating), but there was no leniency for the exchange students. The English-language classes weren’t designed to teach us anything, but to give the Japanese professors and students a chance to practice English. The Japanese-language classes were merginally better (if the content was low-level at least we were learning the language), but there were no actual Japanese students in those classes… which doesn’t seem conducive to learning language or culture if all discussion is only with other non-native speakers.
I’m going to stop there, no need to write another essay. I wasn’t a Monbusho scholar, but having been an exchange student in Japan… I definitely got the impression that WE were there for the benefit of the professors and school etc, not the other way around… even though we were the ones paying to be there.
For Level3,
Neither groups needed any approval for activities such as parties and barbecues as long as we didn’t disturb other campus residents. Japanese students also did it very often, usually late at night, in the parking lot next to our dorm.
For Alsoskeptical,
This is just a sum-up my personal experiences, so what I wrote might look like a “rant” without any 3rd party information to back it up. It’s hard to stay objective when you’re treated like I was, though.
For Kimpatsu,
Sorry. English isn’t my native language… Thanks for the heads-up.
For Mark In Yayoi,
I’m the only second-year foreign student in my major, and there’s only two foreign students in the whole year. This university doesn’t have more than four or five MEXT students overall (that I know personally). I heard several stories of one MEXT student or another being treated poorly by teachers, and sometimes by students, too.
For Kimberly,
You’ve almost described my experience at OUFS word for word, except that the building where we had our classes was on-campus.
Personally, I think the young lady here is over sensitive, and thinks too much of her abilities. Despite the possibility that she may in fact have knowledge about her field, one of the purposes of a University is to teach discipline. Without discipline, she will be unable to function in the corporate world of employment.
I know, I do employ people. I would rather have a person who is moderately OK at their work, but reliable as far as showing up or not creating problems, rather than hire someone brilliant but who showed up erratically or did not always perform as requested. And yes, sometimes clients do ask one to do things that are stupid or inane. The clients pay my company, and my company pays the employees. Yet that is the nature of life. Life is not always fair. And as far as dealing with the stress of idiots, that is what beer is for.
As far as my University career, well I went to ICU for a couple of years. Before I went there, I had been a United States Marine for several years, and gee, if somebody said something to me, well my Marine Corps Drill Instructors had already smacked me with every insult humanly possible, (inevitably accompanied by zillions of punishment pushups) that I had a hard time feeling insulted.
I dropped out of University to work full time at a Japanese security guard company, marketing Japanese made alarm systems. I pioneered the sales of Japanese made espionage equipment to the Thai Army. Sales trips to Bangkok were a blast.
Sure, my immediate superior in the company insulted me a lot. That is the way in a company. I would get around it by befriending a higher superior, who would back my bid to go to Bangkok, and higher superior would accompany me to Bangkok to “mentor” me. Of course, immediate superior was insulted, so one trip I stayed in Tokyo and he went to Bangkok, even though he was an idiot. But I got four trips out of five.
Laura, there is always a way to work things out, but you will find a lot of the same problems in the workaday world. It is human nature.
— Hmm… I can see a lot of problems with this advice: “Discrimination is a matter of human nature, and victims are just being oversensitive about their plight. So go drink your way out of it.” I’ve heard that plenty of times, and don’t subscribe to it. Neither does the UN, and I’ll have an essay up on that by the weekend.
I went through a similar experience to this writer in high school. Up unitl middle school, I went to an internatinal institution and was a top grade student. However, even though my Japanese was still at the elementary school level, my parents thought it would be a “great experience” for me to enter into a Japanese high school. There, even though some teachers gave me special consideration, I turned into a complete C student (or “3” as the Japanese grading system goes). In all honesty, my school work there was at the F-level in most Western schools, but in Japanese high schools I learned that no matter how bad you do, you won’t get a D or F unless you really really screw up.
At high school I also had experiences with teachers being unqualified to teach because their classes were unfocused, hard-ass teachers left over from the Showa-era when yelling at student like a Yakuza punk was a common, not being able to write kanji for the exams even though I knew the answers, and so forth.
What most concerns me about the writer’s story, even though she has my sympathies, is why she had such poor attendance throughout her entire stay in Japan? I have found, in both high school and college, that Japanese teachers will be nicer to you if you attend every class like a loyal student, even the hard-ass ones. If there was a medical issue, the school should provide an official notice to the teachers so they will go easier on you. Also, what were the exact rules that that professor applied only to you so he or she could fail you? There are many unclear points in this essay that make it seem the writer is more bitter at her experience with culture shock and a language barrier than anything else. Perhaps her arguments would be much more pursuasive if she went into greater deatil about her ordeals.
Fortunately, I was warned by a professor in Canada of the inferior quality of Japanese university education (particularly in the area of Japanese studies!). When I received the Monbusho scholarship, I just treated as a vacation and a chance to study on my own time. I did take some classes from a few good professors, but that was definitely the exception.
My worst experiences were with the “International Students Center” . It seemed that the staff were deliberately picked for their ignorance and bigotry. I remember one of the staff was going to refuse to sign my request for permission for part time work (already approved by my advisor), saying, “you receive a generous scholarship, so you shouldn’t have to work”. Having just graduated from law school, I wasn’t about to take that crap off a petty bureaucrat. I told him that I could easily make three times the scholarship amount working as an attorney and then shot him a look that said “you want trouble, I’m trouble!”. When I returned later that week, the request was duly processed.
The staff at the law faculty treated me like royalty, because Monbusho was paying full tuition (at the time tuition was usually discounted) plus a generous research grant. I learned to stay away from the “International” Student Center…
I’ve had a good experience at Kansai Gaidai this fall. The faculty there seem to have developed a good program for international students, with kind, considerate teachers. The problem is that most of the exchange students are lazy and never speak anything but English unless forced and only hang out with other white kids.
The whole “Nihonga ga jouzu!” thing is annoying but I find that people usually get over it if you meet them more than once. Given how little effort 85% of the exchange students here put into their Japanese study, I’m not sure their reaction is entirely unjustified.
I actually applied for MEXT, but it looks like it maybe be better than not that I didn’t get it.
I was also an exchange student here in Japan and I have to agree with some things and disagree with others. The level of teaching was, well, pretty bad with no syllabus and well no real direction. We also had ALL of our classes in one room in a building that was not a part of the main school, but over the cafeteria and next to the nurses office and band club room.
As to the asian/non-asian double standard…..on some levels yeah they had it easier than us and were actually helped to find pt jobs in the area while the English speaking students (at one time…only me) were farmed out to elementary schools, etc for `volunteer English teaching`. There was no mandatory attendance keeping though and for the most part the teachers believed us if we said we were out sick.
As for the `wah…it talks`..oh honey, you will get that no matter how long you live here. I have a Japanese husband and baby and my in laws still go…oh, wow you can speak in Japanese…*sigh*. I figure when they STOP saying that, then my Japanese will be truly good.
Bottom line, there are good unis and bad unis here in Japan and overseas. Sorry you didn`t get the skinny before you came. I didn`t have a MEXT scholarship (didn`t qualify), so everything came out of my own pocket. Unfortunatly your write up does sound like a rant- but hey, we`re all entitled to a rant now and again!
For Max,
So, being insulted or treated poorly is okay because “that is the way”? I’m sorry, but I disagree with that view. As a scholarship grantee, I came to Japan as a guest, and I expected to be treated accordingly. I did my best to fulfill my part of the deal. I studied hard, and I only “caused trouble” when I was forced by circumstances to stand up for my rights. Discipline and pretending everything is okay when it isn’t are two different things.
For Jeffrey,
I had attendance problems during my first year (the training year at OUFS) because of a chronic problem that got worse after I came to Japan. My academic advisor knew the full details. Later on, in Tokyo, I informed my teachers and academic advisor whenever I missed classes, and explained the reason(s).
As for what happened with my IT class, see my comment above (#9). I forgot to mention there that he graded two of my assignments with 0 points for petty reasons. Even the head of my department said that wasn’t ground enough to mark said assignments as a failure.
For Scotchneat,
The same thing happened when I tried to get my papers for my work permit signed. I stood my ground until the lady at the office very reluctantly agreed to pass them on, since there was no legal ground for her to refuse me.
I’ve been here in Japan for about the same time and I must say life here has been a mix of great and terrible things. And I must say that most of the terrible ones came from the time I was trying to blend in the Japanese way.
My experience tells that Japanese people can look at “the different” in two ways: they either worship it or they find it an anomaly that needs to be expunged. So, while I was in my “awe” moment, thinking that Japan was the next big thing and tried to be as Japanese as I could, I was faced with all kinds of obstacles: The “sugoi, you’re Japanese is incredible! and WOW you can read that word with kanji!”, the “I don’t speak English, I’m sorry” even though I’m speaking to them in Japanese, and that happens in classes too: I’m very happy that you care if I understand what you say but man! I’m speaking to you in Japanese! Not in English! And if you want to be nice, talk to me in Portuguese ’cause that’s my mother tongue. The person who ignores you for being a foreigner and the students who after having their gaijin-related curiosity satisfied, just never talk to you again.
After that I got into my “I hate Japan” phase. I just decided to be as gaijin as I could and tell the Japanese to… yeah. And to my surprise, that worked. In the end I guess it was the fact that now I was looking at myself as an outsider in here and trying to get all the good things I can from that: Some times you “just didn’t get it” even though you DID get it. Or doing things Japanese people would be frowned upon, just to find myself getting the “oh, it’s ok, hey’s a gaijin, I heard in some places they go dancing on the train so that guy is still fine”.
I’d be mad at all that before, but now I’m enjoying being a foreigner in Japan and not being mad at not being able to be “one of them” (seriously, why did I ever want to be one of them?).
By the way, I’m looking for a job in a company in Japan and while being interviewed by four people from this company, most of the questions one of them made were “so, you could actually read our homepage?”, “Do you thing you can write an email to a client?”, “Do you think you can handle talking to a client in Japanese?”. Yes, the interview was in japanese.
I’d just like to emphasize that attendance is an important part of a 15 week course in Japan. On top of that, the very first class is a must attend. Each prof will lay out their syllabus in a written booklet (compete waste of printing IMHO) but the very nuts and bolts of the course, how the grading will be determined, attendance etc are all explained in this first class. It’s often refrerred to as ‘orientation’ but it’s in this class where you’ll be told if participation is part of the grade OR coming late three times is one absence, the 4th late is a straight absence etc. To change this half-way through (or towards the end of the course) is very un-professional AND it’s up to the prof. to fully inform all students taking that class.
Having gone to a Japanese university myself, seven years ago, and had similar experiences, I can say that whether all the readers believe or not, or how the post reads, that this issue does exist and is an ongoing issue.
There was a marked difference in systems in place at my home university in Australia and my host university here in Japan regarding student services. I studied for a year here as a law student. I can say that in regards to language support for my legal studies, I was told that “after six to nine months, it will get easier”. That’s it. My classes were all in Japanese. And as some of you probably already know, the kanji used in a standard legal document would present a challenge for most Japanese as they stem from the Meiji era rather than common usage.
I will clarify though that the scholarship I received (I was supposed to go to Waseda, but my university messed up the application papers and deadline- another story ) was one arranged by the prefectural government. However, it was assumed by my Australian university that this was standard and equivalent to a Japanese government scholarship. We did not receive the same privileges that were extended to regular Japanese students, and could do little about it once here. After making the best of what was a difficult situation, a group of us on our return home made sure that when we got back, our universities were made aware of the situation, and the arrangement has since improved. I ended up supplementing my language study by taking classes outside of school during my own free time.
All this does not detract from the fact that it wasn’t what I had been prepared for, which were reasonable expectations. I ended up having a very challenging but rewarding time of it, and hey- I live here now.
As a general principle, home universities need to be prepared to confirm, check and monitor student experiences abroad in an ongoing fashion and facilitate a mutual understanding of the particular needs of any foreign student studying anywhere.
In Japan’s defense, some of these universities are being thrown into the global student world without much preparation, others should know better already. But ultimately, that does not excuse or give any school the right to treat a student guest to an improper level of support.
I would like to say I am rather disappointed by my fellow Debito readers. It seems that an overwhelming amount of people have a ‘Love it or leave it’ attitude towards people that speak out about their negative experiences in Japan.
I studied for one year at Jouchi (Sophia) University in Tokyo as an exchange. While at the time I felt my courses where good but overly demanding. The college wanted to live up to foreign university standards and thus made the courses, given in English, excessively hard while the courses given to Japanese not in my department passed if they had a pulse. Many of my teachers felt that their class was only one you where taking and tended to pile the work on thick. And yes, there were teachers that both proved the rule broke the rule, while I was studying there, however, my overall opinion was that it was too much. The reason I bring this up is because it feels very much like the stereotypical ‘tatemae.’ In other words they might put on a show that they felt one way, but in truth they felt quite the opposite. Being one of the top 10 colleges in Japan that they felt they need to display how good their foreign department is and how it could stack up (test wise) against other international colleges in the world, all the while their own standard for students that were not in the foreign department was much lower.
When I tried to take classes in Japanese it was sometimes met with resistance. If a teacher really didn’t want foreigners in the class all they needed to say that your Japanese level needed to be JPLT level 1-2. I went to a class on the first day and despite that I understood everything, I was not allowed to stay because my Japanese level was somewhere below level 2.
While my little rant might seem like a case of sour grapes, my point is that having two different standards for students in their foreign gakubu (department) and their normal students only further encourages racism. We long ago figured out separate but equal is not equal at all.
I teach in elementary schools and being 6 ft.1 in. (186cm) tall I am quite tall by Japanese standards. Sometimes when I enter a room kids and might not have seen me immediately and actually recoil in surprise/shock/fear to see a tall foreigner standing before them. Now this is not a rare occasion, but repeatedly with the same kids I teach daily. The fact that elementary students are shocked like this by me simply entering the room goes to show that racism towards the foreign has already been instilled into them. I can also add that I have even been told negative things about foreigners, like that foreigners should leave Japan, from my students. While, work related discrimination is a whole another ball game…
Many of us love Japan, so when someone say how discrimination basically ruined their college life we should listen instead of saying that is how it always been, so take it or leave it. Discrimination is no longer acceptable in this day and age, and we must speak out about it if we ever want things to change.
I also attended a Japanese University(grad school) and I am inclined to believe what Laura has written, but it does sound more like a rant.
I experienced many of things she has, and the rest are not much of a leap. Some of these things seem petty, but when they are all added together they are not so petty anymore. The “oh it can speak” phenomenon never ends when meeting new people even after graduation. I have been here 11 years and it still happens almost daily. The prejudice both positive and negative exists. Arrogant, unprofessional, and incompetent staff and faculty are everywhere.
If I could take back that time and spend it overseas at a different university I would. I could have learned much more from competent professors and a higher caliber of students elsewhere.
If anyone reading this is considering coming to Japan for education, you should reconsider. Education is not necessarily what you will get, and if you are not Japanese, you will find that it is ever more challenging to find employment here and keep it.
Laura,
I don’t mean to say that it is “OK” to be insulted, I am saying that it is part of life. I know Debito is trying change things, but in the end you cannot legislate people’s hearts.
As far as Japanese, well I was never really bothered by people being surprised that I spoke Japanese. Whenever some person expresses surprise at my Japanese language, I always reply, “What do you expect, this is Japan! I don’t want to be lonely, so I speak Japanese!”
Another thing I have had happen on occasion is the “English Language Showoff”. For example, I was at a Bonenkai for an MC company where I was MC’ing wedding parties in Japanese. That is a real challenge, you have a million things that can go wrong, and the hotel will always say it is the fault of the MC.
Well, at the Bonenkai, some young lady wants to impress the boss with her English ability So she makes a point of ambushing me with the boss in earshot, and proceeds to regal all and sundry with her English language skills. And I replied to all of her remarks in German. She was so engrossed in her own conversation, and impressing the boss, that it took her a few minutes to understand that I was not responding in English. She then asked me why in Japanese, and I said, “Well today is Wednesday, and on Wednesday when I am not speaking Japanese, I can only speak German. If you want English, you will have to wait until Friday, that is the day for English as an alternate language.”
The resulting grins of the other party goers was well worth it, actually very few Japanese people like the “English Language Showoff”.
And if you can’t speak another human language when ambushed by the “English Language Showoff”, try Klingon. Tell everybody it was something you picked while hiking through the Peruvian Andes.
Well, everyone has to find their own way to deal with everyday frustrations, but I have found that a humorous way works best.
— Yeah, sarcasm and humor will surely work given the power relationships of teacher-student. (Note my sarcasm.) Maybe it’s your heart that needs changing, to allow for more empathy. Oh, sorry, we can’t change people’s hearts. Just give up and drink.
I can’t really do anything but take this student’s word about discrimination in grading etc. But as far as the attitude of the teachers and other students, I absolutely agree. I was only a student here for one year, at Waseda, but the exchange students had 90% of classes in a building that was actually off campus, and if you dared to set foot in the student lounge in that building, this:
I went to Waseda on what I assume is a similar one-year exchange program. Just to clarify: the buildings that most classes are held in are technically outside the campus gates, but I would hardly call them “off-campus.” They are primarily for the SILS students, but there is plenty of foot traffic since they are located nearby the main library (which is also technically “off-campus”). As for the student lounge: if you’re referring to the SILS lounge, there were always plenty of foreign and Japanese students there, and when I entered I never received the “waa! gaijin da!”-type treatment.
This is not intended to refute your statement, but simply to provide another viewpoint. I enjoyed my time at Waseda, but I spent my most productive time outside of school learning the language with friends over drinks and dealing with everyday life.
>>Reply to Kevin or post #25
Kevin, I am currently finishing up at Jochi graduate school and just want to respond to some of the comments you made. I do agree that Jochi is quite sensitive about how its foreign student body performs, but I don’t think that are making things as hard as you make them out to be. Comparing the workload in English-spoken classes, for instance, I went to UCLA for undergraduate classses and the average workload there was much higher than at Jochi, so I don’t know what you are complaining about. Isn’t it part of college life to be swamped with studying and homework even though you want to be out partying and such? I remember at UCLA I had one stretch where I was studying 10 hours a day outside of class just to get a passing grade.
Also, Jochi isn’t too strict about the academic level of the foreign students it accepts. I know I am bashing on some of my fellow classmates, but many of them are not exactly Harvard or Yale material if you know what I mean. But I think this is a good thing, it shows that Jochi is commited to increasing the number of foreigners studying in Japan.
As for the relative easiness of Japanese classes, isn’t that how it is in most Japanese universities are? It’s well known that it is 10 times harder to get into Japanese university than it is to graduate from. I still see tons of students in the Japanese classes sleeping and talking the whole time and still getting a passing grade.
You have a point about the Japanese bureaucracy at Jochi, but, again, this is the same everywhere in Japan. I have already passed the Japanese Level 1 Test twice, but the staff at Jochi said I had to be given one of their tests before they could I could enroll in a Japanese class. I told them that passing the JPN Level 1 test is a requirement for a foreigner to take the university entrance exam, but they said “sorry, we know you have a special situation, but these are the rules.”
— Er, “Ten times harder to get into Japanese university than it is to graduate from”? Are you up to date about the number of slots at universities and the diminishing number of students that has been going on for more than a decade now? For some students, getting into college is a turkey shoot.
Studying overseas is trying. Miscommunications occur everyday. Expectations you bring will more often than not remain unfulfilled. Culture shock will, at some point and to some degree, likely drive you to depression. Academic standards and expectations at Japanese universities and are very different compared to universities in your home country.
I would venture to say the above are universal for foreign students in Japan. Even more notably, replace ‘Japanese’ with any other nationality and you will see these same assertions on any exchange student message board the world over.
There is reason to be concerned with and to criticize the poor quality of teaching and rather outrageous behavior related by the writer, but I have to say it as an indictment of that teacher and that program, not of overseas study in Japan as a whole. My study abroad experience some years back was quite fulfilling and enlightening, and the most trouble/drama I got was from the non-Japanese professors! I joined a university sports team and ended up with more Japanese friends than exchange student friends. I could go on but the point is I had an experience directly contrasting with the writer. I had difficulties for sure adapting to a new culture and language, but as I said I think that’s a universal issue. As for complaints such as placement requests, licensing requirements (I’m not sure what that is referring to), and tests that are so easy those that study hardest are at a disadvantage (???), these seem to be personal grudges and not examples of how terrible study in Japan can be.
Regarding the Asian/non-Asian racism issue – I think it is more of a paying/non-paying issue. The Asian students (more accurately their parents) are most likely paying through the nose for the privilege to study in Japan at a university, and thus they have carte blanche to do as they please as they fill the university’s coffers. The scholarship students, on the other hand, are expected to be on their best behavior as ‘guests’ studying on the government’s/university’s dime. Given the examples related here, it would seem this program is more of a cash cow for the university rather than an academic program. I feel bad for the poster, but the line between genuine problems with the system and “doesn’t it suck to be me” is rather blurred here. This essay cannot be taken as a blanket indictment of coming to Japan to study. Rather, it is just another restatement of the above maxims you will see in any conversation about study abroad worldwide, mixed with one bad program and shaken well. I felt I needed to write to contribute a counter point to show that not all Japanese students and teachers are racist, bigoted, exclusionary, vindictive, and ignorant as this essay suggests. And I think Debito’s intro just sets up the story for a good ol’ Japan-bashing:
“…who has come to Japan to study and found it highly undesirable. Others who have had similar experiences, please comment.”
Note that it is “come to Japan to study” and not “studied at xxx university”. Let’s lump ’em all in. I also like how you are specifically requesting “similar experiences” rather than trying to examine the issue from multiple viewpoints. Hey, it’s your blog, but I like to think one dedicated to equality would not endeavor to promote so much bias.
— No bias intended. Those with counter-experiences are also welcome to post them, as you have just done. Offer your counter-experience and leave me out of it.
to what JP says.. why do foreign students even bother coming over here to study? It can’t be “for the experience” can it? Surely there are better schools in their own countries which would be a better fit for them. And even if they do stick it out and get employed here, are they willing to experience the glass ceiling that many foreigners have endured over here?
and to what some other posters have commented on, I always experienced the “It Speaks!!” syndrome here, it seemed like almost every day. Was it so amazing that I could introduce myself and speak to some people? what the hell is wrong with society here? They don’t give credit to people who actually studied the language or something? what gives?
Given my own experience in the PhD program at Osaka University, I tend to agree with Laura. It doesn’t matter which school you graduated from in your own country (in my field, it was one of the top universities in the world) or how well you speak Japanese (I did my dissertation defense in Japanese). If you are a foreigner, you will never be accepted or treated equally. My advice to students thinking of coming to Japan: don’t.
Even though my experience was basically positive, I couldn’t recommend study in Japan to anyone. The quality of instruction is grossly inferior to the US, Canada, Australia, England, France, etc. Most international students come relucantly after failing to get an opportunity to study in those countries and others are quickly disappointed. That’s the reality that escapes most Japanese people.
Why does such a situation exist? One word- insularity.
My otousan and uncle were recipients of Monbusho back in the ’80s as well. My father did his masters in Osaka U for 3 years and concluded that he didn’t want to live in Japan. He said, Japanese’ll appear polite to you, but u’ll never be their true friend. they will won’t regard u with one. so, his friends are mostly international students from all around the world. he’s asian, btw.
oh yes, my dad did mention everybody who was Monbusho scholars studied Japanese language in the place as u did. it’s standard
I find all of this highly disappointing. As someone pretty early in teaching myself Japanese, now you all have me considering just skipping to French (that was next on the list).
Well, as a former Monbusho scholarship research student, then master course student, I can say that one could probably endure a lot of thing if there was indeed high-level academic environment where why could apply one’s abilitties – but far and wide so far I have not seen any single university here in this country that would even approximately approach my definition of such environment (having studied in Moscow University and Paris 1 University too, both of which were quite satisfactory), I think people should at least know that after all the trouble of learning Japanese they will have to struggle on their own if they wish to achieve any progress at all (even just a small step forward in any direction and field) in a generally hostile environment. Especially this refers to the Monbusho scholarship students who are largely viewed by “local” people at sites as “wasting government money” unless they buy the books that teachers wrote but whom nobody else wants…
It’s been more than 15 years, but the steam is still bubbling… I’ve been telling everyone I know, but most people who have not been to Japan do not beleive me. I think it’s the contrast between how they advertise themselves (and maybe they beleive it?) and what one really finds to be the case…
So unless someone knows real well what he wants to do and is intent on doing it no matter what, it’s a very bad idea to come here, I agree.
>>Debito
My “10x harder” remark was a figure of speech based on what people are saying rather than actual numbers, but the point is clear right? In Japan, the absolute goal is to get into a good university because name recognition counts when you apply for a job. It doesn’t matter if you slack off the 4+ years you attend college because the lax grading system will allow you to graduate eventually. Speaking from experience, if a lot of Japanese university students did what they are doing now in overseas universities, like in the U.S., they would be in serious danger of flunking out. I don’t recall students ever openly talking or playing on their cell phones during class at UCLA, because if that happened the professor would tell them to stop it or get out of the classroom. Never heard of that happening in Japan. Even had one professor that would drop the median grade for the class by one rank every time he heard a cell phone go off, like from B > B- > C+.
Sorry for going slightly off topic.
— Okay. I warn, then kick students out of my classes for cellphone use. There, you’ve heard of one case. We’re pretty strict about that at my university (we’re a techie place, after all, and we have to nip these things in the bud).
BTW, I doubt that dropping median grades like that would be acceptable even nowadays in schools with strong anti-academic harassment programs. Would be interesting if somebody leveled an official complaint at him for overly-punitive classroom-order techniques. I would if I were a student there… But now I’m taking this really off-topic, sorry.
@Matt: You should seriously consider switching to French. I have several research associates who report much friendlier reception for foreigners in France and much better support networks. I myself will likely be moving to a French research lab next year.
And though I don’t want to open a can of worms here, Japan really has no future given the falling birthrate, massive increasing government debt, inflexible political system and xenophobic/racist society. To those already here I recommend leaving, and to those thinking of coming here to study I strongly recommend considering other options.
I don’t want to be too negative, but that’s the reality of the situation.
One thing I find interesting: Most Asian NJs think that they’re discriminated against by Japanese and whites are favoured. On the contrary on this article and many others, it says that whites are discriminated and Asians are favoured. Which one is really true? Apparently there are cases of both. There’s this Asian-Non Asian divide between the NJs, I believe.
— Of course there is. The Otaru Onsens Case proved that definitively, where Asian-looking NJ could get into the bathhouse, but Western-looking NJ (not to mention Western-looking Japanese and their Western-looking Japanese children) could not.
There are different expectations put upon Asian-looking Asians (or rather, “Japanese-looking” Asians, however defined; includes Nikkei), where they’re often 1) expected to speak Japanese fluently and treated dismissively if they can’t, 2) expected to be from lesser-developed and less-rich (the SE Asians tend to get it pretty bad) and treated dismissively (since no Asian country is apparently as rich as Japan, therefore they’re here to make money off the society we Japanese built), 3) expected to follow “Japanese rules” (however defined, usually by whoever decides to become the cultural representative and enforcer in the room) to the letter if not more so, or face the worst types of punishments meted out to the uncooperative in this society.
To give but a few examples. I of course can’t speak definitively because I’m not in this position. Others who are (particularly students, since that is the topic of this blog entry), go ahead.
However, if the subject is Western-looking, take items 1), 2), and 3) and generally apply the converse set of rules — which further divides NJ amongst even themselves.
The dichotomy is systematic and quite striking. Enough so that it drives some people, who wait in vain for exceptions to come along given enough time and experience in Japan, quite batty.
For David In Fukuoka,
“As for complaints such as placement requests, licensing requirements (I’m not sure what that is referring to), and tests that are so easy those that study hardest are at a disadvantage (???), these seem to be personal grudges and not examples of how terrible study in Japan can be.”
Let me clarify then. Placement requests were not made clear; according to the grading system at OUFS, I was comfortably ahead of the other student who applied for Osaka Univ., with an average of around 85-90 out of 100. He scored much lower, around 65-70 if memory serves. His Japanese language was still around the lower-intermediate mark. And still, he got in and I was bounced straight to the 3rd option of my “kibou” list. I was never told why.
Licensing requirements: I’m majoring in a field where I would need a license to practice my work. No license means no job.
The tests: Believe me, I know it sounds absurd. When I saw the subjects for my first exam at OUFS, I barely kept myself from laughing out loud — the sort of laugh you might expect when you’re in a situation where humor is the only thing that can keep you sane. I found it insulting how, after one semester of hard work, we were smacked with kanji such as “yama”, “hito” or “haha”. Some students knew only such simple kanji. They got 100%, but the sad truth was that those simple things were the ONLY things they knew. It didn’t matter that some of us actually knew more than those guys, since we never got tested for it. That’s the gist of it.
“Regarding the Asian/non-Asian racism issue – I think it is more of a paying/non-paying issue. The Asian students (more accurately their parents) are most likely paying through the nose for the privilege to study in Japan at a university, and thus they have carte blanche to do as they please as they fill the university’s coffers.”
By “Asian”, I meant non-Japanese scholarship grantees from Korea and Vietnam. So they were foreign students who, just like us, didn’t pay a dime out of their own pockets.
“I felt I needed to write to contribute a counter point to show that not all Japanese students and teachers are racist, bigoted, exclusionary, vindictive, and ignorant as this essay suggests.”
Please read my letter again. I never generalized. I never used the words “all”, “everyone”, “all the time”, etc. I even stated that there were people whose attitude and willingness to help was admirable. Experiences differ and, as some commenters already said, in the end it’s a matter of luck where you’ll end up. I seem to have had some very bad luck. Nonetheless, that does NOT make anything that happened to me any less true or any less wrong.
To the original poster, I have only one response: Did you research this country before coming? It takes very little basic research in a town library to find out the basic characteristics of most Japanese people toward foreign people. There is nothing vague or misleading about the numerous authors who have put pen to paper about Japan, including Japanese authors. I would have much more sympathy for the ‘plight’ of this lady if she had indeed done the research, but I doubt she did. In the litany of complaints about her experience, she almost never points the spotlight on herself to examine her preconceptions about what higher education in Japan is like, what that means for foreign students, how Japanese faculty interact with foreigners, what dorm life is like, Japan’s historical relationship with the outside world, etc. This is baffling. Is none of the problem of her own making / lack of flexibility / lack of research prior to coming / dare I say it, attitude of superiority? I don’t doubt she felt the feelings she expresses, but the whole rant is too one-sided to be taken seriously. If the system was so bad, the positive stories expressed above would have to be ignored. Again, I’m not denying her feelings, but I question why she expresses so much surprise. In my experience, a good dose of humility, a willingness to learn about Japan, including its history, a sense of humor, and a casting off of one’s preconceptions will take one a long way. Japan is not like the western world at all. The gloss of modernity that pervades most things in life is only that, a surface level gloss. What lies beneath is a very different beast. This is what one can find out if one does a even a bit of research on Japan before coming. Do this research, then come if you choose.
— Yes, you are denying her feelings. I think your assessments are highly presumptuous of this person’s background. But I’ll let her speak for herself.
Eric @38,
I agree that Japan generally seems to be in various states of ‘going down the toilet’ and that it’s pretty behind by some measures. But, I’m not learning Japanese because Japan is some magical land where I can escape too and be happy away from the barbarism of my native land. I’m learning because I want to, because I want an extra language and because I want to be able to watch/read/play anime/manga/videogames. Whether or not I end up moving to Japan is irrelevant to learning the language.
Although, it should probably be taken from this essay (and website in general) that you should know what you’re getting into before you do it. Every country has its own problems, it’s a matter of deciding what to live with and what to change.
Point taken, thanks. Different people have different experiences according to circumstances and that makes them know the one side of the situation and not the other. And of course there’s this divide between foreigners in another country based on locality and culture, that cannot be denied.
For Mark Hunter,
Yes, before coming to Japan, I did a lot of research. I’ve been fascinated with Asian cultures since I was young and I saw my mother’s travel books (mostly photos with very brief descriptions, but they did the trick). Later on, in high-school, I studied the history of Japan as a tangent course, focusing on key periods and event like the “sakoku”, the Meiji revolution and the pre- and post-WWII society. I read books that presented many views about Japan, ranging from a closed, discriminating society (as seen in works by Amelie Nothomb which, although fiction, do hold some truth), to a possible explanation of the modern Japanese society and how it incorporates traditional values everywhere (as analyzed by Pierre Fayard, whose book I found fascinating), to the wide range of problems Japan faces today (if I remember correctly, the author was John Nathan). I still have some of these books with me. At any rate, I was familiar with many aspects of Japanese history, traditions, culture and contemporary society. And all I read, heard and saw painted a pretty picture — a modern society which, despite its flaws, could still offer a better alternative to my home country (which was, and still is, in a deep economic and political crisis and with very few opportunities in my field of study).
As a key point, I read about several foreigners who made it big in Japan despite initial skepticisim and were recognized for their hard work (one name that comes to mind is Carlos Ghosn, who worked wonders for Nissan). Aside from Amelie Nothomb’s novels, there was very little talk of specific cases mentioning severe discrimination, the “glass ceiling” problem, or how the society would react to a foreigner in an everyday situation.
My fatal mistake, I guess, was that I focused on general facts about Japan and I did very little research for actual testimonials of MEXT students. I stuck to the MEXT and Jasso-operated websites for general information about living and studying here, and of course those stuck to the benefits of the program while failing to mention its flaws. Yes. This one’s my fault. I think I paid for it tenfold, though.
One final note — you mention I have an attitude of superiority, but I assure you that is not the case. I know my skills and abilities, and I mentioned them where they were relevant to the topic I brought up.
Eric is probably right.
I’ve been in Japan for a couple of years as a full-time employee in a large international company, software developer. Speak/write/read Japanese just fine, and for other reasons not so much ‘culture shock’ to speak of. If I am here long enough, I will probably naturalize – I can resume my old citizenship if I need it, so why not? More security is always better.
I really don’t think many people arrive in Japan with the intention to ‘become Japanese’ (I mean, in ways other than getting naturalized). The question is, do I want to stay that long?
To add to Eric’s list:
* Uncertainty about the future – for everyone. The ongoing collapse of the economy, the job market, looming disasters (earthquakes and debt repayments), the huge wave of boomers about to retire;- and the usual problems of being an immigrant.
* Too much emphasis placed on not being Japanese, by both the natives and many NJ. Engenders the thought that only way to ‘normality’ is to try to ‘become Japanese’, which apart from being an exercise in frustration and self-hate, is wrong. What I object to is being made out to be different almost *all the time*.
And for Laura:
* Yes, you don’t have to be white to be racist. I’ve heard a lot of stories about “well, you may have it bad, but at least you are not Asian, they have it worse..” – I call BS. Being visibly foreign is a huge issue in Japan, and East Asians don’t have to face it. Look at all the Mr James fallout.
Personally, although it’s sad, the more I read Debito’s site, the more disillusioned I feel about staying; and yet I am compelled to read, and today to post this comment.
Do I regret coming to Japan? So far, not more than I would have regretted not having the chance to come and experience living here. But I want to leave before I rue that decision.
Well, Debito, we’ll have to agree to disagree. I don’t deny the original poster felt those feelings she expresses. I just think she bears some responsibility as an educated person to not be so surprised at what happened to her in the Japanese higher education system. The flaws of the system are widely known and can be read about by anyone who does a little research. Ditto the flaws that some individuals showed toward her. I guess, as you will sense, I have little sympathy for relatively wealthy, educated people who come to Japan and then show surprise that it is not what they expected or that people or the roles they perform do not match their expectations. Japan is different. However, for the lesser educated, exploited laborer, I have all the sympathy in the world.
— Yes we will. I think you’re projecting a “relatively wealthy” shawl over this poster, and trying to say she doesn’t have a leg to stand on when decrying foul treatment. Even if she does from a relatively wealthy background, does that delegitimize her voice? I’ve had the same criticism leveled at me because I graduated from an Ivy League school (Cornell) (and I have always been far from any wealth, FWIW, save for the time I attended a dinner at the Saudi Embassy). Would you say that Debito.org is now similarly discredited because of my background?
Point: Should people who get educations at good schools be automatically dismissed as privileged and therefore without privileges to complain? If so, yes, we will have to disagree.
Laura, I just saw your post above. Thanks for clarifying. The issues you point out like poor teaching, racism, the me vs them thing, lack of support and misinformation are hardly surprising issues when we consider Japan’s education system. These are well-known and have been well documented by people like JET Programme participants, visiting professors, parents of international children, and others, like yourself. I don’t deny that you feel you have been hard done by. I do think, however, that you shouldn’t be so surprised at a lot of what happened. That doesn’t make it right that it happened and it’s good to expose these things. Be angry, but don’t be surprised. I wish you all the luck in the world, but have far more sympathy for the poorly educated foreign worker who is brought to Japan under clearly false premises and then used and essentially thrown out. Really, I wish you good luck.
Debito, all people have the right to complain. Even well-educated people who don’t do their homework have the right to complain. Ms. Petrescu has admitted she might have done more delving into people’s actual experiences on the MEXT program. That is to her credit. I don’t think she can really be so surprised at what happened, particularly in terms of the racism, misinformation, me vs. them thing, poor support and poor teaching. These are well-known issues and taking a closer look would have shone a light on these issues for her, possibly allowing her to decide if she really wanted to study in Japan. She should complain about these issues, but as an educated person with access to resources, she bears some responsibility for being surprised when the bad stuff happened. Angry yes, surprised, no.
#Mark Hunter Says: he should complain about these issues, but as an educated person with access to resources, she bears some responsibility for being surprised when the bad stuff happened. Angry yes, surprised, no.#
I think you’re missing the point. She’s informing us of her experience, and she did that perfectly well. Criticizing her for being surprised is ridiculous. There is always a gap between knowing something mentally and experiencing something emotionally. And what are these resources she has? Unless her parents are incredibly wealthy and influential it is no easy task confronting an institution.
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