Written by Ilana Goldman (William and Mary), Student Correspondent for CET Japan, Summer 2025
My first week in Osaka was, affectionately, exhausting. From the moment I arrived at Kansai International Airport, I was loaded with information about housing, schedules, customs, and classes, all while very much aware that, sometime in the next 24 hours, I would be required to speak only Japanese (of which I had a shrimpy two semesters of prior experience learning). However, language pledge and general overwhelm aside, I have nothing but fond memories of this first leg of my journey with CET, and plenty of advice on how to go about it!
Find the Play Within the Work
Fair warning: academics begin expeditiously. After only one day of orientation and one day of classes, my section was faced with the impending doom of a 56-term vocabulary quiz (which, at the time, felt cruel and unusual). Furthermore, rather than being given the prior afternoon to study, CET organized a welcome dinner event for us in Umeda—I know, the absolute nerve.
Of course, my panic was quickly lost in the excitement of meeting new students, both those within the program and those studying at the university. Although my Japanese was far from excellent, CET made quick work of acquainting everyone through the universal languages of goofy games and delicious food. By the end of the evening, what I’d lost in vocab preparation I had certainly made up for in meaningful interactions.
Left Image: One of an unknown number of courses I received during the welcome dinner at Ganko Dojima-Avanza! No, that is not beer on the left-and yes, that is fire on the right. Right Image: Person-bingo at the restaurant with all of the CET program students and their OGU roommates. I have yet to find anyone to cross out the “likes natto” box.
Take Every Opportunity to Explore
The afternoon after my first quiz (which ended up being totally fine, btw), rather than fourth period class, our instructors sent us out on a mission to explore a new area in Osaka. This task was designed to familiarize us more with the train system and our classmates, as well as practice speaking with some local Japanese residents. While a bit of a struggle at first, it was truly gratifying (and eventually fun!) attempting to navigate, ask for directions, order, and communicate with one another entirely in Japanese.
There have since been many field trips, excursions, and cultural experiences provided to us by the program, but I would also encourage (safely) getting lost in the city of your own volition. Some of my favorite memories of this first week have been from random trips to shopping districts, ducking into local cafes, and spontaneous karaoke, which you can practically window shop for in Osaka.
Left Image: First (of what I’m sure will be many) group trip to Don Quijote! I have never been so overwhelmed and overstimulated in a store that I also never wanted to leave. Mildly questionable spending choices were made. Right Image: Shoutout to Kishibe Café Yamaguchi, which is right next to the JR station by OGU. Favorite study spot so far; very kind owners who wanted to take a picture with us!
Seek Interaction Everywhere, with Everyone
Okay, yes, the language pledge is tough, but it doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t!) be an obstacle to meeting people. In fact, I’ve found it to be both an automatic common ground among other students in the program, as well as a vehicle through which local students are motivated to meet you.
The university also holds events through the I-Chat Lounge, a space designed for multicultural exchanges to foster international connection (TL;DR: speak English with Osaka Gakuin students!). One such event took us on a firefly viewing hike to Minoh Waterfall, during which I met many OGU students hoping to practice their English. Difficult perhaps, but an amazing thing to be surrounded by those willing to battle linguistic barriers in hopes of experiencing something beautiful together.
Relax And Enjoy!
It’s true that you are in a foreign country for only a handful of months, and you naturally want to see and try and taste and learn and pursue all that your program has to offer. FOMO and vending machine coffee might easily become the motors that propel you through a week of jetlag, socializing, and heaps of new language content. But please, please remember to rest! This includes sleep, but also finding the time to breathe, listen to your favorite music, eat some ice cream and take a walk (90 degree weather permitting), or whatever it is that balances you amidst all of the novelty.
For me, this means scheduling calls with loved ones back home (which can get fairly comedic with the different time zones), finding time to journal for a bit, or catching up on a silly little show (currently enjoying Spy × Family in its original Japanese dub, and the only character I can consistently understand without English subtitles is Anya, the four-year-old).
Downtime is rare and precious; try not to waste it worrying about what you think you’re supposed to be doing!
Consider (or Discover) Your Goals
As the title of the article suggests, my primary advice is to say hello and yes to new people and experiences. It’s more than okay to make mistakes; you are here for learning, not perfection! Weaved into the hullabaloo and chaos, the past week has put forth a question that I would encourage you to ask yourself often: What do you truly want out of your time here? I may not yet completely know what that is myself, but I’m happy to discover it alongside those I’ve already been fortunate enough to begin the journey with.
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