Arrival in Tokyo

By:

Phuong Tran

Published:

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I just want to make a notice that I have arrived in Tokyo, and now I am overwhelmed by many new things. My flight landed at Haneda Airport around 3:40 pm, but I did not get to my apartment until 9 pm because I got lost in Shinjuku. The city is very crowded, and I got caught in a rain.  I printed out the directions from GoogleMap, but I am very bad at reading maps so it would be impossible for me to navigating without a GPS. Even so, it still took me more than an hour to find the correct train line to my place. However, my first impression of Japanese is they are very friendly. I asked two people for directions and one even took me to the gate even though I said I would be fine.

 

My new friends at Rikkyo
My new friends at Rikkyo University

I feel like it was just yesterday when I applied for the program, and now I find myself in Japan. My school is in Ikebukuro, one of the most lively districts in Tokyo. I know that my days here will be all exciting and I can’t wait for that. My biggest disadvantage is that I am not staying at the dorm with other students, so it is hard to socialize with other students. However, we have a wonderful Facebook group for international exchange students at Rikkyo this year. I was able to make some new friends and went on a quick walking tour with them during yesterday. We also have a student organization called COBBY at Rikkyo. They will pair me with a Japanese student, who will help me during this semester. I am so much looking forward to see him/her on the orientation next week.

I think I have some advices for who travels to Japan for the first time:

  • Travel hand-free. The best thing I did was sending my suitcases via Takyuubin (baggage delivery service) because traveling with two big suitcases would probably slow me down more.
  • Check the directions in advance. GPS would be the best, but a printed map is useful as well because you can show it to people when asking for direction.
  • Bring an extra battery packet for your phone. Trust me, you don’t want your phone running out of battery when you are in the middle of your trip.

 

 

Phuong Tran

Xin chào! Hello! Konnichiwa! My name is Phuong Tran, and I am originally from Vietnam. I am currently an undergrad at The Ohio State University majoring in Accounting and Japanese. When I came to America in 2010, I could not speak English well, so I had to spend a few years improving my English and getting a GED in order to enter college. Although it has taken me significantly longer than most to finish college, I have gained invaluable life experiences and have met many wonderful people along the way. Thanks to FEA, I will be attending Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan during fall semester 2015. I will study Japanese and take business courses that focus on Japanese business culture and Japanese market. This program allows me to get academic credits for both of my degrees, and more importantly, gives me the opportunity to gain direct experience of Japan’s culture. I know that I will be very busy in Japan, and I can’t tell you how excited I am. I have made a long list of things I want to do in Japan, but now I am worried that I won’t have enough time to do them all. Upon my return from Japan, I will carry out a project at OSU to promote international education. My experience as an immigrant makes me realize the importance of cross-cultural communication, so I want to inspire my fellow students to go abroad and become immersed in a different culture.