Pacific Index

Japanese exchange students share their first experience on American culture

Traveling approximately 5000 miles on a 12 hour flight came a group of Japanese college students from Nagoya, Japan. With a total of 13 exchange students, they have chosen to experience their first time in the United States with Pacific University. 

“I wanted to start learning English, and also utilize this program to experience America for the first time,” says Mayu Fukaya, one of the exchange students. From freshmen to seniors, the group’s learning experience at Pacific consists of two lectures in English, going over vocabulary, listening, speaking, and writing. The day-to-day classes focus on encouraging the students to use English to speak about the things they encounter within the community. Additionally, with a great deal of spare time outside of class, the international students have utilized this time in Oregon as a chance to do all the things they have yet to do before.

The English Language Institute (ELI) at Pacific is a program that assists international students with learning English and adjusting to American culture. Professor Scot Dobberfuhl, the ELI program coordinator, develops a close bond with the students while helping them transition into a new way of life. “We have had a partnership with Nagoya Gakuin (the home-university for the Japanese students) for several years,” he explained. “After Covid, we started to do short-term programs that consisted of studying abroad only for a month here at Pacific,” Professor Scot continued, “My hope for the program is for the students to have a positive experience not only here at Pacific, but in the states in general. I believe that people who chose to study abroad are brave, as they take the chance to push themselves into learning in a completely new environment,” he noted.

Coming from Japan, there can be many cultural differences living in the states. “What I noticed with the people here is that they seem to always be unbothered and relaxed,” says Yoshika Kitaku, another student from the exchange program. “In Japan, there are crowds of people everywhere, and the people are cautious about every little thing.”

Along with the social aspects, came an unexpected remark to their living conditions. “What actually shocked me was that there are no bathtubs in our dorm,” she said. “It is so unusual for me, and having no tub is pretty hard. Even though we have only been here for three weeks, I really just want to take a bath and relax my body,” she expressed. In Japan, it is the norm to have a bathtub separated by a shower in every home—and part of the culture to bathe in the evenings; to relax both the body and mind after a long day. 

In addition to the living environments, there is no arguing that the food here in the states is different from Japan. Kitaku added, “The serving size here is crazy. I can never finish a meal here. In the beginning, I did not know about the system of getting take-out, so I thought it was expected of me to finish everything I was served. Most food here is also fried and very heavy. I miss my Japanese comfort food.”

With downtown Portland being 45 minutes away, the entire group took it upon themselves to seek the city through the TriMet transportation system. “We had to go to VooDoo Donuts and Starbucks. It was very delicious. I also noticed that there are a lot of Japanese restaurants downtown,” says Fukaya. 

Another popular destination the group of students had also visited in Portland is the Oregon Zoo, which exceeded their expectations. “The Oregon Zoo was so spacious. Back in Japan, the zoos and aquariums are not as big, and it takes about two hours max to walk around. But here, it took us all about four hours, and it was very fun and interesting. Definitely one of my highlights on this trip so far,” says Fukaya.

However, along with the fun side of the city life, came the not-so-fun part. “We saw quite the amount of homeless people on drugs and alcohol. It was a bit shocking,” Kitaku commented. One of many things that Japan is known for is their safety. From young kids to adults, it is the norm for residents to be able to walk around the streets at any time without fear. “One of my friends who is also part of our study abroad group, was yelled at the other night outside of campus. He was just walking with his friends, and a guy driving in a truck was threatening him in some way. It was scary to hear,” Kitaku explained. 

The exchange students stay for one month in Oregon, before returning home. “One month is the perfect amount of time,” Kitaku expressed, “I’m just about ready to go back home soon.”