{"id":21974,"date":"2014-10-23T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2014-10-23T13:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/?p=21974"},"modified":"2014-10-30T08:38:12","modified_gmt":"2014-10-30T12:38:12","slug":"hajimemashite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/lifeatuoft\/2014\/10\/23\/hajimemashite\/","title":{"rendered":"Hajimemashite."},"content":{"rendered":"My name is Brett, and I\u2019m a third-year student double-majoring in International Relations and East Asian Studies. Around this time last year, I was in Graham Library filling out an application to U of T\u2019s Centre for International Experience (CIE)<\/a>. Right now, I\u2019m living in Tokyo.\r\n\r\n
\"A<\/a>
My new neighbourhood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nI\u2019ll briefly explain why and how I ended up here. I have a long-standing fascination with certain areas of Japan: its tech industry, modern history, and cityscapes, to name a few. This fascination directs my studies at U of T, where I devour courses on Japanese history, politics, and literature. But, studying in Toronto for the past two years has been somewhat bittersweet for me; my Japan-related courses allowed me to study\u00a0topics that I am genuinely interested in, but they also reaffirmed\u00a0my desire to actually be in<\/em> Japan. Studying abroad at the University of Tokyo presented itself as a perfect way for me to continue my undergraduate studies, while satisfying my desire for fresh experience.\r\n\r\nWhen I began my application to study abroad, I was right in the middle of a busy period. Essays and exams seemed endless. Now that I\u2019m in Tokyo, I\u2019m really<\/em> glad that I took a moment to apply. When school gets tough, it's easy to\u00a0become shortsighted; next week\u2019s midterms and essays might seem infinitely more important than anything beyond even a month away, e.g.\u00a0an exchange. The good news is that CIE\u2019s initial application is simple. It only requires a r\u00e9sum\u00e9, a\u00a0brief\u00a0<\/em>(250-350 words) statement of interest, and two reference letters (just give your professors lots of time to write them!).\r\n\r\nAfter being nominated, that is, accepted by U of T to go on exchange, CIE gave me specific instructions from my school of choice. In my case, there was an interview at CIE and some paperwork from the Japanese government. Once I finished those two things and went to a few orientations, I waited until June, when I received my letter of admission from the University of Tokyo. Finally, I arrived here on October 1.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
\"A<\/a>
At Narita Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nNow that I\u2019m in Tokyo, I\u2019m watching months of planning come to fruition; unfamiliar locations\u00a0on maps have turned into tangible places. The past three weeks have\u00a0been a blur of orientations, moving in, and starting classes, but my time here has been fantastic so far.\r\n\r\n
\"A<\/a>
Entrance to the University of Tokyo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n
\"A<\/a>
Ginza at Night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nTokyo is a metropolitan maze of themed districts - Night life? Shibuya or Shinjuku. Electronics? Akihabara. Street Fashion? Harajuku. Fish markets? Odaiba. The list goes on. To provide a sense of the city\u2019s complexity and expansiveness, here\u2019s a comparison of the TTC\u2019s subway map versus the Greater Tokyo Area\u2019s train network.\r\n\r\n
\"The<\/a>
TTC
(http:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/hs-static\/transit_maps\/137665090_6053bd1e7ed509dbf382e35bb87bb4de.jpg)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n
\"An<\/a>
Tokyo's train network
(http:\/\/www.meik.jp\/2rosenzu\/jpg_640\/tkyo_yko_chba.jpg)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\nTokyo's size is intimidating at first, but it also promises a wealth of things to see and experience. I'm looking forward to sharing these\u00a0experiences here\u00a0over the next few months. For now, I'll wrap things up\u00a0with a track from Tokyo's very own Nujabes:\r\n\r\n