I have been studying Japanese for six years since I entered university in 2017. I am now a graduate student doing research on Japanese interpretation. I have had a hobby of studying languages since I was a child, and by chance, I enrolled in the Department of Japanese Language and Literature at the university. During my undergraduate years, I positively participated in many activities, like China-Japan Product Exhibition and the China-Japan-Korea Youth Sports Meeting, as an interpreter and communicated with Japanese guests and athletes. I also took part in the Japanese Language Corner, sharing my hobbies and interesting things with Japanese students. Of course, each of these experiences is enjoyable, but I also had some communication difficulties because of the language barrier, so I decided to further my Japanese studies. After entering graduate school, I began to research practical issues in interpreting while striving to improve my Japanese. I’m also interested in Japanese linguistics, which allows me to make initial plans for research in fields related to pragmatics. So one of my motivations for coming to Japan as an exchange student is to conduct research on Japanese discourse analysis, using the resources of Japanese libraries. I will do my best to make my year in Japan a fruitful one.
Besides, it has been my long-cherished dream to study in Japan. I regretted that I could not study abroad during my undergraduate years due to the Covid-19, and that I could not expect to do an exchange program during my M1 year because of the short duration of graduate school. Surprisingly, however, I was given this precious opportunity at the beginning of my M2 year, so that my dream I had given up on for a while comes true. Calling studying in Japan as 'a dream' is because I understand the importance of actually experiencing Japan by myself. I once worked as a teacher of a Japanese hobby class at a junior high school in Changsha, and there was a corner to introduce Japanese culture to students, but my own knowledge was also compiled from textbooks and materials on the Internet just like those students, so it may not be the same as what I could vividly convey after experiencing Japan on my own. Therefore, I had to read my teaching materials carefully and tried to switch out the out-of-date parts of those sheets. Later, I worked as a Japanese interpreter for a Japanese-affiliated company, which gave me a deep understanding of the differences in communication styles between China and Japan and the need for skills to deal with these issues. I feel that studying in Japan will be a very gratifying experience for me, not only to improve my Japanese language skills but to experience Japanese culture as well as the Japanese way of thinking.
After graduation, I hope to be involved in Sino-Japanese business exchanges, where I wish I can contribute to appropriate and effective communication. There's no doubt that studying in Japan will be a treasure of my life. I will cherish this opportunity indeed.

In the blink of an eye, I have spent six months in Japan. Before coming to Japan, even though I had studied Japanese for six years, I was still worried about whether I could adapt to life in Japan. But when I actually lived in a Japanese city, I found that there were not many things difficult to adapt. To earn money, I worked two part-time jobs; besides Kobe, I also traveled to Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shizuoka and many other places; I did a lot of presentations in Japanese in the graduate classes; I tasted Japanese cakes in a cafe with my Japanese friends; and I even standing in the front row of my favorite singer's FC concert and received her finger heart; also my dream of enjoying the top-class fireworks display, Yodokawa Fireworks Gala, has come true...... I have so many wonderful memories here. In addition to my daily activities, I also participated in an internship program for local international students. My five-day internship at a travel company gave me the opportunity to learn about the working environment of a Japanese company, which was a very valuable experience. My exchange university has also sent me information about various activities towards international students, and I am very grateful to my teachers for their help. All in all, I am very grateful that I was able to participate in so many activities.
Of course, there are many differences between Japan and China. However, this does not make me feel uncomfortable, but it is a new experience that keeps me fresh. For example, in China, there are not many trams going through the city, the only means of transportation in the city is the subway or bus, but in Japan, people take trams almost every day, trams are "everyday". But for me, the feeling of enjoying the city scenery on the tram every day is really new. Of course, before coming to Japan, I had seen trams in Japanese TV dramas, but seeing a real tram passing in front of me was even more interesting. "The extraordinary becomes the ordinary." This quote was used in a promotional video for my exchange university, and now it has become a reality, which makes me feel very lucky.
I can still spend three and a half months in Kobe now, so I want to enjoy more kinds of lifestyle in this city. For me, the atmosphere of Japanese cities has always been quiet and peaceful, there are plenty of places to walk even without going to the park. The proximity to the sea is also refreshing. At dusk, no matter how far it is, looking at the sea, you can enjoy the sky gives birth to layers of coral against the blue sea, and the cherry red clouds bloom, which is spectacular. Every time I encounter such a scene, it reminds me of why I had such a simple expectation and enthusiasm for the world.

About a year has passed since the end of March last year. Looking back on the past year, I think it was a very rich time. In addition to visiting many places, I could not miss the spring cherry blossoms in Nishinomiya, the autumn leaves in Arashiyama, and the summer fireworks in Yodogawa. I am also grateful that I worked part-time at a convenience store and at a cafe and was always trusted by people around me. I quit my part-time job at the end of January this year, but I feel warm when I receive presents for my departure from the owner and the manager. I also did a one-day job in Osaka, and still, I got a lot of help from the Japanese staff around me, so I finished the sales work smoothly. I love the cheerful and warm atmosphere of Kansai.
In fact, I have decided my first formal work in Japan. However, there were many episodes before I decided it. Even before the exchange, I searched for job information in Japan on the Internet, listened to information sessions, and tried my best to find a job while thinking "I should decide on the first job in my life in Japan". But there are many times when I have passed the document review and got an interview opportunity, finally failing the chances. No matter how, I have definitely did my best, as I said to the interviewers, "as long as I set a goal, I will give my all." From these failing experiences, I felt that my Japanese and business skills were far from enough. Due to the fact that I had less time left in the exchange program, there was a time when I gave up looking for a job in Japan for a while, thinking that I could go back to China and get a job.
When I decided to quit job hunting in Japan, the perspective of employment naturally shifted to China. However, when I was looking for a job that could make use of Japanese, I was only contacted about jobs related to interpreting, so I wondered if I could find a job in "Japanese + business". Moreover, it was frustrating because there were not so many job postings such as marketing that require Japanese. I could do it in English, but I thought it would be very unfortunate that I couldn't use my favorite Japanese which I have studied for more than 6 years. With the social difficulty of finding jobs for college and college graduates in China, no matter how many companies I received an interview from, it was always a job that would feel awkward somewhere, so I let them go.
This was around September of last year. My mood was cloudy, and I went to Tottori alone. I borrowed a bicycle and rowed from Tottori station to Tottori sand dunes. Compared to a lively town like Kobe, the alleys in Tottori are too quiet, and the streets are filled with fragrant plants and trees with little signs of people. But since I grew up in a crowded urban area, for some reason I felt very relieved to see this scene. I walked slowly through the town, and before I knew it, more and more people came from the front. I knew they came from the sand dunes.
It is said that "When it comes to Tottori, sure it is the sand dunes", but I have always thought that the sand dunes are not the only part of Tottori sightseeing. However, when I visited the sand dunes, my heart was healed completely. I had a lot of sand in my shoes as if climbing to the top of the crisp sand dune, but it was definitely worth visiting when I saw the vast view of the Japan Sea. I grew up inland, so the sea was always captivating to me. I sat on the soft sand and looked at the sea for two hours. The big waves were crushed by the sandy shoreline in an instant, meanwhile the deep sound of the sea rose from the bottom and produced a pure white sea smoke. Nevertheless, the beautiful foam did not live long, and in the blink of an eye, with the wave, it hid into the deep blue. In this way, I fully enjoyed the scenery that touched my eyes, knowing that time to quietly gaze at the sea is very precious in modern society.
On the way home, I thought again about what I want in my youth. Environmentally, I want to have a place where I can enjoying a peaceful life, even by myself, at any time on some days off. Also, I want a place where there are few dignified high concrete buildings in the apartment complex. And I want a place with an uncrowded beach nearby. With this thought, somewhere in my heart, my intention to work in Japan rose again.
After a lot of screening, I finally got a job offer from a company in Tokyo. Before overcoming many difficulties in order to get an offer from a Japanese trading company, my biggest motivation was a strong desire to spend some more years in Japan. This year of my exchange study really confirmed my feelings. I would like to express my deep gratitudes to the HUMAP who supported me financially over the past year, and also gratitudes to the teachers at the school who supported me, the manager of my part-time job, and all the friends I made here. A year is not long, but I think such a fulfilling life is rare, so I will cherish the memory of this year forever.