When I was a child, one day I happened to see a Japanese TV program called " Makeover! Dramatic Before & After". No matter how difficult the conditions of the house are, the architect can always find a way to solve them and build a house that perfectly meets the needs of the client. It was beyond my imagination. I have just realized that human beings have unlimited potential, unlimited capacity, and unlimited creative energy to achieve their goals. From that point on, I aspired to become an architect.

　Now, I have the precious opportunity to come to Japan. I want to find out why Japan can cultivate so many excellent designers. I hope to meet creators who are active at the forefront in KDU and understand how they generate ideas and what their work processes are like. I also hope to share ideas about design with my classmates and give new inspiration to each other.

　Besides that, I'm looking forward to living in Kobe, a lively city where modern and traditional elements are mixed together. I think it is important to actually interact with people in order to understand Japanese culture deeply.

　Through studying in Japan, I hope I can enlarge my vision, acquire specialized knowledge, learn more about Japanese design, and improve myself.

　I have been in Japan for 8 months now. In Kobe Design University, architecture isn't just about standalone structures: it's about their interconnectedness with the environment, creating a profound relationship between design and surroundings, and also how architecture influences the surroundings and what kind of relationship people wants to build with the environment. Professors explain architectural examples with the perspective of experts, and bring me new discoveries that I hadn't noticed before. Since I came to Japan, I faced a lot of challenges, but the professors in my department and the staff in the International Office always treat me kindly, then I am deeply moved by their support.

On my days off, I visit various towns to see architecture. By entering various buildings in Japan, I can have spatial experiences that cannot be expressed in photos or words and strongly feel the theories that the professors explain in the class. I can sense the intentions of the designers just by being in those places. There are many wonderful architectural works, such as tea rooms, shrines, libraries, and museums.

By chance, I worked at the Carpentry Tools Museum for several months. I was amazed by the delicacy and skill of the old carpenters' work there. They spend months carefully to finish a single piece. As a result, I was deeply moved when I saw these works from past carpenters. On duty, my supervisor always explains the job details carefully and helps me to understand the meanings of technical terms. This summer vacation, I traveled to Takamatsu. Since there is my supervisor’s hometown, she became a guide for me, and I was very happy. Ritsurin Park and Yashima were beautiful, and the Udon was truly delicious.

Also, I saw a flyer for volunteer recruitment at the school and participated in volunteer activities at the "Shiawase no Mura" in Kobe. This facility, is built for the residents in Kobe, is a comprehensive facility that anyone can use, people of all ages, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities can gather and interact. I interacted with local people and gained a deeper understanding of Japan's welfare system there. Japan's volunteer organization system and welfare services are very well-equipped, and I was truly amazed. Because of this experience, I wanted to know more about welfare and decided to take the qualification exam for a Welfare Living Environment Coordinator.

I met many people so far and we exchanged thoughts each other despite the language barriers. They helped me and treated me kindly. I truly feel fortunate. The 8 months in Japan have been truly fulfilling.

Over the past year, I have experienced a sense of time, both short and long, at the same time. The experiences I have had in the past year have been as fulfilling as those I had in two years. I arrived in Japan to study Japanese architecture. Throughout the year, I have learned about welfare living environments, passive design, and architectural planning and design processes. For example, Gifu Media Cosmos in Gifu City and the Inujima Seirensho Art Museum showcase energy-efficient architecture through passive design elements like natural ventilation and local materials. I had yet to understand the full extent of Japan's prioritization of barrier-free and universal design. Still, this year's experiences have made me realize that Japan's welfare living environment is exceptionally well-developed. I have been impressed by the consideration in various places, such as sign language support in department stores, slopes in front of facilities, and audio guidance at train stations. And While preparing for the Welfare Living Environment Coordinator exam, I learned about how Japan's welfare living environment has evolved and improved over decades through numerous revisions to regulations, which reflect the dedication to listening to users' feedback and addressing issues.

During the year, I travelled to several prefectures across Japan. I had many experiences, and some of them still so vivid to me, such as having coffee with friends at Meriken Park after class in a random evening, observing the stories of past individuals at the Kitano Ijinkan district, feeling the beauty of Japanese gardens at Korakuen, being deeply moved by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, admiring the beauty of port towns from the observation decks of Fukuoka Tower and Nunobiki Herb Garden, learning about the skills of past artisans while visiting the architecture of Katsura Imperial Villa, and having unique spatial experiences at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa. These experiences allowed me to truly experience the unique atmosphere of each place, which cannot be conveyed through photos or books. During the journey, I noticed that Japan's historic architectural sites were well-maintained during these travels. Furthermore, I was amazed by the number of museums in Japan, ranging from municipal regional museums to toy museums, soy sauce museums, manga museums, and memorials of masters, which reflects the Japanese value of preserving cultural assets and world heritage. In contrast, when visiting historical sites in other countries, while the architectural structures are maintained, they often need to be in better condition, with rotting pillars or scratches. However, Japan's cultural heritage has been preserved through restoration, reflecting the values of that era and allowing future generations to appreciate these magnificent works from centuries ago.

In conclusion, throughout the year, I have gained knowledge in various fields and a broad understanding of art and engineering. Also, I have understood Japanese behaviour's underlying ideologies and culture through interactions with multiple people. As an architecture student, I have learned to deeply understand the thoughts conveyed through these works, not just technically. Before coming to study abroad, I was anxious. However, with the support of the staff at the International Affairs Office and the teachers at the school, all difficulties were smoothly resolved. I am very grateful for that. Coming to Japan has allowed me to study everything I wanted to learn and experience, and I am delighted.

In the future, I want to apply the knowledge I have gained, reference Japanese methods, and focus on contributing to Malaysia's architectural environment, welfare living environment, and preserving historic and cultural heritage.