Studying in Japan is my dream. When I was in elementary school, I read Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human because I like an anime called Bungo Stray Dogs. At that time, I did not understand why the book was popular in China. As an elementary school student, I found it was difficult to understand. I wanted to know more about Japanese writers, so I read almost all the works of his. Actually, I was particularly interested in the main character, Osamu Dazai, so I read all the other Chinese translated books that I could get. And I was struck by Shayou.
Because most of the articles are in the male tone, it was very unusual for me because the article was written in a feminine tone and in the form of letters.Then I fell in love with Japanese literature. After that, I have been passionate about Edogawa Ranpo and Yukio Mishima’s article, so I read a little of the Japanese text. There were few Chinese translations, so it was inconvenient to read and discuss with friends. (Now there are more and more!) I studied Japanese and translated these articiles to let others know my favorite works. Not only literature, but also games and manga. Through this chance to study abroad, I would like to deeply understand Japanese way of thinking. I would like to make some Japanese friends and talk a lot about Japan's works together. I am looking forward to studying abroad!

Since coming to study abroad, it's been nearly a year. This past year has been truly enjoyable. It could even be said to have been the happiest year of my life so far.

At Kobe College, I've been taking classes in my favorite subject, Japanese literature. It's been incredibly enjoyable to study the works of my favorite authors in class—it's like a dream come true. From modern novels like Kyusaku Yumeno's "Bottled Hell" to Japanese folktales like "Issun-boshi," I've spent this year immersed in Japanese literature. I'm deeply grateful to the teachers, the staff at the International Programs Center, and all my dorm mates for their kindness.

Thanks to the HUMAP scholarship, I've been able to experience various things. I truly appreciate it. Last year, I went to Tokyo with an international student from the same country. Tokyo, Japan's capital, was a place both of us wanted to visit. Tokyo is very different from Kobe and Osaka—it's incredibly crowded. Since it's where my favorite authors studied or were from, visiting Tokyo was a delightful journey for me. I bought plenty of secondhand books and returned, feeling the weight of happiness.

Now I tell some about the Kansai region. My favorite author is Yukio Mishima. Among his works, "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" is my absolute favorite. The first place I visited after arriving in Japan was the Golden Pavilion. It was early autumn, so I was able to see a bit of the autumn foliage. The Golden Pavilion was smaller than I had imagined, but seeing the real thing was more joyful than anything else.
I also visited Kiyomizu-dera with my buddies. I'm a fan of "Touhou Project" and "Sekiro," so I have a strong interest in temples and shrines. Especially since Kiyomizu-dera is a setting in Sekiro, it was a lot of fun. It felt like I was in the same place as the protagonist of Sekiro. I also visited other temples and shrines like Byodoin, Todai-ji, and Fushimi Inari Taisha, bought souvenirs, and took lots of photos.

I quite like the novels of Junichiro Tanizaki, so after seeing posters at university, I visited the Junichiro Tanizaki Memorial Museum. There, I saw manuscripts of Tanizaki exhibited for a limited time. There was even a reconstructed room where Tanizaki wrote, which helped me imagine how he wrote his novels. I bought " Mermaid's Lament, Sorcerer," which has a beautiful cover design and is a fascinating read.

I'll be returning home soon. There are still many things I wanted to do and places I wanted to visit in Japan. I regret that I couldn't do them all. It is a small regret, but I will keep it as something to look forward to the next time I come to Japan.

I returned to China with the books I had acquired in Japan.

Before returning to Japan, my favorite teacher gave me a novel by Mieko Kanai, whom I have been interested in reading in class. In her class, I got to know a few Japanese women writers. Among them, the one that left the biggest impression on me was Kanai Mieko.
Kanai Mieko is famous for her fairytale-like writing style. In class, I studied a novel called Rabbit. It is rare for a female writer to write cruel facts in a cute manner.
Before this, I knew almost only male writers, but thanks to my study abroad experience, I also learned about female writers. I want to write about Kanai Mieko in my thesis. I would also like to translate Kanai Mieko because not many people in China know about her. I want everyone to know the appeal of Japanese women writers.

From now on, I want to improve my Japanese and let other people know what I saw and learned in Japan.