Since I was a child, my mother who loves travel abroad took me to many different countries, and I've loved experiencing foreign scenery and cultures different from Japan. I have always been interested in studying abroad as an exchange student at university, but the clear trigger was an experience that I had during a language study abroad program in the Philippines as part of my curriculum. It was only one month trip, though it was longer than any of my previous overseas trips, and for the first time, I had to take care of everything myself outside of Japan, which I feel sharpened my senses every day.

During that time, I discovered many differences between Japan and the Philippines. The differences were big and small, such as the smell of the air, the food, the tap water, the cars on the roads, and the sense of distance between people, and I realized that cultural differences drawn from these variations create a different "common sense" and "normality" in each country and region. I believe I wouldn't have realized this unless I had lived and experienced life there.

In today's globalized world, I believe that finding business opportunities abroad is a major factor in furthering corporate growth and ultimately in helping each other complement each other's short comings and make the world a better place.
Each country faces different problems, and there are always things that Japan has that other countries lack. It is important to accurately grasp that demand and enter the market with solid technology and an understanding of the country's culture and background. However, many Japanese companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, which have high technological capabilities, have a low overseas expansion rate in current situation.
Through studying abroad, I would like to broaden my horizons to accurately grasp the current situation in each country, and develop the ability to discover demand from the differences.
I would like to learn about different norms and cultures and use what I have learned to connect Japanese and global companies and promote comprehensive development.

The first thing that surprised me when I arrived in Kiel, Germany, was how friendly the people were. It was impressed to see people naturally have conversations with others around them whether in cafés, on buses, or while shopping simply by exchanging greetings. I had traveled there without speaking any German, but since so many people greeted me warmly, using English and gestures in Kiel, the anxiety I had felt before my trip was quickly released . I also found it refreshing to see so many people enjoying conversations with others rather than constantly checking their smartphones everywhere.
On the other hand, once I settled into daily life, I struggled with the complexity of administrative procedures, which were mostly conducted in German, and the fact that documents were sent by letter. However, through that experience, I gained a real sense of living independently in a new environment and was excited a lot.
In Europe, there is a student organization called the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) dedicated to supporting international students and promoting cultural exchange, which regularly hosts a variety of events. Once classes began, I was able to interact with many students through ESN and university events. With many opportunities to experience different cultures, such as short trips and local events, I am learning a lot of new things while having fun.
Furthermore, in classes at Kiel University of Applied Sciences, the relationship between professors and students is close, which enables us to have open and lively discussions. Since each student is expected to have their own ideas and share them, active participation in class naturally increases. In Germany, “thinking for oneself” is valued more than “knowing the correct answer,” and students are expected to express their opinions both in class and in everyday conversation. As a result, I’ve not only been exposed to new values but also gained more opportunities to reflect on my own experiences and Japanese culture. Since coming to Germany, I’ve had more chances to interact with diverse people both at school and in daily life, and I truly feel this is an excellent opportunity to broaden my horizons.
In addition, traveling to various European countries during long vacations is one of the major attractions of studying abroad. By experiencing cityscapes and cultures different from Japan’s, I’m able to make many new discoveries.