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.

Since returning to Japan after completing my study abroad experience in Kiel, Germany, my family and friends have often told me I seem different and my face looks brighter. I believe what they mean is that I now seem more cheerful, confident, and energetic than I was before studying abroad. Looking back, I think one of the biggest changes I experienced was that I became more open and comfortable in the way I interact with other people through my life in Germany. For example, in Japan, when I entered a supermarket, I did not usually greet the store employees by saying hello, nor did I say goodbye when leaving. Of course, I would thank them though, I didn't greet in such ways. In Germany, however, exchanging these simple greetings was a natural part of everyday life. I found it wonderful that these small interactions helped create a society where people could live their daily lives with a smile. As a result, I began making a conscious effort to greet people whenever I had the opportunity. This habit has continued in a slightly different form even after returning to Japan. I also came to reconsider the Japanese tendency to “read the atmosphere”, understanding what others are feeling without them having to say it. Before going to Germany, I had taken this way of communicating as common sense, but living in Germany made me realize how much I had relied on it. In both cases and everyday life, it was common to openly exchange ideas and explain why we thought the way we did. As a result, I had many more opportunities to put my thoughts into words and reflect on the reasons behind them. Through these experiences, I feel that I have become better at expressing myself and that I have learned not to hold back from communicating with others. There are many differences between Japan and Germany in terms of lifestyles and cultures. Among them, I was particularly inspired by the European equestrian industry while conducting research on the industry in Japan. I was able to learn many ideas from the way the equestrian industry operates in Europe that could potentially help revitalize Japan’s equestrian industry and increase people’s interest in horses and equestrian activities. Continuously discovering new things in an environment different from Japan greatly broadened my values and perspectives. Another important outcome of my study abroad experience was that interacting with many students and locals in Germany encouraged me to think more deeply about my future. At present, I hope to first gain practical experience in the Japanese business environment after graduation, while deepening my understanding of the fields that I am interested in. Then, if necessary, I would like to return to Europe to pursue more specialized studies at graduate school. Before studying abroad, I had vaguely assumed that I would find a job after graduating from university. However, at the university in Germany, I met students from a wide variety of backgrounds, including people who were studying while working and those who had returned to university after gaining professional experience. Through conversations with these people, I suddenly realized that pursuing a career in Japan was not the only path available to me. This realization encouraged me to think much more deeply about my own future. Furthermore, through my studies and daily life in Germany, I have started to hope that I will be able to work in an environment where I can collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds overseas. I am currently taking time to reflect on myself and work hard to turn this goal into a more concrete one. At the same time, I feel that I am now much more excited about my future than I was before studying abroad.