JOYCE CHAN - Fall 2022

My name is Joyce Chan and I am currently a senior studying at Waseda University in Tokyo thanks to the Bridging Foundation Scholarship I have received. It has always been my dream to study abroad in Japan since I was young. I was born and raised in New York City, and coming from a low-income family, I have didn’t have many opportunities to travel and experience other cultures.

This study abroad experience has taught me so much about the culture here. Not only has my Japanese improved, but I have also been able to practice my Mandarin. It turns out that there are many Chinese people living here and opening restaurants. Many little things from day to day pushes me to reflect. I thought about the way they recycle and sort trash, the differences in costs of living, the education system and much more. One thing that really stood out to me was when my Japanese friends told me that in Japan, schools do not encourage you to form your own opinion like they do in America. They further elaborated that when they studied in the states, it was their first time being pushed to thinking critically and form their own thoughts. In Japan, literature classes emphasize on the matter-of-facts, and don’t prefer provoking personal reflections. I thought this was a good example of Japan being more of a collectivist society versus America being an individualist.

It would be difficult to sum up all the valuable insight I have gotten from living here and speaking with locals. I hope to learn more by visiting other areas of Japan and speaking with more people of different backgrounds. 

Best regards,
Joyce