Japanese
Japanese

Voices of International Students

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ZACHARY JAMES YOSHIOKA

College of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences

From USA

What sparked your interest in this university?

I wanted to focus more intensely on research and thought that Tsukuba would be the best place to do it. The facilities are all very top of the line and the professors are very helpful in providing a good learning experience. The city itself is also very appealing and very easy to live in. Everything you need is easily accessible by bike or on foot. I thought for making lots of international connections and opportunities, Tsukuba would be the best place to do it, and help me set myself up for graduate school and the future as well.

What aspects of Japanese culture or customs surprised you? How did you adapt to them?

I was surprised by how walkable the cities in Japan are. Where I am from, if you don't have a car, it's very difficult to get to places you want to go. However, in Tsukuba, I'm able to go anywhere by bike, train, or on foot. Another thing I learned is that, even though Japan is very high tech in a lot of different areas, a lot of documents are still filled out on paper. Fortunately, a lot of the things you need to pay for can be paid at the convenience store, which is very helpful. You can do a lot of different things at convenience stores, such as withdrawing money, buying tickets and even paying insurance.

What do you enjoy about Tsukuba?

I like that you get a good blend of both the countryside and the city. If you want to go to Tokyo, it's just a quick train ride away. There are also interesting attractions nearby, such as Mount Tsukuba and Ushiku Daibutsu. If you travel a little bit in Ibaraki prefecture, you can visit Hitachi Seaside Park, an incredibly beautiful place located in the same prefecture as Tsukuba. It's very convenient to get to Tokyo station as there is frequent buses running directly from near the dorms.

What do you hope to achieve during your time here?

I would like to help build a more international campus and continue gaining first-hand experience in the laboratory and be able to gain all the necessary skills that I need to be able to confidently go into graduate school without any worries. From the start of my time in Tsukuba, I have already learned so much from my teachers and classmates so I hope to keep this up until I graduate. A goal I have outside of the classroom is to win the next fall season with my semi-hard baseball team. On the baseball team which was previously all Japanese, some of them who have an interest in 网上哪里能买篮彩, I hope I can help them have enough confidence to?speak 网上哪里能买篮彩 fluently.


What do you think makes the University of Tsukuba special?

I think what makes the University of Tsukuba special is its international atmosphere and the high level of research you are able to do as an undergraduate. When you enter the Tsukuba campus, even though it's in the countryside, you will be able to see people from all over the world gathering to do research, which I find very special. You are also able to take a wide variety of interesting classes that will surely help advance your career if you come to Tsukuba. I think it's rare for universities in Japan to have a highly international atmosphere, and I am sure that meeting all different types of people and gaining global viewpoints will surely help you along in your academic career.