Mai Japan Experience: The Beginning

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Growing up, studying abroad felt like the most viable option for me to experience a country for an extended period of time, and I was surprised to find out that students don't often take advantage of the opportunity. I'd been dreaming about studying abroad in Japan since I was a child because it felt like a way for me to emulate living there without having to commit to a citizenship and getting a job. Plus, the list of things that I wanted to experience has only grown throughout the years, and considering that it'll most likely be at least a decade until I can afford a trip to Japan, studying abroad gives me a way to squeeze in as many experiences as I can.

After a long and arduous process, I've finally reached my senior year of college and now have a finite amount of time to check studying abroad off my bucket list. The initial application opened November 2025, and the results came out this past February 2026. That being said, I'm happy to announce that I will officially be going to the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan this upcoming fall term! Acceptance into the program marks the first of many steps in this process, so I can't relax just yet, but at least my entry is confirmed on my home university's end.

The Program

The International Christian University (ICU) is located in Mitaka, Tokyo and is about a 30-minute subway ride from Shinjuku. Despite the name and Christian roots, the university itself isn't religious, nor does it require students to participate in Christian belief and practices. Since ICU runs on a trimester system, the autumn term for me will be about 10 weeks starting from September 5th to November 19th.

This year, dorm move-in day is the last Monday of August and is followed by a period of mandatory orientation programs and a matriculation ceremony leading up to the official class start date. In looking at the academic calendar, the term seems fairly standard save for the ICU Festival in October. Based on the videos on the ICU Instagram page, the ICU Festival consists of three days of activities, performances, and various student run booths. It feels very reminiscent of the school festivals found in anime, so I'm looking forward to it. Since I'll only be in Japan for three months and most likely will be too busy exploring non-campus areas, it'll be a nice way to see what other things the university and clubs have to offer.

The term for the study abroad program officially ends November 19th, however for those living in the dorm, the on campus move out day isn't until the 30th, which means there's essentially a 10-day gap of no academic obligations. Despite what seems like the means to a vacation, ICU does advise students to prepare to leave Japan within 2 weeks of the program ending because students will no longer meet the requirements of their student visa. It's important to keep this in mind if you want to stay longer, and if you decide to do so, you will have to contact the immigration Bureau directly.

Courses

An icu sample schedule

An example schedule for a first-year student Fortunately, I've planned my credits so that I can focus on completing the remaining bulk of my free elective courses while abroad. The classes that I'll be taking are listed here:

Introduction to Japan Studies

Designed to familiarize students with basic aspects of Japanese history art, and literature and show how these fields are interrelated. Emphasis is placed on examining the relationship between traditional and modern Japan and understanding Japan within a broad comparative framework. For Japan Study majors, units count toward the area major requirement. The course involves substantial out-of-classroom work: field trips, interviews, and first-hand observation. Content and instructor vary.

Music of Japan

This course aims to give a broad outline of a number of Japanese musical genres, along with an understanding of the way in which the musical styles exist within Japanese culture. Emphasis will also be placed on the cultural and geographical position of Japan within the larger context of East Asia. The course will take a practical approach, with frequent demonstrations, and the opportunity to try out several Japanese instruments. No particular musical or linguistic skills are needed to take the course.

History of Contemporary Japan

This course examines the history of contemporary Japan.

Modern Japanese Literature in English Translation

A broad survey of modern Japanese literature from the Meiji Restoration to the present, with special reference to the Western impact upon its development.

Since I was saving my electives to take my fun classes, I do wish that there were some options that talked in-depth about traditional arts, like tea ceremony, butoh, or ikebana, but I'm still happy with my selection. ICU has a variety of courses available, so even if you had some Gen Ed credits to fulfill, you'd be able to do so. There's a decent chunk of classes that are only offered in Japanese, but overall, the course selection is divided relatively equally between Japanese only, English only, and your choice between the two. This was a huge relief for me because I initially thought that I'd have to take classes in Japanese or with a translator. The classes that I chose are all taught fully in English, so that eliminates a huge stressor that I had.

*If you want to see the complete list of course offerings as of May 2026, you can find it here.

Moving Forward

As excited as I am to start my study abroad journey, being accepted is only the first step. One of my immediate and most pressing issues is figuring out how I'm going to finance my trip. Off the bat, I have a week to pay a $500 deposit to confirm my spot into the program, followed by paying for housing, living daily living expenses, and any other unexpected fees along the way. There are also multiple preparation modules and forms that have to be completed. I'm honestly a bit anxious about this aspect since I'm a low-income student with limited scholarship and loan options, but I've been waiting for this opportunity for most of my life, so I'm determined to make it work somehow.

here's also the issue of the language barrier. Thanks to technology, there are many translator apps and devices that I can fall back on, but I can't only rely on those. Fortunately, I've recently finished all my required languages courses, which means I've completed Japanese 101, 102, and 103. My university uses a quarter system, so each of those classes was only 10-weeks each. This is about the equivalent of taking only Japanese 101 and 102 for schools that use the semester system. I had a large, few year gap between me taking Japanese 101 and 102, and since my university didn't let me retake 101, I had little to no foundation going into 102. Language classes don't come easy for me, so though I finished those classes, I feel far from prepared enough to communicate confidently and effectively. But it hasn't been terribly long since I've been away from it, so it shouldn't be hard to pick it up again. If I'm studying on my own at my own pace, I should theoretically have an easier time retaining the information. I've also been keeping up with my reading skills since the classes ended, though I'm still very slow at it. Even if my speaking skills are a little lacking, if I'm able to at least improve my reading and listening comprehension, then I'll have a significantly easier time.

There are many things to cover regarding the set up and the actual study abroad experience, but I intend to document and break down the process as I go. If you want to know more about the application process, scholarships, tips, and an honest account of what it's like for an average, low-income student to study abroad, then stay tuned for future posts!