As I write this, I’ve been in Tokyo for about a week now, and so this city and my abroad life is just beginning! Needless to say, everything right now is wildly exciting, stressful or a little bit of both. But overall it’s been super positive! My hometown is a pretty small town in Missouri with a population of about 13,000. And now I’m in the biggest city in the entire world— with Tokyo’s population currently approaching 14 million. Everywhere I go, no matter the time, seems to be swarming with people. I knew this going in, but seeing it in person is pretty profound. In America, I tend to mosey along when I go about my day, but here I feel like I have to rush everywhere because there’s about twenty people walking behind me!

I’m currently staying in a dorm on the outer edge of Tokyo, in a ward called Edogawa. It’s a pretty cool place to live, with the dorm calling itself a “global house.” As the name suggests, there are exchange students from all over the world staying at this dorm, as well as Japanese students, so I’ve been getting to know people from all parts while staying here. And as a bonus, this dorm has a meal plan that serves delicious Japanese meals, which I love. However, there’s a catch— I live about an hour commute from Sophia University campus. And I have a 9 a.m. class four days of the week (which puts me on the rush hour train as well). It’s my Japanese class which is pretty strict about attendance too, and I’m a little worried about being able to wake up for the train everyday!

A huge part of Tokyo I’ve been getting to love is the accessible and reliable transportation. Pretty much anywhere you go, you’re never more than a ten minute walk from a train station. My own dorm is just about a 7 minute walk to the train, and I can go anywhere in Tokyo for pretty cheap. I recently had my 21st birthday, and I’m so blessed to have had my mom visit me for it! Since my mom is Japanese, I have family here. My mom and two cousins who live in Tokyo took me to karaoke for the first time to celebrate. Even though we didn’t really know the same songs, it was so, so fun. Sadly, my mom had to go back to America the next day, and I had to say my teary goodbyes.

My absolute favorite part about Japan has been the food. The convenience stores here are filled with affordable, delicious options, and I can get a decent meal for about ¥600 (about 4 USD). There’s so much more to get to know about Sophia University. I’m hoping to join a club here, which they call サークル (circle), and make some friends!

---

Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Sophia University