Bringing Aloha to Hirosaki

弘前大学　人文社会科学部　交換留学生

ユー・サマンサ（アメリカ）

　Aloha, my name is Samantha Yu (ユー・サマンサ) and I am an American international student at Hirosaki University. I am lucky enough to be chosen as an exchange student for two semesters here in Japan. I am a sophmore from the University of Hawaii, and I am studying to get my Bachelors in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. This is the first year that Hirosaki University and the Universtiy of Hawaii have done an exchange, so I feel quite privileged to be here. The reason I chose to study abroad is quite simple, I wanted to learn how to better communicate with people from different cultures. There is no better way to grow as a person than to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself in a different environment. My University offers many different exchange programs with other countries and schools in japan, but I specifically chose Hirosaki because I was awed by the rich history of the area, the historical buildings and landmarks, the gorgeous landscape and the overall serenity of the city of Hirosaki. Also, Hirosaki University offers many classes to students at any Japanese language level, which is something that many other Japanese universities might not have available to students with no Japanese language background.

　Before I began attending college and came to Hirosaki, I had the chance to travel around the United States, and even to many places around the world, but honestly there is nothing that compares to living with other international students and immersing ourselves in Japanese culture. I am so grateful that I can be here and live a life so completely different from what I am used to.

　My daily life here is a so different than my life in Hawaii. I used to drive every day to school, lay on the beach, hike the trails and swim in the ocean. Now I bike to school, explore the city, mountain hike, ice skate, ski and take many amazing pictures of the gorgeous landscape. Staying in the international house has allowed me to make friends from all over the world! During the weekends, many of us get together and cook dishes from our home country to share with everyone, we get to learn new games, work on our homework, or go out and explore Hirosaki together! I love that Hirosaki city has so many diverse activities, yet its small enough that you feel like you are living in a small town. Everything is accessible by walking, bike or bus! The best part is that it’s just a quick train ride to get to the famous Owani Onsen, Goshogawara, Lake Towada, Shirakami Sanchi, Momiji Mountain, and of course Aomori City.

　During my time here at Hirosaki University, I have been able to travel around the entire prefecture with my classmates and interact with the local people. I have been invited to nearly every festival and community gathering that Hirosaki has, it’s all thanks to the staff in the support office and the people in the community who go out of their way to make us feel welcome that I have been able to experience the true and generous beauty of Japanese culture. While I have seen many of the local events, I am particularly excited to see the world famous Hirosaki Cherry Blossom festival next semester! While I have a lot of fun trekking around Hirosaki with my friends on the weekends, I think my most memorable trips are with my classmates. Two of my classes take us on trips to famous or historical landmarks around Hirosaki nearly every week! I have seen the room where the famous writer Osamu Dazai lived while he attended Hirosaki University. We went to Hirosaki Castle, climbed to the top and peeked out the windows to see the snow tipped mountains. We traveled through the ancient homes of Samurais, carefully maintained by the community members. We stayed over-night in a Minpaku Inn, where we enjoyed traditional meals and tried on gorgeous Kimonos. We visited Mt. Iwaki Shrine, walking under the bright red Torii Gates to an awe-inspiring view of an ancient shrine tucked into the natural beauty of the forest surrounding it. We even learned meditation techniques from a Monk. Best of all, we were able to get a glimpse of what has made Japan one of the most wonderful countries in the world. A place where tradition, nature and modernism are all tie together like a Shimenawa to create a culture that both honors their history and embraces their future. I am so glad that I have this opportunity and I most definitely plan on making the most of my adventure here!