Οι εμπειρίες του π. υποτρόφου MEXT κ.Οικονόμου

I arrived in Japan in April 2008 and after undergoing a short but very intense period of Japanese language courses at the Gakugei university of Tokyo I enrolled into Gakushuin University (Tokyo), first as a research student and then progressively as a Post-Graduate and Doctorate student. My stay at Gakushuin lasted until 2012 and during my studies there I obtained a Masters in History and I was accepted into the Phd program of the same university. Personal reasons however forced me to return to Greece and abandon my Phd studies.

Upon my arrival in Japan I was given a room in a student dormitory in the Meguro ward of Tokyo (Komaba). Although it was small, it had everything I needed: a bed, a desk, some bookshelves, a closet and a small bathroom. The rent was low compared to apartment prices so my stay there (2 years) allowed me to save some money in order to move to an apartment in 2010.

I should mention though that my first contact with Japan was not in 2008. I had been studying Japanese out of pure interest in Japan’s history and culture since 2002. I also had the opportunity to visit Tokyo and stay with a Japanese family in 2004 for a few months. Therefore when I returned in 2008 I was partly aware of the challenges that I would face.

Studying however in a faculty where I was the only non-Asian was quite a challenge. In the beginning it felt like I was being constantly watched and the truth is that probably I was. Attending lectures was also quite interesting. People tended to look at me like I was lost and I was in the wrong room. On the other hand most of my fellow students were eager to help me sort out all kinds of problems; study, language or even culture related.