College of Arts & Humanities

Study Abroad: From Glasgow to Kyoto, Part 2

^{An Austrian and a German friend admiring Hiroshima Castle}

Much has changed for all of us since I wrote my last blog in January. Everything in March/April happened so fast. Some of my European friends left Japan early, and I seriously considered doing the same, but I decided to stay put and I’m very glad I did.

Throughout all of the worry and uncertainty, the GoAbroad team at Glasgow University were fantastic. Many of my international friends in Japan had minimum communication and support from their home universities which only added to their stress of the developing situation.

That was not my case as GU phoned all of us students abroad to make sure we were supported fully, no matter whether we decided to continue or end our exchanges. More than that, funds were set up to provide us with support for extra costs incurred by coronavirus, which was invaluable in my case as Japan health insurance charges went up, and I required a PCP test to be allowed on my flight home. I felt reassured and proud to be a GU student as events unfolded.

Studies

 

^{Just like Glasgow's Duke of Wellington, many statues in Japan are wearing masks, like this one on Kyoto's Mount Hiei}

Though delayed by a month, and taking place on Zoom, my classes proved to be just as stimulating this semester. This is especially the case since I audited philosophy courses aimed at postgraduates.

I love philosophy, and I’ve taken a range of classes, but this semester I took my first ever practical philosophy class. In my private studies I’m fascinated with mindfulness, and the philosophy of living – as well as how this relates to Buddhism, psychology, and dealing with the pressures that come from modern capitalist society. This is the means by which I’ve improved and came to deeper peace with my own life.

To my delight, I took a class called ‘Philosophy of Mind: East and West’ which covered all of this, involving guided meditation, ancient philosophy, modern psychology, and social science. It’s one of the most mind-blowing classes I’ve encountered and has gave me a lot of inspiration for my future trajectory.

Buddhism was a more dominant theme in my classes this semester. I found myself joining a study group formed by my then new next-door neighbour, philosophy classmate, and eventual good friend from Thailand. The group focuses on Japanese Buddhist philosopher monk Dōgen (1200-1253) and continues to this day which helps me connect to classmates/friends back in Japan. Thank God for Zoom.

My classes on ‘Philosophy of Self’ and ‘Japanese Philosophy of Nature’ this semester also gave me content and direction for my dissertation which will be on how the Self relates to the environment in different philosophical contexts. Everything going on in the world, from the pandemic to the wildfires, makes me more passionate about the idea that it’s worth ironing out our conceptions of nature and ourselves.

Life in Japan

^{The jungle on the Okinawan island of Iriomote where we stayed at a campsite}

Life in Japan was predictably different in my second semester. However, unlike the UK, there was only a 1- or 2-month state of emergency during which the virus peaked and I, along with many others, limited our movement to our homes, shops, and surrounding outdoor places.

Before this time, I was lucky to travel to Okinawa and the Art Islands when things still seemed relatively normal. Okinawa is like a wonderful mix of Hawaii and Japan since it has its own unique culture and chill island vibe. We camped for a few nights in a tropical jungle where we had barbeques, an experience unlike any other I’ve had.

When the state of emergency was called, as a former journalism student, I helped start up an online magazine called ‘Tales from Lockdown’ with former classmates in Scotland. A story about my experience of Japan’s response to coronavirus compared to the UK’s can be read on this hyperlink.

Admittedly, Kyoto is not the worst place to be locked down in. Cherry blossom season came as coronavirus halted tourism completely during what is usually Kyoto’s busiest time. With no classes to keep me occupied, I often found myself walking around deserted temple-grounds, gardens, and shrines that would have otherwise been crammed with people.

Life began to normalise more quickly in Japan as they were not so badly hit by the virus. Because of this, I was able to take two trips outside of Kyoto during summertime.

The first of these was to Hiroshima. There is much to learn there about their experience of the atomic bomb that hit. I spent hours learning in their harrowing Peace Museum.

Hiroshima is the only big city I’ve seen where the centre is a huge garden. They’ve taken one of the worst experiences inflicted upon humans and somehow transformed their situation into something beautiful for the good of humanity. There is much here pertaining to the promotion of peace and nuclear disarmament. This alchemical transformation of something horrible into something great makes me think of what positive changes, if any, can come from the current pandemic.

My other trip was an 80km cycle across several southern islands on a route called Shimanami Kaido. I went on a shorter cycling trip during the autumn before and struggled, but I found myself making this longer distance across many hills in 40°C heat with greater ease. With the hikes, day-trips, lake swimming, cycling and different diet that made up my life in Japan, I became the healthiest I’ve probably ever been.

 

^{Quick selfie during the Shimanami Kaido cycle journey}

 

The experience of university and international exchanges will change in some ways for the foreseeable future, but I found during my most recent semester that it is still possible to adapt, to still make connections with people and places and studies even when our situation becomes more restricted. To anyone reading this who can find any attractive opportunity to study abroad, please for the love of God do it. I feel like a different person from who I was a year ago in the best way possible.

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First published: 20 June 2022