The Beginning

Most people might think of Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto when ‘Japan’ is mentioned, but it is unlikely you’ll think of Fukuoka. Honestly, same here. I knew nothing about Fukuoka. Still, I chose to study abroad at Kyushu University. Actually, I chose Kyushu University because their website was the easiest to navigate when applying, and it was so informative that it made researching much easier. Furthermore, they emphasised that their courses were available in English! An important feat when I only knew Hiragana. After being accepted, I packed my bags and headed to Fukuoka.

When I arrived, it was hellish. I was so overloaded with information that I felt overwhelmed. I had so many things to do but I didn’t know how to do them. For example, I needed to buy an internet router to connect to the WIFI in my room, but I didn’t know where to buy this because I didn’t have a SIM card. To get a SIM card, I needed to register for one using my resident card, but I needed to register my resident card, which I could only do after registering with the city ward. Here, I realised what people meant when they said Japan was a bit “old-fashioned”. Most of the time, Japan will require you to do things face-to-face, such as paying your water bill or applying for a transportation card or even the above dilemma-- so do keep that in mind. Luckily, I was able to reach out to and befriend other exchange students who were kind enough to help me. They took me around and showed me the ropes of living in Fukuoka. So, don’t be afraid to ask, especially when living abroad, because it is thanks to these friends that I was able to settle down.

My Studies at Kyushu University

After a while, Fall quarter arrived, and it was officially time to start my studies at Kyushu University. Whilst Japan does not usually teach undergraduate philosophy classes, I was able to take similar philosophy classes at Kyushu University thanks to their Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation (ISI) programme. Through this programme, I took classes such as Global Ethics, Social Philosophies, and so forth! Of course, these classes were in English, but do note that some were entirely in Japanese- which I avoided. You are also able to take Japanese classes that range from beginner to expert level, graded or ungraded!

To my surprise, there were a lot more exchange students than I thought there would be, which helped me feel at ease. I met students from universities such as Twente, Chulalongkorn, Leeds, Stockholm, Malaysia, and so many more. Not to mention, Kyushu University also provides a “buddy” system where you’re assigned to another Japanese student from Kyushu University whose job is to show you around and answer any of your questions. Thankfully, I was able to hang out with my “buddy” outside of university and we were able to become good friends!

Further, the staff members are also very welcoming to the exchange students and are always ready to help you. You can email them or visit them in their office- which I found to be extremely helpful. It is thanks to the ISI department that I was able to get to Japan safely, as they were more than willing to help at every step. Furthermore, they had a guidebook ready that you can refer to at any point, which explains every process during your time abroad.

Fukuoka itself

During my time abroad, I would juggle between studying and travelling around Fukuoka. If I wasn’t travelling in Fukuoka, I would be in the cities close by. I went to Beppu, Oita, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and Tokyo. I was lucky enough to have been able to go to Busan, South Korea; but I know many friends who went to Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, etc. I guess the big perk of living in Japan is that it’s so easy to travel anywhere else in Asia. Still, you can’t beat the £70 round-trip ticket to Busan, it’s so close to Fukuoka that the flight is only 45 minutes!

A Study Abroad Student at Gunkanjima Island, Nagasaki

A photo of me at Gunkanjima Island. An island in Nagasaki well-known for its resemblance of a battleship.

Aside from its regional advantages, Fukuoka is also well-known for its food. Specifically, Fukuoka is where you go to eat Hakata ramen, amaou strawberries, fresh tempura, great udon, delicious mizutaki, yatai stalls, and so much more. Fukuoka is so well-known for its food that my Japanese friends from Tokyo had to come down to Fukuoka to try it themselves. Not to mention, if you want to see beautiful flowers and blooming trees, Fukuoka is known to be the city of flowers. So much so that they have parks and a small island that only has flowers.

Sadly, I can’t list out everything in Fukuoka within this blog- you’ll just have to trust me. But Fukuoka is a gem; it is a landmine of beautiful Japanese culture and food- and is a place that foreigners usually skip out. However, Fukuoka is a must-visit for many Japanese citizens for the above reasons. Because of that, I feel so lucky to have been able to experience Fukuoka in its entirety- but I know there’s more. I missed out on many adventures such as surfing during Summer, or building a snowman in Winter, and I missed out on seeing the Sakura trees blooming in Spring. So, Fukuoka, my beloved, I’ll definitely be back!

Students in Fukuoka

A photo of the friends who came to Fukuoka from Tokyo! Here, we are in Dazaifu- famous for it’s daifuku and mochi. All we did was eat…

First published: 20 April 2023

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