CASSANDRA – Study in Tokyo Japan – from France

2024-04-23

Meet Cassandra, a French enthusiast of Japanese culture who embarked on a journey to Tokyo to learn Japanese at Kudan Institute. After 9 months of language study, she now explores Japan solo, relishing its diverse landscapes and culinary delights. Cassandra’s dream is to travel the world, one country at a time.

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Interview – Story in Japan

Q&A

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

France

WHAT DO YOU DO IN JAPAN?

I was learning Japanese in Tokyo for 9 months, now I am traveling for 3 months around Japan.

WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JAPAN?

I think I started to be interested in Japan, the same way as many people: anime & manga. As a teenager, I thought it was amazing that people could live a totally different way than mine, and just by that Japan became my dream country to visit. I really like the culture of Japan, the beautiful landscape, and the food!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL?

Study at「Kudan Institute of Japanese Language＆Culture」in Tokyo, Japan.

I took the conversation class, so I had school in the mornings and that was great because I was able to go around Tokyo in the afternoon.

I start from level 0. That means I start from Hiragana & Katakana. I wasn’t able to speak Japanese at all. And after 9 months I reached level 3. I am able to have easy conversations in Japanese and i know some kanji. This school offers the possibility to stay in a Japanese family. I took this opportunity and it was so great. I met so many teachers during those 9 months and I think it’s a good thing because they all have their own way of teaching and they all have different accents so it helps a lot to understand.

Also, it’s super cool that they promote some activities to do with Japanese people or not. For example, I took one lesson on Ikebana and one lesson on cooking Japanese sweets. And I did a hike at Mount Takao with Japanese people, the school, and some friends.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STAY IN THIS CITY?

I choose to stay in Tokyo to study Japanese in a school. Tokyo was, for me, the better place to start my dream: you can find in Tokyo old Japan and New Japan.

WHERE IS YOUR LOCAL RECOMMENDATION IN THIS CITY?

So many! I think I fell in love with Nara. There are so many temples, and nature is beautiful. Hirosaki and its castle are really beautiful even in Autumn! I am not done with my trip so I have a lot of things to discover too.

WHAT DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST WHILE STAYING ABROAD?

The fact that every day is different, every day there is something new to learn or discover. And obviously the food, there is nothing I don’t like for now!

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BEING IN JAPAN?

My actual solo travel of 3 months. I decided to travel around Japan after 9 months spent in Tokyo and around Tokyo. So actually I am traveling on my own, with the Japanese I learned in 9 months.

DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS AFTER YOU START YOUR JOURNEY?

I feel more open-minded and also proud of myself for doing this alone. I was kind of independent but now it’s like I am able to do what I want, it’s a great feeling. I am not stuck anymore in a daily boring routine.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

Since I was a kid, I always wanted to be able to discover as many countries as possible. Of course, I went to other countries in Europe, but I felt like it was the real beginning of my dream!

MESSAGE TO OUR FRIENDS WHO WILL GO TO JAPAN.

Enjoy! Japan is really beautiful, don’t restrain yourself! But always remember to be respectful. Japanese people don’t live the same as European people so take time to learn about it.

HOW DO YOU LEARN JAPANESE?

I studied Japanese at a Japanese language school in Tokyo for 9 months. Kudan Institute, which specializes in teaching Japanese to foreigners.