Studying in Japan as an Introvert: Is It All Sunshine and Rainbows?
It has been a long time since I last wrote an article! Long story short, I have been in Japan for almost a month right now while studying in Waseda University. Many people often asked me about my daily life in Japan. Is it worth it to live in Japan? Is it true that Japan is a country embracing solitude? Is Japan a very good country to live in for introverts?
Short Answer: Yes, For All Questions Above
Indeed, Japan is probably the best country for introverts to live in. But, that doesn’t mean Japan is perfect.
As an introvert (maybe), I have my own opinions related to these questions. Do note that I am not a 100% introvert, and probably nobody is too. I don’t have social anxiety either since I like to make new friends whenever and wherever I can.
Let’s see.. When it comes to student life, there are several aspects to consider: Classes, Friendship, Leisure time (or me-time), and daily necessities (such as grabbing something to eat, buying weekly/monthly stuffs, or doing routines).
During Classes
I kinda noticed this a lot, but most of the students in Japanese classes (except those who are best friends), won’t even bother other students, especially the ones that they don’t know at all. They don’t even talk or greet each other if they don’t know each other and just open their laptops to prepare for the next lecture.
This was a culture shock for me, because back then in my home country (Indonesia), almost everyone was very friendly (maybe a bit too much) that some people basically greeted almost everyone (including the ones they didn’t know). I remembered that this is one of the two ways for introverts to make friends: Extroverts “adopted” the introverts (the other way is to have the same interests or hobbies for introverts).
Also, there are a lot of homework and assignments! Maybe this is the cause everyone here in Japan took everything so seriously. It’s tough being a student in here because of the responsibilities! But so far, I am still managing quite well (the living proof? I went to all places and restaurants to try out good foods, which can be found on my Instagram stories).
The good part is that I can study peacefully without anyone disturbing me.
Related to Friendship
I wrote a paragraph related to this above (in “During Class” section). It’s way harder to make new friends here in Japan compared to my home country. Moreover, there are many things I don’t know yet in Japan, making me realize that having friends here is quite important too.
At this moment, I also realized that I am not 100% introvert. Luckily, Waseda University provides many activities and opportunities that I can participate in. Sometimes I also contact (or being contacted by) my old friends from my home country. So far, I am doing okay also for this part.
Also, even though having a friend is important, I don’t think it’s that necessary like in other countries if you know what you are doing. Because, well, most Japanese are nice and polite too.
Leisure Time (Or Me-Time)
This! This is the best part of being an introvert in Japan!
Who says that for leisure time, we have to go to a beach, go skydiving, or go hiking with friends at a mountain? Of course not! Leisure time can also be something simple, like going to different restaurants near us to try out foods, reading books, strolling in a park, or even doing nothing at all.
Whenever I go, there will be nobody that will bother me. I can embrace solitude, admiring the views and sceneries here in Japan. There are many options I could go. Either a very lively and bustling places like Kabukicho and Ikebukuro, or a very quiet place like Takada.
Sometimes, I even do nothing at all, just walking near my campus, sitting on a bench, looking around (or reading a book). The atmosphere, it’s so calm.
Want to go to an entirely different place? Just take a train or a bus, you will be “teleported” to that place within 15 minutes. I personally think that every places in Japan (or even Tokyo) have very different vibes, and are a good fit for introverts! The bad part, is that Japan’s (especially Tokyo’s) rail system is very complicated.
Daily Necessities
Everything here is so simplified when it comes to daily necessities! Automated machines are available everywhere for use. Food/Drink vending machines, photocopy machines, Hanko/Inkan machines, laundry machines, coin lockers, you name it! The only bad parts is that you can’t really ask anyone if you don’t know how to use the machine and you need to have basic Japanese language knowledge if you are not in the heart of big cities (because there are still a lot of machines in Japanese language only). But I think the machines are easy to use (you just insert coins, select stuffs, and it just works like a magic).
Most of the restaurants are designed like bars too, which is suitable for introverts, so that introverts won’t need to worry if they aren’t coming with friends!
Note: If you are in one of the photos and want the photo to be removed, please contact me on kevinjonathan3010(at)gmail.com and I will have it removed immediately! （もし、あなたが写真に写っていて、その写真を削除してほしい場合は、kevinjonathan3010(at)gmail.comまでご連絡いただければ、すぐに削除いたします！）
Even when you are going to buy train tickets, you can do so at the provided machines. No need to speak to the station staffs!
Simply put, everything here is simplified with the use of machines!
Bonus: I Learned A Lot While Studying in Japan
Even though I am still pretty new in Japan (almost 1 month), but I am pretty confident that every aspects of my life have improved a lot. From gaining a lot of knowledges from lectures, new perspectives, new sceneries I didn’t know existed, new friends, until stuffs related to daily necessities (yes, the old me didn’t even know how to use a laundry machine or a microwave, but now I feel like I can do everything!).
Sometimes, I feel like I want to go back to my home country though for a little bit of vacation, because some foods from Indonesia don’t exist at all in Japan. But anyway.. It’s all good.
That’s all I want to share for now! There are probably many things that I still don’t know about Japan (I am still new here!). Is the situation roughly same in your home country or the country you are currently studying in? Feel free to leave a comment on this article! Maybe we can share our experience together!
Thank you for reading!
