• Student
  • 18/11/2024

And how are things in Kyoto?

My motto in life is: If you do something, do it well! With this in mind, I started looking for an interesting destination for my External Internship and quickly landed on Kyoto. Three culture shocks I have already experienced.

by
photo Rick Schouwenaars

I’d always wanted to visit Japan, so this was the perfect opportunity to go on an adventure in the far east to conduct research while enjoying this beautiful country. Additionally, I wanted to challenge myself with a destination where the culture, food, and people are completely different from those in the Netherlands.

Sunset at Kiyomizu-dera

I was very fortunate to be able to start as a Guest Researcher at the Institute for Chemical Research at Kyoto University, where I am conducting research on Spintronics. I mainly work on fabricating magnetic nanofilms, which I then analyze. It’s a very interesting subject that I can work on quite independently. The research group consists of about 15 people (Master’s, PhD, and Postdoc), of whom two speak basic English. Let’s just call that a fun challenge ;)

Kamo rivier door Kyoto

Every day, I have lunch at the university with some group members, where there’s a set menu of typical simple (so unfortunately, no sushi) Japanese food. Think Ramen, Udon, Curry, Fish, Miso soup, and rice, rice, and more rice. Yes, rice is the main food in this country, served with every meal, so I end up eating it about twice a day.

View of Tokyo from Tokyo Skytree (3rd tallest structure in the world)

At the time of writing, I am already nearing the end of my internship, and I’ve seen quite a few beautiful places. Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Nara, Kobe, Mount Fuji, and many lesser-known places. It’s truly a stunning country, and I highly recommend everyone to visit at least once in their lifetime. The big cities each have their own character, so while Tokyo is a huge and bustling city, Kyoto is a place where you can totally relax!

Scenic view of Arashiyama in north Kyoto

Now for a few culture shocks, most of which have been positive:

  1. First of all, Japanese people are known to be incredibly polite and friendly, and this is definitely true. You feel very safe and are treated with patience, even though there are often communication challenges.
  2. The trains and public transport here are fantastic. With Google Maps, you can easily get anywhere, and everything runs perfectly on time to the second (and if not, they personally apologize). The NS could learn a lot from this...
  3. The food is of incredibly high quality. A 3+ star rating on Google Maps here means you're definitely in for a good experience, and I haven’t been disappointed once in two months. Moreover, I’ve never seen a place with so many restaurants as here (especially in Tokyo/Osaka). Everything in this country seems to revolve around food, resulting in an enormous variety, delicious dishes (with sushi omakase and Kobe beef as highlights), and amazing experiences.

Arigato gozaimasu! / Thank you!

Special evening celebration at temple in Kyoto. All photos | Rick Schouwenaars

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