Submitted by Christina Whittington on the 2013 summer session study abroad program in Kobe, Japan sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures …
After a six-hour flight to San Francisco, an eleven-hour flight to Osaka, and an hour-long bus ride to Kobe, we finally arrived at Shoin University’s Japan Study Center, locally known as the かいかん (Kaikan)!
Each student has their own room, complete with bathroom, desk, wardrobe, balcony, and loft.
The rooms are small, but quaint and comfortable!
We were each assigned a student from our host school as a language partner to guide us through these five weeks and help us get the most out of our experience while also teaching us more about the Japanese language and culture. My partner and her parents took me to the peak of Mt. Rokko, a mountain famous in the Kobe region. Because it’s rainy season here in Japan, it’s been rather humid, and often overcast, so the view from the peak was somewhat indistinct, but breathtaking nonetheless.
Even through the clouds, Kobe from the top of Mt. Rokko was an amazing sight.
Our most frequent trips have been to 三宮 (Sannomiya), which is only two stops away on the local train. There we found a wonderful shopping experience in Center Plaza, with several used bookstores, game stores, fashion shops, restaurants, and far more.
We’ve also spent time in the nearby arcades in Sannomiya and UMIE mall, located in Harborland, Kobe. Our favorites so far have been a table-flipping game called Chobudai and a rhythm-based game called Mai Mai.
Of course, the food has also been delicious. We’ve eaten out at local ramen bars, tried out Kaitenzushi (sushi restaurants that feature plates of sushi on a conveyor belt that pass by the booths – customers take the sushi they choose, and pay by the plate at the end of their meals), and we have made our own food, too. We’ve made okonomiyaki (an egg-based dish that includes vegetables, meat, and special sauce, and is cooked like a pancake):
and ramen (a noodle dish that includes various meats, vegetables, and spices cooked in the broth with the noodles):
We’ve eaten sushi (rice and various other fillings such as raw fish and vegetables, wrapped in dried seaweed), udon (another noodle dish similar to ramen, but with thicker noodles), onigiri (shaped rice with various fillings such as pickled plum and fish), and several other local dishes at nearby restaurants!
It’s hard to believe that the first week of our program is already over, but after experiencing so much in the first week alone, I can’t wait to see what next week will bring!