Student Voice: My first impression – Akita is a beautiful place – Dominika BIGOS, University of Lodz, Poland

Dominika BIGOS, from University of Lodz, Poland is participating in our exchange program for the Fall 2023 semester. We would like to introduce her experience at AIU.

Coming to Japan is a really difficult task. You have to do a lot of paperwork and receive a lot of different permissions, all of which requires spending some money in order to do so. I have also faced many problems and stressful situations since coming here, and I’ll probably face even more.

But if you’re wondering if all of that stress and paperwork is worth it, my answer is – definitely. The moment I came to Japan and Akita, besides being exhausted after the journey, I realized that all of my hard work was certainly worth it.

The view of the Bus Station in front of the JR Akita Station East Exit on the first day

As a person from Central Europe, I find Japan and all the cultural differences here very intriguing.

I was always captivated by the Japanese way of life, the contrast between the big, loud, living city and the natural, quiet countryside. Everyone knows about the beauty of all those famous large Japanese cities, but the Japanese countryside is even better.

Akita is the best place if you want to connect to nature and admire the absolutely stunning views. On campus, as well as in the area, there are many rice fields, woods, and pretty natural greenery.

Besides talking about nature, I’m also in love with the city center, where you can experience many quintessentially “Japanese” things that are so different from Western culture.

I’m already having a really lovely time here and hope to enjoy my life in Akita even more and make more friends from here on out.

What is more, I can already tell that my language skills have improved a lot!

That’s not the end of the journey. That’s only the beginning.