Perceptions of Japanese College Students...

The population of Japanese college students that come to universities like Kansai Gaidai are, what stereotypes might call, differently minded. What I have come to perceive as the average Japanese college student, is one who has their mind set on one job, one job that they will have until they retire, and that is the only thing they are working toward.

However, today and especially at schools with an international language focus, a lot more Japanese college students are looking abroad for careers. Minds have seemed to turn from in to out and a lot more students seem eager to leave Japan and investigate what the rest of the world has to offer. If they don't have any intention of leaving the country, however, coming to a school that has an international focus gives Japanese students an opportunity to study with and speak with people of cultures near and far from Japan and its own culture.

Although this picture is silly, I'm trying to prove a point. (Although some may know him, I'll leave out his name..) My friend here is one Japanese student who really surprised me when I first met him. He takes class with the exchange students because he plans on studying abroad in the US next year, but has also been taking Spanish. Whenever he speaks about his own culture, he says that he is tired of it, and wants to go some place new and fresh. Most of the time these complaints are jokingly made, other times they seem a little more serious.

Despite the outward turned gaze of many Japanese college students these days, people like my friend still surprise me. They don't just want to explore other places, they want to get away from the culture that raised them. I also know of many exchange students that feel the same way about their own cultures and study abroad to get away from what they are tired or fed-up with. Both these Japanese students and exchange students can see the flaws with their culture, and want to try something else; perhaps something that they feel works better than what they are used to.

The only reason it seems so much more surprising from Japanese students is because of long-standing stereotypes. With values emphasized on family and community, internationality and globalization don't seem to always have a place among these other, stronger values. It is nice to see these stereotypes challenged by open-minded college students, ready to brave the world and see what they will find. Changing views of the outside world can only strengthen the move toward global acceptance and a more global community.