Touhoku University, 2014-2015

At a glance

Where, who, when

Full name of the host university: Touhoku University
City, Country: Sendai, Japan
Homepage of the host university:www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/
Author of the field report: Martin Lefèvre
Degree programme at FH Aachen: B. Eng. Mechanical Engineering, Faculty 8
Start and end of the stay abroad: 01/09/2014 - 01/03/2015
The semester abroad was completed in: 5th subject-specific semester

Assessments:

Quality of the programme content: 2,3
Study conditions / facilities at the host university: 1.3
On-site support and assistance: 1.7
Campus: 1.0
Transport links to the campus: 2.0
Food on campus (dining hall (Mensa), etc.): 1,3
Sports facilities: 1.0
Leisure activities: 1.3
Bars / discos / nightlife: 1.0
Quality / cost of living: 2.0
Contact with locals: 1.3

Preparations

When did you start the preparations? December 2013.
How does the application process work and what documents are required? Application via professors; letter of recommendation, transcript of records and visa required.
Does the host university require a language test? Yes, but only for English.
Useful tips or further information on preparation: It is useful to have a basic knowledge of Japanese, otherwise it will be difficult to make contact with professors, university staff and locals.

Formalities

Do I have to pay fees at the host university? If you need a certificate, there are tuition fees of around €2000, otherwise not.
Did you receive a scholarship to finance your stay abroad? No, but you can get the JASSO scholarship without much effort.
Which way of travelling to the host university is recommended? Flight from 500€, for example to Toukyou. You can also fly directly to Sendai, but this is more expensive and the airport is outside the city, so you have to take the train to get to Sendai anyway.
Did you have to take out additional health insurance? Yes, all study abroad students in Japan must take out health insurance locally. This costs around 20€/month and is organised at the registration office.
Is further insurance necessary? No.

On site

What formalities need to be completed after arrival? Register at the registration office, open a bank account, register for courses, register with the visiting professors and, if possible, turn up at their laboratory.
Where is the best place to live and what are the average housing costs? All students at Touhoku University get a place in a hall of residence for the first two semesters. The hall of residence is also highly recommended. Housing costs range from 30€ [sic!] in a hall of residence to around 500€ in student flats.
How did the search for accommodation go? For the first two semesters, you are entitled to a place in a hall of residence, which you can claim via the Registrar's Office. After that, the university will offer you help in finding accommodation.
What are the average living costs? In addition to the flat, you will have to pay around €250-350 per month for food, electricity, internet, heating and travelling to and from university. You also need to plan in some "pocket money" for leisure activities.
What is cheap/expensive? Food is comparatively expensive, other prices are very close to German prices.
What are the shopping facilities like? In Sendai, there is a convenience store at least every 300 metres, where you can cover your basic needs. There are also many supermarkets and department stores.

About the host university

Briefly describe the host university! Touhoku University was founded in 1907 and has been one of the world's leading universities in the natural sciences ever since. It specialises in materials science, chemistry, medicine and mechanical engineering. Although the campuses are spread out across the city, they are organised according to fields of study, so you rarely attend lectures in two different places. As with all Japanese universities, the focus is on research rather than teaching.
How was the quality of the courses? The undergraduate courses are comparatively simpler, but cover similar material. Professors place more emphasis on group work and homework. However, the Master's courses are wide-ranging and offer the highest quality from renowned professors.
How are the facilities at the host university? The university is excellently equipped.
What are the opening hours on campus, how are the libraries, are there lecture notes? You can access the campus and your laboratory around the clock, the libraries are open from 8 am to 6 pm and have a good selection of books (>4 million books). There are scripts for some of the lectures, but the professors also use textbooks or slide sets.
How many hours per week did you have on average? What is the assessment system (ECZS)? I took eleven courses, all of which were taught once a week for 90 minutes. On top of that, there is homework and your own research in the laboratory, which means you end up with 25 or more hours per week. However, the end is relatively open, depending on how much time you spend in the laboratory. Japan has its own credit system with 12-16 credits per semester. Courses are typically worth 2 credits.
Did the professors prepare you well for exams? Did they help you outside of class? The professors make examination requirements clear and prepare well for them. You can also contact your professor by email at any time and usually receive a prompt reply. Consultation hours are held by assistants.
Are there special introductory courses for visiting students? There are introductory events and courses at the beginning of the semester.
What do I need to bear in mind when the certificate is issued at the foreign university? If a certificate is required, you will have to pay tuition fees and it may take some time for the certificate to be issued. Generally, a certificate is issued at the earliest after all examinations have been corrected and is usually sent by post.
Who was the contact person at the foreign university ? The secretary of the professor whose laboratory I was in was my contact person. However, this will be different for every student. Basically, you can contact the Global Learning Centre or your school, in my case the School of Engineering.
What did you like / dislike about the campus? The dining hall (Mensa) is very centrally located on each campus, unfortunately the individual campuses are quite far apart. Each campus also has a park, which is quite pretty.
What are the transport links like? What should I bear in mind? There are several buses to the first lecture of the day in the morning and then buses back in the afternoon and evening. However, you can easily cycle (approx. 10 min) or walk (approx. 25 min). The buses to the university are free of charge.
Other: The university offers free language courses, which you should take advantage of, regardless of whether you have come to Japan with or without language skills.

About the courses and lectures attended at Touhoku University

Course attended: Japanese 3
Lecturer: various lecturers
Course duration & scope, teaching form: 4x2 SWS, school-based
Keywords for course description: speaking, grammar, reading, application
Form of assessment: written examination
Is the course recommended? Yes
Course attended: Japanese culture
Lecturer: Fujino
Course duration & scope, teaching form: 2 SWS, sport
Keywords for the course description: Aikido as a culture
Form of assessment: Exam
Is the course recommended? Yes
Course attended: Materials science
Lecturer: Sato
Course duration & scope, teaching format: 2 SWS, lecture
Keywords for course description: Metals, composites
Form of assessment: Written examination
Is this course recommended? Yes
Course attended: Systems Engineering
Lecturer: Yamaguchi
Course duration & scope, teaching format: 2 SWS, lecture
Keywords for course description: Systems and their environment
Form of assessment: Written examination
Is this course recommended? No
Course attended: Robotics
Lecturer: Kosuge
Course duration & scope, teaching format: 2 SWS, lecture
Keywords for course description: Automation and robotics.
Form of assessment: Written examination
Is this course recommended? Yes
Course attended: Aircraft Design
Lecturer: Yoshida
Course duration & scope, teaching format: 2SWS, lecture
Keywords for course description: Aerodynamics and aircraft design
Form of assessment: Project
Is this course recommended? Yes
Course attended: System Dynamics
Lecturer: Takagi
Course duration & scope, teaching format: 2SWS, lecture
Keywords for course description: Mechanics of Vibrations
Form of assessment: Written examination
Is this course recommended? Yes
Course attended: Quantum Mechanics
Lecturer: Miura
Course duration & scope, teaching format: 2SWS, lecture
Keywords for course description: Basic Lecture on Quantum Mechanics
Form of assessment: Term paper
Is this course recommended? Yes

Leisure activities

What is the range of sports on campus? There are well over 100 different sports on offer.
Do I have to pay for the sports on offer? No, but you need your own equipment for some of them.
What leisure sports facilities does the campus offer? The sea and mountains are within easy reach (approx. 1 hour by train), so you can go swimming in summer and skiing in winter. As a city with over a million inhabitants, everything else is possible in Sendai.
What are the local sights? As the former seat of Date Masamune, Sendai is a historically important city in Japan and accordingly there are many castles and monuments nearby.
What tourist attractions does the surrounding area have to offer? Nearby are Mount Zaou and the coastal area of Matsushima, both of which are also very popular tourist destinations among the Japanese.
Are there organised (possibly subsidised) excursions for visiting students? As part of the lecture "Japanese Culture", there are organised excursions for all interested students about once a month.
Are theremany good restaurants and bars nearby? If you are staying at University House Sanjo like me, there are many small restaurants in the immediate vicinity. In Sendai itself there is a huge selection of restaurants and bars, I would recommend the sushi shop chain Heiroku and Sweets Paradise.
Are there any special features of the local cuisine that you should be aware of? In Japan, a lot of fish and other seafood is cooked, and it is sometimes used raw in dishes. If you have a shellfish allergy, you have to be careful what you eat.
Where do you go in the evening (pubs, bars, discos, cinemas) and what is recommended? There are many bars and discos in Sendai, the most popular of which is probably Kokubuncho Street, where there are countless opportunities to party. However, many parties in Japan are short-lived, i.e. people like to go to two or three parties in the evening.
Are there any special customs/customs among the locals and what is an absolute taboo? Japan has many customs that are unusual for Europeans, so you should find out more about them in advance. For example, it is considered a gross faux pas to enter a flat wearing shoes or to stick your chopsticks in the rice.

Final considerations - Conclusion

How would you rate your stay abroad overall? My stay abroad was great, I had a lot of fun and would do it again at any time.
Did you choose the right time for your semester abroad? I think that the mobility window in mechanical engineering is ideal for this.
What were the high and low points of your stay? At the beginning, as you would expect, there are many clashes with the culture, which is unusual for us, but the best thing is when you gradually understand what the differences are and learn to adapt. When the Japanese stop congratulating you on how good you are with chopsticks, you've made it!
What will remain unforgotten? My winter trip with my laboratory where I learnt to snowboard, Christmas in Kyoto and my girlfriend in Japan.
What advice would you like to give to other students on your degree programme who decide to spend a semester abroad at this foreign university? Start planning early enough. I started 9 months in advance and it still ended up being tighter than necessary. Also, pick a good laboratory, you can't beat the opportunity to do research based on your interests - plus it's much easier to get a recommendation from there if you're enthusiastic about the laboratory.
Any criticism or suggestions? Don't neglect contact with local students. There are many groups in Sendai (e.g. PeaceNuts, @home, TUFSA, Mori) that are very happy to socialise and exchange languages with foreigners.