eVISIONWINTER
2020-21
e3 English Engineering Education Program

Content
CONTENT

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Meettheeditors
Announcements
WordsfromtheEditors
WordsfromtheCoordinatorMyresearchlifebyAmaguClement
TraveldiariesbyDandaTudan
Interview-NatalyaShmakova
PhDstory-NassimSahboun
Lockedinwhilelockedout:AcommonstorybyIvanFerrandino
Interview-ShioriNarumi
Failure!AnopportunityindisguisebyIkogbaKelvinLifeinJapanbyThalíaTurrén-Cruz
Interview-AyakaIto
LifeinJapanbyThaoNguyen
Re-enterandleaveJapanwithin6-monthsbyAfifFaiqMuhammad
Meetthee3StudentOrganization(SO)TipsandtricksbyCynthiaWaihenya

PAGENO.

e3 English Engineering Education ProgramMeet theEditors

Helmano David Galvão Fernandes
Editor-in-chief, eVision

Afif Faiq Muhammad
Associate Editor, eVision

Sonia Longjam
Sub Editor, eVision

Cynthia Waihenya
Sub Editor, eVisions r oti d E
MishalFeature Editor, eVision1

Announcement
FromtheEditors

Share your story

Guidelines:
Note:PleasetrytokeepyourarticleaboutoneA4pagelong,andinclude
pictures where possible (if they are not your own, please provide thesource).
Contactthee3SOviathefacebookpagetosubmityourarticle:
https://www.facebook.com/ecube.hokudaitnemecnuonnAWewantourmagazinetobeafunandinterestingmeanofcommunicationbetweenstudents,
staff and alumni, and hope that we can exchange different experiences as part of the e3community.Forthis,wewouldliketoinviteyoutoparticipateinournextissuebysubmittingashortarticleaboutatopicofyourchoice.Followingaresomesuggestions,butanynewideaiswelcome:Experiences:(share your experience in Japan, in Hokkaido University, tell us about your research, work
experience,seminars,etc.)
Food:(tellusaboutyourfavoriteJapanesefood,sharerecipesfromyourcountry,tellusaboutspecial
foodonlyfoundduringfestivals,etc.)
Socialactivities:(whatareyourhobbies?Telluswhatkindofactivitiesyouliketoengagein,giveusaninsightinyourfavoriteactivitiesinJapan,etc.)
Travel:(share pictures and experiences you ve had while visiting Hokkaido or Japan, recommend
placesfromyourcountry,etc.)
Leisure:(sharejokes,funfacts,crosswords,etc.)
Finally,showyourtalentwiththecamerabysubmittingyourfavoritepicturetobepublishedinourmagazine.Nowritingisrequired,justatitleandthedateandplaceofshooting.

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Words from the

Editors

By Sonia Longjam

eVISIONsrotidE

Welcome to the winter 2020-21 issue of the English Engineering Education (e3)program se-VISION.
Afteragapoffouryears,wearepleasedtopresentourtwentietheditionoftheeVISION.
In this issue, we have some great contributions from our friends currently
studying/studied under the e3 program. This edition is packed with knowledge
aboutlifeinJapan,lifeduringCOVID-19,journeyinHokkaidoUniversity,theHult
Prize journey, and many more, highlighting students  success and achievement
stories.
Allofusareatadifferentphaseintheplanningforourfuture;andregardlessofwhichstageyouarecurrentlyat,thisissuewillgiveyouvaluableinsight.Throughour e-VISION, we hope you get inspired and motivated to join some of ourinternationalstudentsinengagingwiththee3community.Thereissomethingforeveryoneinthee3community.
Theimmensesupport,guidance,andcontributiontomakeourpricelesssliceofworksuccessfularevividlyshowninthisedition.Theeditorialteamisgratefultoeveryonefortheircontributionsandwouldliketothankthee3members,students,andstaff,withoutwhomthiseditionwouldhavebeenjustadream.
Wewishallthereadersahappyreading!

3

Words from the

Coordinator

OTA Tomomi

Dear e3 students, what has it been like to live andconductyourresearchatHokkaidoUniversityoverthepastyear?Iamsureyouhavefaceddifficultiesbeyond
your imagination: not being able to see your friends
andfamilycomfortably,beingforcedtomakedifficult
decisions, and the foundation of your life here in
Sapporoandinyourhometownbeingdamaged.
Even under such circumstances (due to Covid-19), Iknowthatmanye3studentsdotheirbesttoovercome
these difficulties by being self-disciplined, asking forhelp and offering support when needed (AND with awarmsenseofhumor.)e3 coordinator

eVISIONrotanidrooC

Inthefuture,youwillbeproudofhowyouhavecopedwiththischallengeinadifferentculture.Asane3coordinator,IhavebeenhereforlessthanayearandI
feelveryprivilegedtobeinvolvedintheworkthatsupportsyou,whoarefullofcreativityandcanactflexibly.
Ireallylearnalotfromyouforthepastyearandamverygratefultoallofyou.
Ihopethatthee3programwillbeaveryfulfillingandrewardingperiodinyourlives.

4

Amagu Clement Amagu

I

eVISION

So far, I have gotten good exposure in my researcharea, Japanese customs and her rich-oriented
culture, hoping to have even more of it. I plan tolearn a bit more about my research with the ideaof at least contributing to practical applicationsof rock engineering in order to safeguard thefuture and provide more clear basis for
deformation, stability and safety of theengineering projects such as open-pit mining,
human resources exchange and build goodinternational relations among others.

hcr aese R

I grew up wanting to explore the sustainabilityof natural resources, my passion being tomaximize the preservation of our planet. In theworld today, there are a lot of resources ranging
from abundant oil and gas to vast mineral
resources, which if harnessed rightly, can provide
huge opportunities for development, a highstandard of living, and economic stability.
However, there are a lot of technological andenvironmental challenges when it comes to thedevelopment and utilization of these vast
amounts of resources to provide our world with acleaner and environmentally friendly society.
These issues have spurred many research projects
in engineering and resource management that
range from rock mechanics and rock engineeringto theories on engineering practices, emphasizing
the future direction of rock engineering
technologies. My interest in rock mechanics is
because a large part of energy resources, disposalof highly radioactive nuclear waste, undergroundstorage, exploration of petroleum and naturalgas, development of geothermal resources, thesafety of drainage and uses of coal seam gas,
construction activity, reconstruction of damaged
undergroundrock
engineeringislargelydependent on the strength and deformation
characteristics of rocks.

So, I chose to study as a Master student at RockMechanics Laboratory, Hokkaido University, basedon the close relationship that exists between
students and professors, Japanese manners andcustoms, and security, which I experienced when I
participated in short-term exchange program(HUSTEP) between Hokkaido University and myhome
University(EbonyiState
University,
Abakaliki, Nigeria). Recently, I started my PhD
program, employing both field displacement
measurements and numerical analysis in assessing
rock slope stability of an open-pit Limestone
quarry in Japan. In this research, I am
investigatingtheinfluenceofgeologicalformation, excavation, variation in weather
conditions, and water infiltration on thecontinuous rock slope deformation and effects ofthe support system in order to ensure safe andproductive operations in open-pit mines.

5

I'm from Tibet, also called "the roof of theworld," with an average altitude of about
3,000 meters surrounded by magnificent
nature. I studied mechanical design for my
Bachelor's degree and worked as a service
engineer for heavy machinery for one year
after graduating. At that time, as an
admirer of Japanese heavy machinery
technology, I came to study abroad inJapan. I love machines, and it's been three
years since I started working part-time at a
motorcycle shop. From an amateur who
didn’t know how to inflate at first, I am now
doing vehicle inspection maintenance andcustomization. In addition, I have now beenable to accumulate experience in vehicle
failure diagnosis. In August 2020, I wentaround Hokkaido for a 2,000 kilometersride along the coastline. I enjoyedswimming in the sea of Shakotan, and I
stayed at a campsite that was abandoned atnight. When I went to the bathroom, I was
terrified that I hit a beehive, so I'm glad I
returned safely at the end.

The best thing about
coming to Hokkaido
University was not that I
could graduate and get ajob, but that I made friends
with many students fromvarious countries. By
interacting with them, I
experienced completely
different cultures and waysof thinking. This has
empowered me to work
positively. It s my hobby tovisit the unknown world
rather than the results I cansee in front of me. So, I
want to attach my dreamwings to the engine and fly
all over the world.

seiriaD levarT

eVISION

Danda Tudan

6

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JAPANBASED ON MY RECENT EXPERIENCE OF TAKING A MATERNITY
LEAVENatalya Shmakova
e3 coordinator

eVISIONw ei v r et nI

Did you have any experience working
overseas? How does that compare with yourcurrentjob?

Yes,Iworkedasapart-timelectureraswellasacivilservantinRussia.Workforthegovernmentis in some ways similar to work for Hokkaido
University, since it s a public institution.
However,onepeculiarthingtoJapanthatIcanmention is a process called kessai ( 決 裁 ). In
Japan, staff members usually rotate emails ordocument drafts between several offices forapproval or for sharing the information.
Everyoneputshis hanko (personalstamp)onthe document. In Russia, we just needed aCanyousharethestoryofhowyoufirstcametoe3? stamp from our boss, and in some cases,
approvalwasnotrequired.KessaicanmaketheMyjourneytoe3wasquiteinteresting.IjoinedHokkaido decision-makingprocessmoreprolonged,butit
Universityin2008asastudentattheFacultyofLaw.At is quite useful for collective decisions andthetime,Ididn tknowaboute3,althoughIhadmany reduceshumanerror.
friends from the Engineering Faculty. The only thing I
knewwasthatthereweremanycoolstudentsthereand One major concern that people have whentheycouldstudyinEnglish,whilemystudywasprimarily they transition from student life to getting ain Japanese. I even had the chance to join some e3 Jobisthework-lifebalance.Couldyoutellus
eventslikepartiesandtrips.Iwasveryexcitedtogetan aboutyourpersonalexperience?
opportunitytoworkforthee3.Ithoughtthatwastheperfectjobforme,andhereIam.
Whenholdingresponsibilitiesattheworkplace,
situationswhenoverworkisnecessaryarelikely
DidyouhaveanyconcernsregardingJapan swork-life tocomeup,butsomethingiswrongifoverworkbalancewhenyouwerelookingforajob?
issystematic.InJapanyoumaycomeacrossajob announcement which says something likeYou know that Japan is famous for zangyo, overtime “40hoursofoverworkpermonthisexpected
work.ItwasmybigconcernandIevenaskedinthejob (thatistherealjobadIhaverecentlyseen).Thatinterview whetherIwouldhavetodotheovertime(by basicallymeansthatyouarehiredfor10hours
the way, I don t recommend asking that). The working day. However, from my encounters
interviewer told me that I didn t need to do as the withalumni,Ithinkthatthework-lifebalanceinJapanesesinceIwouldbeinchargeofmyownoffice.In Japan is improving. Many former students
thefirsttwoorthreeweeksthingsseemednormalandI report that their companies do not encourageleftat5pm,butastimewentby,itstartedtochange. overtime work anymore. I wonder if that isWork started to accumulate, and I also noticed that relatedtothefactthatfrom2019thelegislation
peoplearoundmewerestayingworkinguntillate.Inno strictly imposes the cap of 45 hours a month/timeIfoundmyselfamongthem.Inaway,thatwasthe 360 hours per month for overwork. Still there
cost of learning and doing a good job, but I also can are some exceptional cases when longer
admit that got carried away with the overall working overtimecanbeaccepted.
culture.Asthenumberofe3studentsincreased,notonly Imyselfusedtohavemywork-lifebalanceonthevolumeofworkincreased,butIalsofeltaneedto the side of work. Now I have a family andcreate new activities to address a larger community. differentpriorities,somytargetistodomyjob
Sometimesstudentswouldcometotheofficeataround as quickly and as efficient as possible. That is5pmaftertheirclassesorexperiments,soIwouldtalk not easy since I don t want to sacrifice thewith them after the working hours. Well, that is fine quality and keep looking for new ideas tobecauseIenjoytalkingtostudents.It sfun.
improve the e3, but some data management
initiativesIhaveintroducedearlier,suchasan
on-lineapplicationdatabase,reallyhelp.

7

What advice would you give to someone who is CouldyoutellusaboutmaternityleaveinJapan?
thinkingaboutworkinginJapan?
IthinkJapanhasarelativelygoodmaternityleavepolicy.
The most important advice is to plan early and Women expecting babies can get up to six week-longstudy Japanese. Yes, you hear it again and again, holidaysbeforethedue-date(pre-deliveryleave)andeightbutit sstilltruethatcompaniesvaluelanguageand weeks after the delivery (post-delivery leave) at full pay.
communicationskillsmorethananything.Besides, Thenyoucanhave parentalleave duringwhich67%oftheJapan has a unique job-hunting style. Have you salaryisguaranteedforthefirstsixmonthsafterthebirthseenJapanesejob-huntingbrochures?Thereisthe andthen,50%forupto12months.Itcanbeextendedifyouwhole industry surrounding this process and you can tsecureanurserybythattime.Andmencanalsoenjoyare expected to learn when to do what and even theseprivileges(althoughtheyusuallydon t).Onethingtohowtobowandhowtoentertheroom.Itallfeels notice though is that foreign nationals can t invite theirvery impersonal, as if you must cut yourself to relativesjusttohelpthemwiththebaby,unlesstheyholdamatchsomeveryrestrictedshape.Ifyoudecideto highskilledprofessionalvisa.Evenpermanentresidentsdofollow the Japanese style job hunting - take the not qualify. In case both parents work, nurseries arewhole process as a role play, don t take it availablefromtheageofafewmonths.Costofthepublicpersonally. I know the challenges of job hunting nurseryismeans-tested,sostudentscanmakeuseofthemfrom my personal experience as well as from our ataverylowcost.
student s,butIbelieveit sworthfightingforthejob
wewant.
Anylastwordsforourreaders?
WeknowthatyouhadaBabyrecently.Howdid Iwouldsaythatwecanenjoydifferentthingsindifferentyoureconcilesuchresponsibilitywithyourwork phasesofourlives.Wedon tneedtodothesamethingforate3?
our entire lives. We can enjoy being a student, single,
working in a company, being a working parent or aI was still coming to the office until very close to householdparent.Lifeisaseriesofprojects,andhavingadeliverytime.Yet,afterthat,Itookmaternityleave babyisoneofthem.Itgivesyouasenseoffulfillmentandand prioritized myself and my baby. One positive meaningfulness.
side of it is that, after returning to work, the
Universityallowedmetoworkshorthours.NowI m
working2hourslessthanusual.

w ei v r et nI

eVISION

8

Nassim Florian SAHBOUNeVISIONy r ot S D. h P

Once upon a time, there was a little guy from the North of France that wished from all his heart
to come to the country of the Rising Sun, Japan. His few friends often asked him why he wanted
to leave the country of Molière, Napoléon, and President Chirac for the country of Natsume
Soseki, Oda Nobunaga, and Prime Minister Abe. He would often answer that he fell in love withthe country in his childhood and wanted to see it with his own eyes. Through hard work,
preparation (including Japanese lessons), and a lot of paperwork, he managed to secure a first
trip as an intern at Kyoto University for a 6 months internship. Finally, he would be able to see
and experience life in the country he loves so dearly. Alas, this first experience, as much as it
was a wonderful one, was not enough for our French adventurer. He wanted to visit Japanagain and worked hard for this new goal. After graduating with a Master in Nuclear
Engineering and again a lot of paperwork, he managed to get into a Ph.D. program at Hokkaido
University. From there, our intrepid adventurer from the North of France embarked on a new
and 3 years long quest in the North of Japan but this, my dear readers, is a tale for anothertime…
Not worry, this other time is now. As you may have guessed after this lengthy introduction, theFrench guy in question is none other than me, Nassim Florian Sahboun, your humble narrator,
and researcher who graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Division of Energy andEnvironmental System, Laboratory of Nuclear Safety System of Hokkaido University under the
wonderful tutelage of Prof. Sawa and Assistant Prof. Miwa. I must congratulate you forreaching so far after my long yet necessary introduction. As of now, you may ask yourself why
it was necessary and more precisely, why I am writing this text at all. True, in my haste ofsetting the background, I forgot to present the reason behind all of this. Worry not, it is coming
right now. You see, dear readers, I was asked to share the experience of my time at Hokkaido
University with you. You may say that the long preliminary narration is therefore a little bit
pointless and that I should be more direct. It is important to understand that, as the narration
showed, coming to Hokkaido University was not for me the first time in Japan. Moreover, it is
not through luck or on a whim that I came to Japan. I came of my own will and as I said in the
intro, on a quest but let me tell you all about it now.

9As I set foot on Japanese soil for the second timein my life, I felt that the region of Hokkaido wasdifferent from what I expected but at the sametime, familiar. Indeed, Hokkaido is not inmainland Japan as much as in its environment
and its people but the familiarity I felt came fromthe fact that it was so similar to the North I wasborn and raised. So, sadly or luckily for me, no
shock, either spatial or cultural for me. Yet, do
not assume that it preserved me from surprises ortroubles, dear readers, it just made it easier tostart. I still had a lot to do as I came to get my
Ph.D. Like most of the Faculty of Engineering ande3 program s students, I was warmly welcomed byboth my laboratory members and e3 staff
members. Though I was busy in my quest to
properly graduate from my Ph.D., I managed tofind the time to participate in international
events, either Hokkaido University or e3
program s ones. I even managed to join Hokkaido
University Rugby Club and meet some dearfriends there. Overall, I succeeded in achieving
the objectives of my so-called quest: get a Ph.D.
and a lovely little wife to share my life with, as you
can see in the picture provided. This is what I
wanted to tell you about my time at Hokkaido
University.
A little extra for you dear readers. I do not know
in which state of mind you will read this article,
but do not think I wrote it just to gloat and bearrogant. I wrote it to give you a little bit of
wisdom. I will summarize now: efforts and hard
work always pay. If not now, with a little bit oftime, you will see the results come. So, my dear
readers, push forward and, as Professor Clark
said, be ambitious.
Take care,
Nassim Florian SAHBOUN

y r ot S D. h P

eVISION

10

Locked in While Locked Out: A Common Story
Needlesstosay,2020willbeineveryone smemoryforever
because of what may have been the first really global
historicaleventeverhappened.MynameisIvan.Iamane3third-year doctoral student at Hokkaido University. The
storyofmy2020isnotnewbecauseIbelieveitiscommon
tomanypeopleintheworld,andIwouldneverdaretoputitclosetothereallyhorriblestoriesthatmanyothershadtoexperiencelastyear.InJanuary,Ihadplannedtovisitmycountry,Italy,forafewweeksfromtheendofFebruaryuntil
mid-March.Ialsowantedtocarrywithmesomeworktodothere,soIfedmylaptopwithsomeexperimentaldatatokeepmyresearchupwhileIcouldspendsometimewithmyfamily and enjoy some home-tasting food. 2020 had juststarted,butitwasallsparklesinmymindlookingintothenearfuture:theOlympicgames,myresearchexperiments
beginningtotakeoff,myfamilyprobablycomingtoJapanfortheirfirsttimeinsummer,alotofstuffthatmakesyou
reallylookforwardtowhatcomesnext.Longstoryshort:
ItalybecomestheepicenterofthecoronavirusoutbreakinEurope, borders shut down overnight, any chances to goback to Japan in time vanishes. Now what? You starthearingpeoplearoundyousaying: itwillgoawayasfastas
it scome, “noreasontoworry,” therealproblemisfarfrom here, it doesn t have anything to do with us.  You
almostbelieveityourself.Almost,though.Daysgoby,youaretoldtoshutyourselfin,notgoinganywhereexceptforprimarynecessities,andyoufeellockedoutwhileyouarelocked in. Locked out of your life, of your plans, of thechances you once thought you had, and now you are nolongersureyoumaystillhaveonceeverythingisover.

Ivan FerrandinoeVISIONe e nit n a r a u Q

LastAugust,IcouldfinallycomebacktoJapan5monthslaterthanexpectedwithanunbelievableplottwist.
Thereisnothingspecialaboutthisstorybecauseithasbeenthesamestoryofuncountablepeopleintheworld
thisyear.Whathasbeenextraordinarilycrystalclear,wasmanypeople sattitudetowhathappenedinsuchaspecialtime.Anattitudethatactuallysaysalotaboutpasthistorytoo.FromwhatIsawwhileIwasbackhomeinmylockedin/lockedoutstate,isthatmanykepttheirdistancefromtheproblem,pretendingitcouldnoteven
possiblytouchthem,believingthatsinceitwassomethingcomingfromsofaraway,evenwhenitshowsupin
frontofyourdoor,youcanstillconsideritasnothingbutamerelyweakandinsignificantcopyofthereal
problem.Whathappenednextprovedeveryonewrong,althoughitwasnotthefirsttime.Whathappenednext
finallyshowedeveryonehowsmallourworldhasbecome.DespitebelievingtheEarthdidnotshrinkatallinthepast50years,ithasbeenus,humans,whomadeitsmaller.Wemadeitsmallerwithournewbrilliantandsometimesterribletechnologies,wemadeitsmallersimplywithusbecomingmorenumerous.Nomatterhowithappened,thisisourpresenttimenow,andnotanypresenttime,Iwoulddaretosay.Ibelievewhathappenedinthepast50yearshasnocounterpartinanyother50yearsofthisplanet.Andthisisexactlywhynowweareataturningpoint.Whateverwillbeournextmove,Ithinkweareaware,nowmorethanever,thatwehavebecomesoclosetoeachotherthatanysinglemovemayhaveanenormousimpactoneverybody.Iamsuremanyofus
didnotneedthisexperiencetorealizethat,asIthinkitwasalreadyclearwaybefore2020.Still,Ihopethistime
everybodyhasrealizedthatonceforall.Andthisisalsowhy,morethaneverbefore,Iamgladofmychoiceofcomingtostudyabroad,meetingsomanypeoplefromsomanydifferentplacesinthissmallworld,sharingsomuchknowledgeofanykind.Isincerelybelievethatthekeytoaprosperousfutureforusall,standingattheverybottomofanythingelse,isonlyone:mutualknowledge.HowamIsupposedtorealizethattheworldhas
becomesosmallifIdonotevendaretolookatmy neighbors andfinallygettoknowthem?
Ibelievethatbeinganinternationalstudenttodaywillmakeusallmoreawareandcarefulhumanstomorrow.

11WhatdoyoumissthemostaboutHokkaido?
Definitely nature! Especially Hokkaido University sCampus.AndthatwassomethingthatItookforgranted
whileIwasinSapporo.NowIrealizehowde-stressingit
wastocommutetotheofficewhileenjoyingnature.HereinTokyo,thereisn tthatkindofenvironment.
Couldyousharesomeencouragingwordstoournewmembersandstaff?Anymessageyouwanttoconvey?
Iknowthesearechallengingtimesforallofyou,andI
wanted to be there and support you guys. Besides thedifficultieswithyourclassesandresearch,youarealso
away from home in a place where the language is aHi.Canyoupleaseintroduceyourself?
constantbarrier.Iamphysicallyfar,butwithallmyheart,
Hi,IamNarumi.Iusedtoworkatthee3officeofHokkaido Iamtheresupportingyou.Iwishyouallthebest.
University. After working at Hokudai for three years, I
resignedfrommypositionattheendofJunelastyear.So,it Narumi san, now let s play a rapid-fire round. PleasehasbeentenmonthssinceIleftHokkaidoUniversity,andI answerin2secs.Tellusaboutyourhobbies
alreadymissit.
WhatwereyourbiggestchallengesasE3staffatHokkaido WhatisyourfavoriteMovie?
Atheoryofeverything.
University?
Whichfruitdoyoulovemost?
Watermelon.
Workingwithpaperworkwashard.Forexample,preparing WhatisyourfavoriteJapanesefood?
the paperwork for the e3 scholarship application was
Sushi.
tough.Therewereonlytenpositionsavailable,butsomany Whatisyourfavoritenovel?
students would apply. Just imagine working with 200
Silentpatience.
applications of 20 pages each. Even after the document WhichPrefectureinJapandoyoulikemost?
screening, we would conduct a skype interview. And a
Aomori.
difficult part of it was that sometimes, students that I Whatisyourfavoritesinger?
thoughtwerecapablewouldn tgetthescholarshipduetoJustinBieber.
thelimitednumberofpositions.
WhoisyourfavoriteJapaneseartist?
Radwinps.
Whatwasyourofficialroleine3?
Whattypeofmusicdoyoulike?
J-pop,K-pop,anythingpop.
My role in the e3 office was related to the student s WhatisyourfavoriteActor?
academic and personal lives. I covered a wide range ofMatsuyamaKenichi.
studentsatthesametime.Fromthemomenttheyapplyfor WhoisyourfavoriteInternationalActor?
theprogram,andevenaftertheybecomealumni,Iwould
JensenAckles.
contactthem,whetherbyemailorattheoffice.Thealumni WhoisyourfavoriteInternationalactress?
usually contacted the office to ask for certificates,
KendallJenner.
transcripts,andotherdocuments.Anotherimportanttask WhatisyourfavoriteJapaneseSnack?
thatIusedtoperformwastocalculateone sGPA.Butthere
Happyturn.
were so many students that I can t even remember their WhatisyourHobby?
scores.Theyweregoodingeneralthough.
Travelingoverseas.
Howwouldyourelievethestress?
Iappreciatedtalkingwiththestudents.Thatwasfunandstress relieving. I remember going to the cafeteria neverfeeling alone because some students would join me forlunch.Ienjoyedtheinteractionwiththem.Irememberthatsome of them would come to the office and tell me thatthey saw me downtown and that in and of itself would
createade-stressingenvironment.Inmypersonallife,asaJapanese,Ienjoyhotspringsandfruitpickingalot.

Shiori Narumi

w ei v r et nI

eVISION

12

FAILURE!ANOPPORTUNITYINDISGUISE
TheHULTPrizeJourney!
ByIkogbaKelvinI will always remember that fatefuleveningsometimein2018Fall.Ihad
steppedouttosimplycoolitoffandenjoy the evening. But my Sudan
friendhadotherplans.
He raved about the HULT Prize
competition and convinced me toparticipate, even if just to give it atry . You see, we were still research
students living in the university
dormitory,sowedidnotsetoursights
toohigh.Ourplanwastomerelyhavefunwhilefamiliarizingourselveswiththe competition in preparation forparticipating seriously thefollowing
year.
Weformedateam.Wedidapitch.And
welostwoefully,buthappily.Aftertheevent we went about congratulating
thosewhodidwell.IevencameacrossthisNigerianwhohadcome2ndplacein the event, and we exchanged
contacts.
Sometime later, my newfoundNigerian contact reached out to me.
HehadsentamessagerequestingifI
would like to join his team inparticipating in the Tokyo regionals(of the HULT Prize competition). I
admiredhiszealandhisbeliefinhisbusinessidea,soIconsented.

e zi r P T L U H

eVISION

Our team was made up of the Nigerian, Meanwhile,IkeptfeelinglikeIwasina
Indianladywhohadalsohappilylostinthe dream. I recalled the journey, and howmy failure at the competition birthed aon-campusprogram,andme.
lifetimeopportunity.TrulyOpportunities
We commenced preparation for the great candisguiseinfailureandhencepeople
event. Interestingly, all preparations were mightmissthem.
viazoom,andnevermetfacetofaceuntilthedayoftheregionalfinals.Whew!What Atthistime,AQUAMOU(myteamsname)was all over the Japanese news media.
anexperience!
People kept calling for interviews andWe pitched our business idea in the weregivingustheirmaximumsupports.
morning and were selected amongst the Awardsstartedhittingusfromeveryside.
best6pitchestomovetothefinalrounds. HokkaidoUniversityevendidusasend
But,whenIsawothercontestant sbusiness forth to the UK as they gave us theirideas, I lost hope! Their slides were so goodwillmessages!
amazingIalreadygaveupinmyheart.Well,
MymessagetoallE3members,andtowepitchedandawaitedfortheresults.
allwhowillcomeacrossthisarticle,istoTo our greatest shock, we were nevergiveup,butembracefailurewhen
announced the winners of the TOKYO itcomes.I llleaveyouwithHenryFord s
HULT PRIZE REGIONAL FINALS! The first saying;team ever from Japan to win it and the Failure is an opportunity to begin
firstfromHokkaidoUniversity!
again,thistimemoreintelligently .
Then,thenextbigchallengecame;howtoraisefundsfortheacceleratorprogramin Truly this statement of Oliver Holmes
the UK. A crowd funding campaign was holdsfirm; Amindoncestretchedbyainitiated,andweraised$14,000dollarsfor new experience can never return to its
our air fare, as well as a pilot project in olddimensions .IrecommendtheHULT
PrizecompetitionforeveryE3member,it
Nigeria.
isworthgivingatry.
Cheers!

13

eVISIONn a p a J ni efi L

Haveyou veeverbeenstandingona lineorlines inyourlifewhereyoulookbackandforwardandyourealizeyouarenotthesameperson?Deep,right?
Hello strangers, My name is Thalía. I am aformer PhD student at the Tecnologico deMonterrey in Mexico,  and after a few
attempts to avoid traveling to Japan, I Ithinkthehardpartwas fitting therebecauseofarrivedinSapporoinordertoperforma6six the cultural differences. I consider myself a person
months internship at Hokudai. Maybe to with a… I d say strong  personality, loud voice,some of you the word avoid  trembles in talkative,cozy,warm,lovely,social,asanynormal
yourmind,butyes,Ididnotwanttotravelto Latin American person (I guess) all the opposite toJapan,that swhyIhadnoexpectations,no Japanese, so you can imagine the difference,
knowledgeaboutit,justafewwordslearned nevertheless,itwasnotarestrictiontogettoknow
onabasicJapanesecourse,but,whenIwas my lab mates. I went to several seminars orthere I realized: you know nothing Thalía, conferences even though I never understoodjustasJonSnow.
because I did not know Japanese. We had several
MyfirstcloseencounterwithrealJapanese barbecues, trips, we share knowledge aboutfoodwastheonigiriuntilnowIloveitandI differentcultureslikeAfrican,European,Asian,Latin,
missit(Well,itwillneverbeatSpicyramen). well,fromallaroundtheglobe.Itwasamotivating,Onigiriisperfectasfastbreakfast,asnack,a exciting,amusing,andknowledgeableexperience.
power-up during hiking or a trip, it sOneofmybiggestwishesisthatmostpeoplecould
everything!Don tyouloveit?
beabletohavetheopportunitytolivethiskindofThen,mysecondlove(here,ImustsayIfell experience.So,wecouldtearapartthoseimaginary
in love several times in Japan with food, andphysicalbarriersthatmakeusthinkwearevery
beer, persons, places, etc.) I met “The differentfromeachotherandrealizewearenot,we
Sapporo Beer Garden” it was love at first are equal, living under different conditions,sight,Imeanyoufeelinparadisewhenyou resources, lifestyles, but in the end just humans. I
gettoaplacewhereyoucandrinkAsahibeer loveJapan,mylifeinSapporoisoneofmy lines atfrom eleven in the morning, even at the this point in my life. It refreshed my capacity forschool.
wonder,discovery,love,andlearning.Thankstoyou
who were part of this amazing experience, andOk,enough.Let smovetoformalstuffandto allthepurposeofmyinternship,thewelcomeof waitforyouinthispartoftheworld,Mexico.
mylabpartnerswasnoble,youknowaquiet WithLove,
reallyquietJapaneseresearchlab.


Thalía Turrén-Cruz 14Ayaka Ito

eVISIONw ei v r et nI

PleasetellusaboutyourtimeworkingatHokkaido One other time, Natalya-san also asked me toUniversity.Whatdidyoudo?
participateine3end-of-the-yearpartyaspartofthe Japanese team with Kudo-san. But after a
So,I,AyakaIto,startedworkingattheengineering s year, it felt like I was already counted as ainternationalofficeinFebruary2015.Atthattime,I participantineveryevent.
was mainly in charge of the internship program forincomingstudents.Especially,May-Julyisthebusiest You seem to be very close with the students;
timeoftheyear,andwehadapick-upserviceatthe was it only after joining e3 events or long
Sapporostation.IwastheonewhowenttoSapporo beforethat?
station holding the nameplate, waiting for thestudents. I usually attended the meetings as an Forthefirsthalf-year,Iwasresponsiblefortheassistant.Myjobwastotakepictures,writeminutes, internship students. But I remember slowly
andpreparemeetingmaterial.So,thoseweremyfirst memorizing students  names―especially MEXT
2-3yearsinHokudai,andforthelasttwoyearsanda students  since they come to the office every
half,Iwasapartoftheexchangeprogram.
month.StudentsseemtolikeandremembermeI took care of incoming and outgoing students as well. I think I have better than averageapplications for the exchange program. I saw some memory to remember names and faces;internship and exchange students coming back as therefore,helpedmegetclosertothestudents
full-time students. So, my contract period was faster.
renewableuntilthe5thyear,andafterthat,IhadtoleaveinJanuary2020.
As a dosanko (born and raised in Hokkaido),what do you miss the most after leaving
How and why did you join e3 events even though HokudaiorSapporoingeneral?
youwerenote3staff?
Sapporo has nice weather. The summer is notMyfirstbige3eventwasawelcometripin2015.At crazyhumidandhot.Iwouldn tsayIlikesnow
thattime,ane3staff(Kaneda-san)calledmebecause and cold weather, but I miss the quiet winterofasuddencancelation.Theyhadfreespaceonthe nightbecausesnowabsorbssound,soitisreallybus,sotheyinvitedmetojointhetrip,andIthought: quietinwinter.Buthere,wehavenosnow,so
whynot?WewenttoLakeShikotsuandenjoyedfruit the noise is the same as how it is in thepicking,whichisverytypicalforawelcometrip.We summertime. There are no spacious streetshadagamethatrequiredsomeonetoguessaword whereyoucanseetheopenstarryskiesonyourheld above his/her head with the help of others waybackhome.
descriptions.Thewordwas Ayaka, andtheplayer
said, Isitbigorsmall? andthewholebuscamewith Isthisyourfirsttimelivingonyourown?
their own opinion of how Ayaka  is. Anotherquestion was: Is it expensive? . And I remember InJapan,yes!ButIlivedabroadinIowa,USA,tosomeonesaid: Priceless! .Itwasvery,veryfunny. study international relations. Then I moved toChicago to work for a year and a half before
returninghome.

15

Nowlet splayarapid-fireround.Pleaseanswerin2secs.
Tellusaboutthingsyoulike.
Isthereanyfunnystories/experienceyou
hadworkinginHokudai?
WhatisyourfavoriteMovie?
WhisperoftheHeart(⽿をすませば).
ManynewstudentsthinkthatIamnotpartofthestaff. Whichfruitdoyoulovemost?
For the first few years, I used to pick up internship
Cherries,butIamallergictoit.
studentsatthestation.SomethoughtthatIwasjusta WhatisyourfavoriteJapanesefood?
student supporter and not the Ayaka  staff they have
Chawanmushi!
beencommunicatingwithallthattime.WhenItookthem Whatisyourfavoritenovel/Book?
to their dorm, the dorm manager looked at me with
YukioMishima sLifeforSale(命売ります)
doubtfuleyesandsaid, No,girls! becausehethoughtI WhichPrefectureinJapandoyoulikemost?
wasthestudent sgirlfriend.IneededtoshowmyIDandTokyo.
explained the whole situation before he allowed me to Whatisyourfavoritemusician?
enterthedorm smeetingroom.
BTS.
DuringtheBBQparties,Itrickednewstudentsbytalking WhoisyourfavoriteJapaneseartist?
tothem,pretendingthatIamnotthestaff.IsaidIama
FujiiKaze.
studentfromTaiwanorKoreaoranewlyjoinedJapanese Whattypeofmusicdoyoulike?
student,andsomeseniorsjustplayedalongwithitfora
Dependsonmymood.
while.
WhatisyourfavoriteJapaneseactorandactress
Anotherinterestingthingthatmightnotbefunny,butan
TakeruSato.
exciting and unique experience, is that I often received WhoisyourfavoriteInternationalactorandactress?
very authentic gifts from new students or students
NataliePortman.
returningfromtheirhometowns.EventhoughIreceived WhatisyourfavoriteJapanesesnack?
theinformationonitstastesandingredients,thefirstbite
TabekkoDoubutsu!
mademeveryexcited!
WhatisyourHobby?
Watchingsportsgames.
Doyouhaveanymessagesforstudents/staff?
Nooneisperfect,andnoonecansurvivealone.Somepeoplemightnotlikeopeninguptheirfeelings,butyourfriends
andfamiliesarewillingtohelpyoumorethanyouthink.Also,don toverthink;youhavemoresupportersaroundyou
morethanyouthink.Justrelax,andenjoytheride!

w ei v r et nI

eVISION

16

Hello!!!

eVISIONIalsoparticipatedineventsheldbye3thatpromoteactivities
between Japanese and international students which allowed me tomeetmorepeopleandunderstandmoreaboutJapaneseculture.But
mostimportantly,Ihadthechancetoconductmyownresearchandcompleted my bachelor s thesis which contributed to my master sdegreeapplication.Noneoftheseaccomplishmentswouldbepossible
ifitwasnotforthegenerosityofmyprofessorsandcolleagues.
Itfeltlikearollercoasterride.Atfirstyoulookedatit, heythatlooksfunlet stry .Thenwhenyouhopon,yougetthatanxietythatsomethingbadisgoingtohappen.Whenitstarted,youwereexcited,butafterthewhileyoufeelnauseaandbeggingtocomedown.Then
comestheadrenalinerushthatmakesitallexciting.Justwhenyou
werestartingtoenjoytheplace,feelthewindonyourhairandyourheart beats for excitement instead of fear, they stopped therollercoaster: That stheendofyourride .Japanwaslikethatkindoftrip.
ThesefourmonthsinJapanhadbeenveryemotionalforme,andprobably influenced me the most in my academic journey. I havegrown and became more matured in my thoughts; I learned to beprepared,toacceptthingsthewaytheyarebutalwaystrymybestinalltasks.Therewerebadandgoodexperiences,butregardlesshowtheyare,theywillberememberedasvaluableassetsformyfuture.

Thao Nguyen

napaJ ni efiLThisisThaoNguyen,writingtoyoufromTampere,
Finland!
Overayearago,Ihadanopportunitytoconductmyinternship in Division of Environmental Engineering in
HokkaidoUniversity.Tothisday,Icanconfidentlysaythatitwasalife-changingexperiencethatplaysasignificantroleinmypersonalandprofessionaldevelopment.
Myinternshipwasconductedbasedonthebilateralagreement between my home university, Tampere
UniversityofAppliedSciences,andHokkaidoUniversity.
Practicaltrainingplacementsareoftenhardtofind,andgoingexchangeabroadisaperfectopportunitytotakeabreakfromyourusualroutine.Thiswasstrongestreason
why I chose Japan as my exchange destination. The
second reason is because I ve always been interested inJapananditsculture.I vealwaysdreamtofitasaperfectplace where traditions and technology unify and grow.
Thus,Iwasdeterminedtocomeandexperienceitmyself.
DuringmytimeinJapan,IworkedintheLaboratoryon
Water Reclamation Engineering of Hokkaido University.
WhenIfirstcame,everyonewassowelcomingandkind,they threw a welcome party for me and took me torestaurants around the city so I can get a taste of local
food.Attheendofmystay,mylab-matessurprisedmewith their gifts: and T-shirt and towel with Hokkaido
University logo, exactly what I wanted to buy before
comingbacktoFinland.Duringmyinternship,therewerealso some difficulties regarding the work, as well ascultureshock.Atsomepoints,itwasverystressfulformebecausethingsdidnotgoaccordingtoplan.However,I
slowly learn to embrace the differences. The important
thing was to prepare for difficulties, and the outcome
maybeevenbetterthananticipated.WhenIreturnedtoFinland, I felt more competence and became more
independent. Regardless of the uncomfortable
experiences and culture shocks, this internship had alsooffered me blessings that I could not have if I didn t goexchangeabroad.Duringmystay,IfeltlikeIwasapartoftheteam.Everyoneunderstandsthatitisdifficultformeto adjust to the new environment, so my professor andlab-matesmakesurethatIfeelwelcomed.

17

based on a true story by Afif Faiq Muhammad

eVISION

enitnarauQ

08/09/20(Indonesia‒Japan)
24/02/21(Japan-Indonesia)
20:15 - Airport checked in. They asked for my AnegativetestcertificateinEnglishforinternational
passport,residencecard,letterofconfirmation(from travelofamaximumof72hourspriortodepartingthe embassy), and certificate of COVID-19 testing was required, so I made a web-reservation which(officialtemplatefromJapan sMOFA).
thengotaconfirmationemailandphonecall.The
21:55-Boardedtheflight.Theflightattendantwill cheapestIfoundsofar:give you a COVID-19 related questionnaire and bit.ly/evisiontest;bit.ly/evisionloc;¥12,100
testat15:30resultat12:03(+1);*Salivatest.
customsdeclaration.

26/02/21
09/09/20
06:45-LandedinNaritaAirportbutmustwaitinside 6:30-Superearlychecked-in.Showedthenegative
PCRtestcertificate.Signedaform(preparedbythetheplane.
07:40-Gotofftheplane.Hadaseatandwaitedfor airline). I don t remember what the content was
aboutbecauseitwascollectedafter.
myturntobere-testedforCOVID-19.
08:30 - Stood in line to get my questionnaire 6:48-Mostoftheshopswereclosed,soIwenttothechecked.Confirmedmyname,thengotthetesttube observationdeckforastroll.
and green card. Got a funnel for the saliva test. 09:00-Immigration.ShowedthenegativePCRtestI was given a paper containing basic
Headedtomycubicle,andIneededtospituntilthe certificate.
designated line on the test tube. Disposed of the informationaboutre-entryregulationwhichisquite
different than the one I experience back infunnelandhandedoverthetesttube.
08:45 - Had a seat and wait for my turn to be September.
11:45-Boardedtheflight.
interviewedaboutmyquarantineplan.
Long story short, the government
09:10 - The interview. They asked where I will be 19:30-Landed.
quarantinedandhowtheyweresupposedtocontact providedafreequarantinedfacility.
metocheckonmycondition.
20:30-SomepeopleareSELLINGpre-activatedlocal*I m in my friend s place, so they asked for the simcardsincetherewasnoWi-Fiinthefacilitywhile
address (and contact number). I choose LINE for waitingforthebus. Uh-oh!Fishy!
themtosurveymeonmycondition.
Theywroteaseatnumberonmygreencardandsaid 21:00-Gotonthebuswithother20people.Somepeople are entering the bus offering sim card,Ishouldsitaccordingly.
snacks, toiletries. En route, the driver asked for a
09:32-Beforethewaitinghall,thereweretablesfull smalltipbyhandingoveraplasticbagthatpassedoffreesnacksanddrinks(mineralwater,juicepack, overthroughoutthebus. Welcomehome.
dorayaki,andpotatochips).Theycalledthelastfour 22:00-Reachedthefacility.Waitonthebusfor4
digitsonthegreencardjustabovethebarcodewhen hours, since apparently more buses are upfronttheresultisready.
queueing, while more people are entering the bus
10:36 - Got the result. I was negative, so I can offering, again, sim card, fried rice, meatballs,
proceed to Immigration. God knows what will chickenrice,snacks,toiletries,plugconverter,andhappenotherwise.
anything you d like to order, and of course it was
10:44-Immigrationcheck(itwasalongwalk).They okaytoeatinsidethebus.Youmaygetofftopuffasasked me to fill the form containing where I was smokeortwoorstretchorwhateveryouwantifitNooneeversaiditwouldbethiscomingfrom;andwhenwasthelasttimeIleftJapan. aroundthebus.
hard~Oh,takemebacktothestart~.
Theyalsoaskedforboththeletterofconfirmation
andthecertificateoftesting.
27/02/21
11:08-Gotmyluggagewhichhasbeencheckbythe 02:00-Getoffthebusandgotassignedtoaroom
TSAdog,anditfoundsomethingsuspicious,sothey for quarantine. Not so surprisingly, it will be a 3putatagandexplanationonmyluggage.ThenIhad peopleroomquarantinesoIwillbeputupinaroomtobringmybagtothestaffandgetchecked.Noone togetherwithtwostrangers.
wascheckingonmewhetherIgotpickedupornot. 
SEEMSIT SONEFORALLANDALLFORONE,BABY!
11:21-I moutandgotonmybookedride.

18

Meet thee3 Student Organization
BaptistePelletier
e3SOPresidentHieveryone!Bonjour!!MynameisBaptiste,I mfromBourgogne,inFrance!I
studyMechanicalandSpaceengineeringhereatHokkaidoUniversity.I vebeeninJapanforalittlemorethanayearnow,andIcanhonestlysayit sone of the best places to live! Whether it s the food, the people or theamazingscenery,youreallycan tmakeamistakebycominginthiscountry!
Hokkaidowillofferyoutheicingonthecake,withitsperfectsnow,andthecherryontopwouldbetheextrawarmthofitsinhabitants!
As president of the e3 SO, I m looking forward to connecting everyone
regardless of their origins, to share our experiences, our knowledge, andsimply,toshareagoodtime!Ihopeyouwilljointhee3familyofHokkaido
Universityandspendawonderfultimewithus!
Seeyou!Abientot!

AmaguClement
VicePresidentofAcademicAffairs

eVISIONOS

HelloMinna-san!!!IamAmagu,AmaguClementfromNigeria.
YoucancallmeAmagu.IamD1studentintheLaboratoryofRock Mechanics, Division of Sustainable Resources
Engineering.IstartedmystudyasaMastersstudentinOctober
2018, and then continued with my PhD program. I came to
Hokudaiin2014forashort-termexchangeprogram(HUSTEP)
betweenHokkaidoUniversityandmyhomeUniversity(Ebonyi
StateUniversity,Abakaliki,Nigeria).Sofar,Ihavegottengood
exposureinmyresearcharea,Japanesecustoms,andherrichorientedculture,andlookingforwardtoenjoyingmore.
IhavejoinedseveralE3globaltalk,bonenkaifestivalandsoon.I mtellingyou,alltheeventswereunforgettable.However,ase3SO svicepresidentforacademicaffair,Iwillcontributemyideas,energyandtimetosustainthegoalofe3SO.
To new e3 students, let s participate, organize and arrange
unforgettable events for ourselves that we may enjoy andmakebeautifulmemoriestogetherine3!
Let sdoittogether!

19

NabilahAtiqah
VicePresidentofSocailAffairs

Hello,everyone!IamNabilahfrom LandoftheHornbills ‒Sarawakin Malaysia. I am a D2 student from the Laboratory of Space
Utilization,DivisionofMechanicalandSpaceEngineering.Iarrived
SapporoaroundoneyearagoandIhavebeenenjoyinglivinghere
since.MyfavouritepartisthefourseasonsofSapporowhichIcannot
experienced in my home country. I hope everyone is enjoying
Sapporoclimateaswell.NotforgettingthemainreasonwhyI min
Sapporointhefirstplace,ofcourseI mgratefultohavethechancetopursuemygraduatestudyatHokkaidoUniversityunderthee3
Program. Through this program, other than the academic
opportunity,I velearnttogettoknowdifferentculturesofdifferent
countriesfromfriendsofdifferentbackground.Iamgladtojointhee3studentorganizationaswecanalltogetherjoinfunactivitiesheldby e3 family, expand connections among e3 students and aim topromoteexchangesofknowledgeandexperiences.Everyone,let s
gettogetherandenjoythisjourney!

GaurabDasMahapatra
VicePresidentofPublicRelations

SourabhJagrat:
VicePresidentofFinace

NamasteandKonnichiwatoallofyou.ThisisGaurabDasMahapatra(orGDM) from India. I am a Doctoral Student (D1) associated with the
Laboratory of Architectural Planning of the Division of Architectural &StructuralEngineering,withintheGraduateSchoolofEngineering.
Themajorreasonforjoiningthee-cubestudentbodyismyquesttowardsa mutual exchange of knowledge with global peers through interactionandconnection.Themottoofe3is theworldisonefamily ,whichhasacloseresemblancetotheJapanesetheoryof TabunkaKyosei ;whichinturn also has stark similarity to the Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam , or African concept of Ubuntu , or Chinese belief ofXioakang .Basically,alltheseprinciplesremindusaboutaglobaltruththatweareallconnectedtoacommonroot‒HUMANITY.Letusallcometogether and help in fostering a creative and humane environment bylearningand UN learningaswell...
YoroshikuOnegaishimasu...

eVISIONOS

NamasteMinnasan!IamSourabhJagratfromIndia.IamanM2studentintheDivisionofMechanicalandSpaceEngineering. It s been almost over a year I came toJapan.IhavealwaysbeenafanofJapaneseanimeandstill,IamfascinatedwithJapananditsculture.Butthebest part about living in Hokkaido is its four seasons;cherryblossominspring,theseainsummer,leavesinAutumn&mountainsinwinters.IamgladIamapartofe3 community, through which I got to meet so manydifferent people around the globe and we shared somanyfunmomentstogether.Forthenewcomers,comeandjoinus.We llenjoyandcreatememoriestogetherasabighappye3family.

20

Tips and tricks. Enjoy your

University life
By Cynthia Waihenya

GettingstartedeVISIONs k ci r T &s pi Ta)Communication
Navigating Sapporo and Japan, in general, can gettricky without an internet connection and thelanguagebarrierforsome.Gettingasimcardissometricky business but totally doable. The best optionsareprobablyadatasimwhichyoucanobtainwithoutany documentation from shops like Yodobashi
Camera or BicCamera * located near or at Sapporo
stationAvoiceandcallsimcardrequirestheuseofacreditcard.OCNmobileallowsforeigners
togetasimcardwitharesidencecardandacreditcardfromanothercountry.Lineisanothergoodoptionforavoice,anddatasimcardislinemobile,butthisrequiresasim
card*(seebelow)b)Makingpurchases
Well,asnoticed,mostplacesdon tacceptdebitcards,soacreditcardisneeded.(Pleasenoteyoucanstillgetbywithoutacreditcard)Gettingacreditcardasaforeignerisabit
difficultduetothelackofacreditscore.AsaHokudaistudent,itispossibletogetacreditcardthroughtheUniversityCo-op.YouneedtobeamemberoftheCo-opforafee.However,thereareotherbenefitstothis.
c)Gettinganapartment
There are several companies that can aid in apartment hunting that have English
speakers.Apaman,Uni-life,andtheUniversityCo-opfitthisbill.TheyprovideEnglish
supportandcanhelpyoufindanapartmentthatfitsyourneeds.

21

Extras•MovingaroundinSapporoisprettyconvenientusingabicyclewhenit snotsnowing.
•Ifyouloseitemsonthetrain,youcantryandgetthemattheLostandFoundinOdori
station.

eVISIONs k ci r T &s pi Td)Fittingoutyourapartment
So, you have an apartment, and it s totally empty for some, partially empty orfurnished,nomatterthestate,youstillneedafewbasicthings.Noneedtobuynewitems,whichcancauseadentinyourwallet.
HokkaidoFreeandforsale,H.U.I.S.A.Facebookpageand2ndstreet(asecond-handshop,oneofmany)canhelpyougetitemsforfreeorcheap.Theyareworthchecking
out.Daiso,CanDo,Seriaare100-yenshopsthatsupplynearlyeverythingyoumayneedfromhouseholdgoods,kitchenequipment,stationery;theseshopsaredefinitely
worthcheckingout
SustenanceForthosewholiketotesttheirskillsinthekitchen,youwillquicklyrealizeshoppingforgroceriesinconveniencestorescanbeprettyinconvenientforyourwallet.
Togetthemostofyouryenforgroceries,Irecommendcertainshopsthatcatertothebudgetshoppers:a)Gyomusuper-locatedinTanukikojiNishi2.Gooddealsonfrozenmeats,frozen
vegetables,condiments,anddairyproductsb) Sapporo Marukyo Fruit and Vegetables (http://sapporo-marukyouseika.jp/shop/) the closest is at Kita 25. Don t let the distance discourage you.
Therearedealstobehad.Theyhavealineaccountwheretheyupdateoncrazydiscountprices〒001-0025北海道札幌市北区北２５条⻄４丁⽬１−26レジデンスオオミ２５c)   JR FreshMart- normal prices may be a bit steep, but they constantly havediscountsonmeatandeggs(updatedontheirlineaccountaswell)Fun,culture,andadventureTheapartmentisallsetupormaybestillinthedorm,butyouhaveatinybitoffreetimetoexploreHokkaido,justnottoosurewheretobegin.a)What soninSapporo-aFacebookpagethatiscurrentonwellWhat sonin
Sapporo. The page always features activities open to the public like Language
exchangeprograms,concerts,andothereventsb)Schoolnoticeboards‒Duringtheschoolyear,variousgroupsorganizeevents(e3,H.U.I.S.A)whichmayvaryduetotheCoronavirusperiodbutmaystillgoon.
OtherexternalpartiesalsopostnoticesforculturalexchangeopportunitiesliketheSapporoChamberofCommerce.

22

eVISION

4coloursofHokkaidoUniversity-byMishal