Vol. 3
September 15, 2009

With our Deepest Appreciation and Gratitude

T

hirty years ago, I had the privilegeof traveling to Japan as an exchange student to Saitama-ken
from my undergraduate university in
Oregon. At my Japanese host university,
I received daily Japanese classes in themorning, subject-based courses in English in the afternoon, and I became amember of the Shorinji Kenpo club.
These activities were all an integral partof my initial learning experience about
daily life as well as life as a student inJapan. Equally important and one of themore lasting impressions of my exchange program was my home stay experience with the Murakami Family from
Tokorozawa, Saitama. The memories of
my home stay family have resonatedthrough me the past thirty years.
My home stay experience changed
my life and allowed me to have a bird’s
eye view of what daily life in Japan offered. Using the daily expressions of“tadaima” and “itte kimasu,” simply observing the family order of events of taking a furo, and learning how a family
could live in such small quarters was all
so interesting and educational for me. I
enjoyed spending time with my host family very much. Noriko, my host mother,
took me to watch Kabuki. I played catchwith Daisuke, the 8-year old son. The 6year old daughter, Kazuko, helped me
study my Japanese homework. Yuka, theeldest daughter, was always smiling andfriendly, and at 10 years old was alreadystudying English. My host mother spoke
English well and explained various things
about Japan to me. The Grandmotherwho enjoyed listening to sumo on theradio also lived with them and sat at myleft side during dinner. At the dinnertable, my host father Jiro and I often
enjoyed drinking beer together. Using his
broken English and simple Japanesewords, together we discussed topics
such as politics and running marathons,
my family and world travel. Our nightly
dinner tradition was to end each evening
sipping on ocha (green tea) and sometimes I listened to his rendition of“Sayonara” written by the famed folk
group, “Off Course.” Thirty years later,
all of these fond memories still neststrongly within me; I can picture all of
their faces as if it were just yesterday.
Throughout the years, I continued to visit
them when I traveled through Tokyo. The
children have all grown up, gotten married and have had children of their own.
Jiro and Noriko came to visit my family
and I in the US, when I was living in
Alaska and Hawaii. Even thirty years
later, my home stay family and I remain
friends…….we are friends for life.
My home stay experience influenced
me in very positive ways. It helped create the strong desire for me to return toJapan after graduation. As a result of myreturn, my life would never be the same.
Never in my wildest dreams could I haveimagined that I would someday be the
Director of the International Center at aJapanese university. There is no actual
way to measure the influence and positive effects of a home stay experience,but for many of the incoming OGU international students, the home stay experience may be the most impressionistic
part of their Japan experience. Throughthe review of the student evaluations andspeaking to the international students,
clearly the home stay experience is oneof the best ways for the international
students to understand the Japanesepeople, their customs, values and waysof thinking.
Naturally, hosting an international
student is not easy. There are differences in ways of thinking, likes and dis-

likes, lifestyles and personalities, which
can all be very challenging and difficult attimes. OGU host families do not offer
home stay to earn the money, as we
often hear about in other countries. In
fact, the monthly stipend they receive
does not come close to covering thevarious costs of hosting an international
student. OGU host families open theirhomes to students for a variety of reasons. There are those with children who
often wish to expose their children toforeigners. There are others whose children are grown up, and they want toshare their home and teach foreigners
about Japan. Some families simply enjoy
spending time talking to foreign students
and participate in the home stay program
as a sense of goodwill or as their contribution to a better world, and in a larger
sense, world peace.
We at the International Center extend
our deepest appreciation and gratitude to
the OGU host families for all they do.
Many thanks to both the past and present families, for opening up your hearts
and welcoming the international students
into your home.

International Center Director
Mike Matsuno

A Request from the International CenterIf your family knows of other families
who might also be interested in hosting an international student from
OGU, please contact the International Center. We are always looking
for additional host families as our
one-month, one semester, and oneyear programs continue to successfully grow! Thank you very much!

Page 2“한국에서 이루어진 꿈 (My Dream Came True in Korea)” Hidenori Matsutani (Ajunior majoring in Foreign Languages)처음 뵙겠습니다.
뵙겠습니다. 저는 마즈타니 히데노리 입니다.
입니다.
How do you do? I am Hidenori Matsutani.

I

studied at Soon Chun Hyang University, located in Korea, during September, 2008 to June 2009. Before myjourney began, my impression of Korea
was very simple. I imagined it to be acountry similar to Japan with good food. I
was looking very forward to my departure! However, I had never studied Korean before, so I did not have confidence
to live alright in Korea. I finally left Japan
with a lot of excitement and anxiety.
Other people might say that if you worry
that much, why don’t you study Korean
before you leave? But I like to challenge
anything that comes to me.
Upon my arrival in Korea, the Incheon
Airport, which is much bigger than the
Kansai International Airport, awaited me. I
was completely surrounded by the Korean
language, which made me even more
nervous to travel to Korea. In my first twomonths there, I communicated with students and staff using only limited English.
I felt frustrated that my Korean did not
improve as much as I would have wanted
it to during the first part of my stay. On theother hand, I didn’t have much trouble
during my one-year stay, with the one
exception, of losing my wallet and credit
card. To problem solve, I had to go to thepolice station to submit a report, apply tothe credit card company for a new card
and apply for a new ATM card at thebank. Things I could do with confidence in
my home country; became a challenge ina foreign country. Yet, in hindsight, it wasa lesson to myself that I could do justabout anything if I really put my mind to it!
Events like this presented many learning
opportunities for me during my time in
Korea.
I, one who loves to take risks, mademy dream come true in Korea! I was chosen to play on an international student
soccer team for Soon Chun Hyang University. I have been playing soccer since I
was an elementary student and my dreamwas to play for an international soccer
team. Looking back, it seemed an impossible dream to reach; but I actually did it.
Soccer is a well-known sport all over theworld, and many international students
practiced soccer almost everyday on thecampus. However, we could only practiceand not play official games because wewere not an “organized team”. Therefore,
I decided to make our team official. Of
course it was not an easy task. We
needed uniforms and it was a challenge
for all of the team members to communicate since we all spoke different languages. It was a slow process and there
were many barriers we had to overcome.
However, when we finally made it happen,
after many discussions in both Korean
and English, it was very exciting! The
team was made up of members from Korea, America, Turkey, China, Thailand,
Vietnam, Mexico, Switzerland, Canada
and Japan. We name ourselves the“Global FC.” Even the smallest details
about forming a team worried me. Did weHidenori with other Global FC members

have enough students interested in forming an official soccer team? How would
we get uniforms? In the end, once I decided to push forward and conquer any
fears I had, one of my life’s dreams became a reality and I was finally a memberof an official international soccer team!
As a result of my study abroad experience, I learned I would never know “whatcould be” if I didn’t take a risk and try new
things. Taking risks and accepting a challenge is very important in life. Regrets
only mount for those who sit by and watch
others get involved and reframe fromjumping in themselves. Try new thingsand don’t worry. Take a reasonable risk or
two in your college life! Don’t sit this one
out. Don’t be afraid!

“My Life in South Africa” Sho Saito (A senior majoring in Economics)
A partner agreement between Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
and Osaka Gakuin University (OGU) was signed in March of 2009. Sho Saito, asenior majoring in Economics is the first exchange student to attend NMMU from
OGU. NMMU is located about an hour by air from Johannesburg on the beautiful
oceanfront of Port Elizabeth. Although today we often hear about South Africa, itwill be interesting to hear Sho’s first hand impressions and stories about his newexperiences in the months ahead. The following is his tale about his first month’s
adventure living and studying at our new partner University in South Africa!

Nearly a month has passed since I
arrived at NMMU to settle in for mysemester-long study abroad experience. It is unbelievable how quickly
time flies! Remarkably, I am the very firstJapanese exchange student to study atthis university. Happily, I will share withyou events of this past month, as well assome insights into my host university.
I am now living in Port Elizabeth located in South Africa, a small coastal
community known as the “windy city.” Thescenery here is beautiful. Some of myfavorite sites include the quaint coastal
streets and their majestic ocean views.
One might think Africa would be a challenging place to live, but rather, South
Africa is a very comfortable and convenient location to stay. In fact, daily necessities are easily accessible in several supermarkets nearby my apartment. There isalso a shopping mall in the city center.
Regarding daily living, my life is not somuch different from that in Japan. Modes

BBQ with other international studentsof transportation include van taxis andbuses. Taxis are very inexpensive andmany people take a taxi wherever they
travel. A fare costs only 6 Rand, which isequal to approximately 70 yen! Inside thetaxis, there are both a driver and an announcer who shouts at potential passengers along the streets… “Taxi! Taxi!” Thetaxi van makes stops from time to timePage 3
picking up over 20 people who pile in thetaxi and sit together very closely on theseats. At first, I wasn’t familiar with thetaxi system, yet once I learned how easy
and convenient it was, I began to usethem more often.
Other popular activities available to me
in Port Elizabeth include surfing, scuba
diving, camping, whale watching andmuch more. In fact, one of my new friends
is a surfer and has invited me to go surfing with him this afternoon!
My host university, Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University (NMMU) is named
after Nelson Mandela, a most significant
black leader in South Africa who becamea strong symbol of resistance for the antiapartheid movement. He later became thepresident of South Africa. NMMU has arich multifaceted international atmosphere. For example, my class consists ofeight students from Cameron, Congo,
France, Sweden, Pakistan and China. I
study in the English language programand my teachers provide a comprehensive, slow paced learning environment
where students feel comfortable and welcome to ask questions. My classmatesand I often discuss diversified topics during our time together outside of class.

Certainly, during the next four months I
will experience a few challenges with myEnglish studies. However undoubtedly, I
will also enjoy many new experiences,which will build fond and unforgettable
memories to treasure for the rest of mylife!

One recent class event included a visit
to Kragga Kamma Game Park, which ishome to variety of safari animals such as
cheetahs, giraffes, and rhinos. The guidedrove us around the park in a specializedviewing car. It was exciting to see thelarge animals first-hand in the vast African
wilderness. I had previously only witnessed this type of thing on T.V. Eachmonth we will visit a different site and I
can hardly wait to find out where we willvisit next!
Kragga Kamma Game Park

Data for the 2009-10 International Exchange Program!

F

ifty-one students from thirteen
countries all over the world will
arrive at OGU the first week of
September! The number of students
attending the OGU International Exchange Program has increased dramatically each year since 2006. Back in
2005, the program had only 9 students
total; today enrollment has increased to
an incredible 51 students. Their presence on campus has become an important source of internationalization campus wide (graph #1). This year the number of students participating from Asia,
Europe and America present a more

New international students at the orientation

distinct balance (graph #2). Diversification in student national origin represent
America, Mexico, Austria, The Netherlands, Germany, Finland, France, Thailand, Philippines, China, Taiwan and
Korea. Osaka Gakuin University proves
to be a global center of knowledge, notonly for international students, but for
OGU students as well.
With the support of the International
Center and the mission statement: “toprovide international exchange students
with a “life-changing,” authentic Japanese experience. A personalized experience that they will be able to reflect on
and build upon after leaving OGU, where
their lives and their future will never be
the same”, the international students will
participate in the Japanese language andculture courses, live in a local home stayfamily, dormitory or apartment.
Essential to the continued success of
the OGU international programs is the
support of the local community, OGU
faculty, staff, and students. This year,
more than thirty host families will open
their homes to incoming international#1: Number of partner universities, international students and host families.

students, which will provide them aunique opportunity to learn Japanese
language and culture as a result of their
daily lives spent in Japan.
Additional support for international
students includes involvement by a student volunteer group known as the International Student Support Team (ISST).
The role of this team, mainly consistingof students, is to support new incominginternational students during their time at
OGU. The main ISST mission welcomesthe international students as part of the“OGU family”, by greeting them upon
their arrival at the airport, helping them
apply for their alien registration cards
and planning fun events to celebrate
their upcoming school year.
Without a doubt, success of any program depends heavily upon the supportof others. The OGU International Program is no exception. With great appreciation the faculty and staff at the International Center thank you for your ongoing support for the OGU exchange program.
(T.K.)#2: Percentage data for 2009-10

60
50
40

P artn e r u n i ve rsi ti e s

30

In te rn ati o n al stu de n ts

20

H o st f am i l i e sEurope
32%
Asia
49%

10
0
20042005

20052006

2006200720072008

20082009

20092010

America16%

Tips for a Host Family—Part 1 by Yuko TeramuraT

to use right away. For example: how to
avoid conflicts with an international student
or guidelines for problem solving if indeed
any conflicts occur.
My experience hosting the thirty-fivestudents has given me much practicalinsight over the years. Here, I will share myexperiences as a host mother, those ofother host families and my friends. I hope
my tips will be helpful to others.
I would first like to talk about the comparisons of long-term programs and shortterm programs. Personally, I believe hosting a student for a longer period of time ismuch easier. When a home stay visit islimited to only one week, students often
leave Japan before getting used to living ina home comfortably. As a result, they missout on the opportunity to learn how to do
anything for themselves in the home. The
student’s role becomes more of a guest
and often times they expect the host family
to take them around to see the sites inJapan, which can become far more costly
for the host family. Regardless, if you are ahost family with only limited time, it may bebeneficial for you to host a student for ashort period.
Osaka Gakuin University offers a longTeramura Family with Johanna (An Inter- term program for international students
national Student at OGU in 2008-2009) with the option to home stay with a local
family. The students’ goal is to study in a“Comparisons of long-term programs - vslanguage program at the university. Host
short-term programs” By: Yuko Teramurafamily duties, for a long-term student, difI have often read information about the conventional fer. In this situation a host family offers anhost family experiences and various tips such as: “we took authentic living environment in which stuour student here and there and enjoyed doing this and dents can learn about the life and culturethat”. I have always felt there was very limited useful infor- of Japanese people. In contrast to themation available for potential host families. Living with short-term program, the host family does
someone you never met before is not an easy thing to do. not treat them as a guest, but rather as a
Host families yearn for practical tips they can learn and put member of the family assuring them fullhe International Center isinterested in bringing awareness to OGU’s home stayprograms and extending information for current and potential hostfamilies. This article is the first in a
VII part series featuring first hand
information, stories, and hints forfamilies who open their home to ourstudents. Our first family, the Teramura’s, began hosting international
students in their home in 1996.
They have hosted approximately
thirty-five students from America,
Germany, France, The Netherlands
and Taiwan.

immersion into the culture. Since the student and the family build a strong relationship over time, it is much more natural for
host families to tell them what to do. Likewise, the students are far more receptive
to learning and respecting the family rules
and boundaries. Additionally, these students often have a general knowledge ofJapanese life and some can speak a little
Nihongo and are capable of commuting toschool on the train independently. Other
advantages of a long-term student include
their ability to be at home without you
when your family works late. They haveless of an expectation that you will takethem around for sightseeing and they often
plan outings with their friends during theweekend. Of course if there is a day bothof you are free, you may go sightseeing
with them. However, I cannot emphasize
enough the importance of confirming withthem that sightseeing is something theywant to do before making plans to takethem. Never assume anything; ask themfirst because they are attending OGU to
study Japanese and often have other commitments such as homework and exams.
Most importantly, although they are only
university age, they are young adults andshould be treated as such. For example:
remember to avoid making any plan forthem prior to inquiring about their plans
first. A common mistake for host families is
to take the student out according to thefamily’s plan only and later expect appreciation for the gesture. This is a lack ofconsideration for the student’s scheduleand is definitely a no-no.
(Coming soon in the next edition~”Friendly Rules”)

Introduction: Japanese Instructor Ms. Misa FukuiT

wo full-time and two part-time educators teach Japaneseat Osaka Gakuin University. In this issue, we would liketo introduce Ms. Masaka Fukui.
Joining us in April of 2003, Fukui sensei has been educating
students at the International Center the longest of the four
teachers. Prior to her time at OGU, she was a Japanese instructor for four years in
Latvia, one of three
Baltic countries.
There, she taught ina K-12 continuous
education school
system as well as ina Latvian University. Why Latvia you
may wonder? When
she was studying
Ms. Fukui with international students
Russian while working at a Japanesecompany, her teacher mentioned a possible upcoming teachingposition opening in Latvia. That was the beginning of her journey. Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined her life

would take such a turn! It was a great experience for her!
Known as a seasoned teacher, Fukui sensei has a gift ofsuccessfully reaching and teaching students from countries allover the world each year. Clearly, her students respect her verymuch. She skillfully fosters community and builds trust withthem, which cultivates life long bonds for everyone in her class.
An example of this teaching spirit was evident when she traveled to Seoul, Korea last July on a personal trip. On her own
time, she stopped to check on some former students who studied the previous year at OGU. These students enjoyed her somuch. They even took her sightseeing! Many international students fondly remember their time in her classes and treasure
memories of her as a teacher long after their return to theirhome countries.
When asked her impressions of the OGU international students, she replied, “They study hard and play hard.” Fukui sensei, is known as the teacher who has high expectations for all
students and requires they do their best and study hard all thetime!
Her final words of wisdom: “Time flies by quickly in this program. For one to be successful, they must try their very best in
everything they do”.