CUC Summer Program 2023
August 17 -26

Student Magazine

参加者一覧VYAS DISHA ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

3

Sir Padampat Singhania University（サー・パダンパット・シンハニア大学）

BADIWALDARSHAN ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

6

Sir Padampat Singhania University（サー・パダンパット・シンハニア大学）

RAGINI GOYAL・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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Sir Padampat Singhania University（サー・パダンパット・シンハニア大学）

LIN, LIN・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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National Taipei University of Business（国立台北商業大学）

KUO, CHIA-HSIN・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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National Taipei University of Business（国立台北商業大学）

CHOU, YU-TING・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

28

National Taipei University of Business（国立台北商業大学）

ENDRICH KARIN RENEE・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

42

Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences（ローゼンハイム応用科学大学）

WEBER LEON BENEDIKT・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences（ローゼンハイム応用科学大学）

VO HOANG LONG・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

49

FPT University（FPT 大学）

VO NGUYEN LAN NHI・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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FPT University（FPT 大学）

PRAWAT ONRAMPA・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

89Panyapiwat Institute of Management（パンヤピワット経営大学）

LIMCHAROEN BOONPROM・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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Panyapiwat Institute of Management（パンヤピワット経営大学）

SUKCHAROEN PAPINWICH・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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Panyapiwat Institute of Management（パンヤピワット経営大学）

スケジュール・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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写真・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

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Report on Summer Student Exchange Programto
Chiba University of Commerce (CUC), Japan
Period: August 18 – 25, 2023
Our journey for the Summer student exchange program at Chiba University ofCommerce in Japan commenced with our departure from Sir Padampat
Singhania University (SPSU), Udaipur. We made our way to Indira Gandhi
International Airport in Delhi to catch our international flight, which involved aconnecting flight. Our chosen airline for this leg of the journey was Cathay
Pacific. Subsequently, we embarked on the second leg of our trip from Hong
Kong to Japan, landing at our final destination, Narita International Airport,
Japan.
Upon our arrival at Narita International Airport, we were graciously greeted by
two students named Yuta and Uskay from Chiba University of Commerce(CUC), who had come to welcome us. They then escorted us to Ichikawa town,
where the university is situated. Our journey continued as we boarded a train
from Tokyo to Ichikawa. Upon our arrival at the station in Ichikawa, Professor
Takuya Miyahara, from CUC, personally received us and kindly transported us
to the university in the university car.
Summer students’ exchange program 2023 at Chiba University of Commerce(CUC), Japan was a wonderful experience for me. The program, which took
place during August 18-25, 2023 was filled with cultural immersion,educational opportunities, and memorable moments.
Day 1 (August 18, 2023): Yukata Experience and Asakusa Sightseeing
The program commenced with a unique cultural immersion, offering us achance to don the traditional Japanese attire known as a Yukata. With theassistance of skilled expert dressers, all the students were elegantly attired in
Yukatas (traditional Japanese garments). Each of us experienced the meticulous
art of adorning this elegant garment. Following this, we embarked on a visit to
the renowned and iconic Asakusa Temple, allowing us to immerse ourselves inJapanese spirituality and history. The sightseeing excursion also encompassed
Ichikawa City offering us glimpses into local life and architecture.
Day 2 & 3 (August 19 – 20, 2023): Weekend BreakThe weekend provided a valuable interlude, granting us the freedom to explore
Japan independently. With no classes scheduled at the university, we were able
to delve into the vibrant city life, visit local attractions, and further absorb

Japanesecustoms
andtraditions
atourSo, we went to Tokyo Tower and several other places as well.

own

pace.

Day 4 (August 21, 2023): Japanese Language Experience
A session (9:00 am – 10:30 am) on Renewable Energy was conducted byProfessor Teshima Sususmu (CUC Associate Professor). We had an impactful
session while having a discussion with the presentation slides on energy savings.
Then the professor took us on a campus visit to the solar panel area of theuniversity. There, we get to know how the university consumes solar energy andsaves a huge amount of electricity. The CUC campus does have a Tesla electricenergy storage automaker machine. In total, the campus has installed 26 suchmachines, which have had a great impact on energy savings around the campus
and are especially useful for the 24*7 working vending machines containing
cold drinks, which are accessible to the students, teachers, staffs, and all thepeople around the campus 24*7.
The next session (10:40 am – 12:10 pm) was led by Professor Ichiro Fujisaki(Special Visiting Professor at CUC, President of the America-Japan Society Inc,
Ex-Ambassador of Japan to USA). The discussion on geopolitics ofinternational issues took place during the session, and we were asked to make aPowerPoint presentation on the topic of our choice to be presented on August24, 2023. The professor also mentioned that those who will be presenting will
get the certificates.
Later (1:30 pm – 2:15 pm), Professor Hiroki Iwano led an engaging Japanese
language class where we learned proper pronunciation and gained insights into
Japanese culture, traditions, and festivals. The session was both informative andenjoyable, fostering a deeper appreciation for the language and its cultural
nuances.
Day 5 (August 22, 2023): Woodblock Printing Experience
Woodblock printing refers to the use of an engraving knife or similar tool tocreate convexities on the surface of an original wooden plate, then placing ink(paint) on top and applying pressure from above to transfer the ink to the paper.
Professionals from outside the university facilitated an interactive woodblock
printing workshop. Our students received hands-on experience handlingwooden blocks and creating their own paintings. This hands-on activity allowed
our students to grasp the intricacies of traditional Japanese art forms. They also
displayed some of their paintings for sale to the international students.
Day 6 (August 23, 2023): Chiba Sightseeing Bus TourThis day unfolded as a multi-faceted journey into Japanese cultural heritage.
The day began with a visit to a Tea Ceremony in Shirai City, where
meticulously serving and savoring tea was observed. The tea ceremony wasmarked by an emphasis on rituals and etiquette, giving participants an insight
into the value of tradition in Japanese society. This was complemented by aculinary exploration of Japanese cuisine, with special arrangements made forvegetarian options for Indian students.
The cultural immersion continued with a visit to the National Museum of
National History, a treasure trove of artefacts and exhibits tracing Japan's
historical evolution. This enriching experience illuminated the origins ofJapanese culture, traditions, and societal norms.
The day culminated in a trip to the AEON mall in Makuhari New City,
providing a modern contrast to the historical and traditional encounters earlier
in the day. Students were free to purchase souvenirs, and gifts and to do
shopping for themselves.
Day 7 (August 24, 2023): Presentations and Workshops
The participants' academic prowess and cultural insights were showcased
through presentations on various countries' cultures. In this academic exchange,
I had the honour of presenting on the "Power of Social Media."
After all the presentations, those who participated sincerely received acertificate from Professor Ichiro Fujisaki (Former Ambassador of Japan to theUnited States of America). Furthermore, engaging workshops enabled us todelve into topics of personal interest, fostering intellectual exchange and crosscultural learning.
Day 8 (August 25, 2023): Farewell Party
The final day of the program was marked by a bittersweet Farewell Party event.
Students were acknowledged for their accomplishments and received 2023
Summer Program Certificates alongside Japanese fans, symbolizing our cultural
journey. Festivities included indulging in snacks, participating in games, andsharing laughter with CUC volunteers. The exchange of souvenirs and heartfelt
farewells underscored the deep connections forged during the program.
Conclusion:
The 2023 Summer Students’ Exchange Program with the Chiba University ofCommerce (CUC) was an exceptional journey encompassing cultural
exploration, academic growth, exposure and personal enrichment. I am happy
and have enjoyed the 2023 Summer Program at CUC, Japan. Throughmeticulously planned activities, participants experienced the depth of Japanesetradition, language, and society. This endeavour fostered lasting connections
among participants and established a bridge for future cross-culturalconnections. The program stands as a testament to the power of international
exchange to nurture global understanding and cooperation.

SIR PADAMPAT SINGHANIA UNIVERSITYDARSHAN BADIWAL

Introduction
Japan is a country that has always fascinated me. From its rich culture to its technological advancements.
When I got the opportunity to participate in a summer exchange program in Japan, I jumped at the chanceand it gave me the chance to spend 10 days in Japan, learning about its culture, history, and language.
In this report, I will share my experiences during my summer exchange program in Japan. I will talk about
the places I visited, the people I met, and the things I learned.

Arrival in JapanI arrived in Japan on a sunny afternoon, and I was immediately struck by how clean and organized
everything was. The airport was spotless, and the people were polite and helpful. I was met CUC Students
on airport. They helped us to reach university safe.
They were kind, welcoming, and eager to help me learn about Japanese culture, Process of Suica card andmany more other things. They showed me around their neighbourhood and took me to some of the local
attractions. They also introduced me to some of their friends, who were equally friendly and welcoming.

Language and Culture
One of the main reasons I wanted to participate in this exchange program was to improve my Japanese
language skills. Before coming to Japan, I had studied some Japanese words, but I was still far from fluent.
However, being immersed in the language and culture made a huge difference.
I also had the chance to attend language classes university. The classes were taught entirely in Japanese,
which was challenging but also incredibly experience for my side. The teachers were knowledgeable andengaging, and I learned a lot from them.
In addition to language classes, I also had the opportunity to learn about Japanese culture. I visited temples,shrines, and museums, and learned about the history of Japan. I also learned about Japanese customs andetiquette, such as how to bow properly and how to use chopsticks.

Food
Japanese cuisine is famous around the world, and for good reason. During my 10 days in Japan, I had thechance to try a wide variety of Japanese dishes, from sushi to ramen etc.
One of my favourite experiences was visiting a ramen restaurant with my Japanese friends. The ramen wasincredibly fresh and delicious, and it was interesting to watch the chef prepare it right in front of us.
I enjoyed trying Japanese food, but in Japan it’s very difficult to find Vegetarian food because I am pure Veg.
so I tried some Veg dishes. The food was tasty, and they were a great way to serve the food.

TravelDuring my time in Japan, I had the chance to travel to several different Places and regions. One of thehighlights was visiting Tokyo, Fuji, Sky tower, Tokyo Tower, Game zone, Shibuya Crossing, Amusement park
etc. I visited famous temple, Asakusa Temple which was a sobering but important experience offers
stunning views of the city.
Another highlight was visiting Fuji Yoshida, which is known for its natural beauty and peace. I visited a local
street town. This is my one of the most favourite places.

Conclusion
My summer exchange program in Japan was an incredible experience. I learned so much about Japanese
language, culture, and history, and I made lifelong friendships along the way. I also had the chance to travel
to different parts of Japan and experience the country’s natural beauty and delicious food.
I would highly recommend to visit and explore Japan ones in your life.

Participation Report
I am Ragini Goyal from Sir Padampat Singhania University, Udaipur, India (Home University and Country ).
I am writing this report to share my experience in Summer Student Exchange Programme with Chiba
University of Commerce, Chiba, Japan (Host University and Country). I am glad to be the part of thisprogramme.
Introduction
I have gained more of the valuable insights than expected. My learning started from the very first day when myfellow mates and I departed from home country. We all were full of enthusiasm to start our first international
trip. From taking international tickets to pass immigration line every step was guided by our professor who
encouraged us in keep going. We learned many customs and regulations that were intended to follow for ourown safety. I feel obliged for the host university’s students and staff to escort us till we reach university andproving us a safe living for the entire exchange programme. I want to give a special thanks to Yuta for making
us visit places that would have not been discovered by our own.
Participating in the student exchange program has been a life-changing experience, allowing me to broaden myhorizons, deepen my understanding of different cultures, and enhance my personal and academic growth. This
report is intended to provide an overview of my experience in the exchange program, highlighting important
aspects of my journey.
The trip started a few months before departure when I was selected for an exchange program at my university.
The preparation phase is both exciting and challenging. This involves completing the necessary paperwork,
applying for a visa and getting to know the culture, language and customs of the host country. Coming to thehost country marked the beginning of my cultural integration process. The first few days were tough as I
struggled with the language barrier and food but it didn't take long for me to adapt and start to feel
comfortable. Sharing their meals, celebrations, and daily activities with them helped me better understand theirtraditions and values.
Academic experience•••

The academic aspect of the exchange program is equally rewarding. I took classes at my host
university, which exposed me to a different teaching style and curriculum. It is interesting to see how
the academic approaches differ from country to country, and I was able to broaden my academic
horizons by studying subjects that are not available at my home university.
The exchange program also provided opportunities to network professionally. I attended workshops,
seminars, which allowed me to connect with academics and professionals in my field. This
networking has proven valuable in my post-graduate endeavours.
One of the impacts of the exchange program was gaining a global perspective. I became more awareof global issues, international relations, and the interconnectedness of our world. This newfoundawareness has influenced my academic interests.

Cultural experience

•

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•

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Being in a new country allowed me to explore neighboring regions and countries. I took advantage ofweekends and breaks to travel and discover new places, creating lasting memories and broadening myunderstanding of the entire region.
Another highlight of my exchange program was the friendships and connections I made. I have met
students from all over the world like Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Germany and these relationships
have enriched my experience. The exchange program has created a close-knit community ofinternational students who share similar experiences and challenges, making it easier to bond and form
lasting friendships.
In addition to taking classes, I also try to understand the culture of the host country. I visited historicalsites, museums, etc. These experiences have helped me better understand the rich heritage andtraditions of the country.
The exchange program has given me the opportunity to travel to many places in the host country.
Exploring different regions allows me to witness the diversity of the country, from urban centres tovillages, while experiencing diverse landscapes, cuisines and lifestyles. These trips broadened mycultural knowledge and helped me better adapt to different environments.
The host university has organized various cultural exchange activities where international students canshare aspects of their own culture. This provides a two-way learning experience where I not only
absorb the local culture but also have the opportunity to introduce my own culture to others.

Personal Growth
•

•

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•

Living abroad without the direct support of family and friends has taught me valuable life skills suchas budgeting, time management and problem solving. These skills have been valuable in my personal
and academic life since returning home.
During the exchange program, my language skills improved significantly. Daily interaction withlocals, taking lessons in foreign language and trying to converse in the local language has improved
my language skills.
One of the most important outcomes of the exchange program was the personal growth I experienced.
The foreign environment took me out of my comfort zone and helped me develop resilience andadaptability. I became more independent and self-reliant as I entered my daily life in a new country. In
addition, being exposed to diverse perspectives and ideas has broadened my view of the world andmade me a more open person.
The exchange program has added a unique and international dimension to my CV. It demonstrates
adaptability, cross-cultural communication skills and a willingness to take on challenges. These
qualities are highly valued by employers in today's global job market.
This experience has taught me the importance of maintaining the global perspective I have acquiredand continuing to nurture international relationships.

Challenges
While the exchange program is a rewarding experience, it is not without its challenges. Adapting to a new
culture, dealing with homesickness, and overcoming language barriers, food and religion norms were some of
the first hurdles I encountered. However, these challenges ultimately contributed to my personal growth andresilience.

Conclusion
Upon, returning home after the exchange program have its own challenges. Reintegration into my native
culture required adjustment as I was used to the way of life in the host country. However, it is also an
opportunity for me to share new experiences and knowledge with my hometown community.
In summary, my experience with the student exchange program covers a wide range of experiences, from
cultural immersion and personal development to knowledge acquisition and global awareness. These additional
points highlight the multifaceted nature of the show and its profound impact on many different aspects of mylife. It has been a journey that not only broadened my horizons but also equipped me with skills andperspectives that will serve me well for many years to come. It encompassed cultural exploration, personal
development, and the creation of lasting connections.
In short, my exchange program was a transformative experience that broadened my horizons, bothacademically and personally. It allowed me to immerse myself in a new culture, form lasting friendships anddevelop essential life skills. I would strongly recommend such programs to any student who wants to embark
on a journey of self-discovery and world exploration. My exchange program is a chapter in my life that I willcherish forever and it left a lasting impact on my world-view and future aspirations.
I sincerely want to give my thanks to Sir Padampat Singhania University and Chiba University of Commerce
for giving this amazing opportunity to me that has made a lifelong memorable mark.

NOTE* I’m attaching pictures below.

THANKYOU FOR THE MEMORY CUC.

Lin Lin 林臨
National Taipei University of Business
Hello! I'm Lin Lin from National Taipei University of Business, Taiwan. Until now, I'm still very
excited about everything that happened in the CUC summer program. It is the best present for thissummer of 2023. I want to say thank you to all the CUC coordinators and students from Japan forassisting us during this special event.❤
The entire schedule was extremely fascinating for me when I first readabout the program, so I eagerly signed up for it. I was thrilled that I
got the chance to attend this program when I passed the interview at
our school. After that, I tried to practice English with my friends andimmersed myself in Japanese culture by reading novels and watchingmovies. To be honest, I was very nervous because this was my firsttime being abroad. First time flying, first passport, first boarding pass,and so on. Before the program, we had two online meetings with
CUC's teachers and supporters. During these meetings, Irina sensei always had a smile on her face
and was enthusiastic. I felt comfortable and I knew that the purpose of this program was to enjoy
and open my mind to everything. There was no need to be nervous, I just had to keep smiling andmake new friends. After completing all the necessary preparations, my journey began!

August 17, Thursday
Our first real meeting was very warm! Many Japanese supporters came to chat with us, and theteachers were always smiling. The whole story of this summer program started at Narita Airport.
On the way to CUC, I was curious about the entire city, everything caught my eye. Then, I met mygroup members and we had dinner in an izakaya(いざかや) near Ichikawa station. I loved mygroup members, they were always kind and patient.

August 18, Friday
I love yukata experience so much. The
clothing, hair accessories, and waist belt were
all very elegant. I still remember the aunt
who helped me put on the yukata and made abeautiful shape of waist belt for me. She wasskilled and very kind. I could feel her
enthusiasm, even though I had no idea about
how she could make such a gorgeous belt.

When we walked in Asakusa, I felt like jumping into a movie scene in my dream. It was filledwith Japanese culture, such as fortune-telling strips (おみくじ), coins, and traditional architecture.
We tasted Matcha ice cream, strawberry sweet rice dumplings (糰子だんご), and Japanese
pickled cucumber(きゅうり), which was recommended by Osuke and Maiko. I was so happy that
I had a chance to walk on the street with Japanese students. They taught us Japanese, shared theirfavorite foods, and explained every aspect of their country's culture that we didn't know before.
This was the best way to immerse ourselves in a different culture, wasn't it?

After yukata experience, I had dinner with Karin, Leon, and AJ. Then we walked to school from
Ichikawa station. I loved the night view so much. If I were alone, I might have been scared. But I
walked with them, and we talked about everything. I didn't need to fear the darkness. I was so
happy that I could walk with them under a sky full of beautiful stars.⭐

August 19, SaturdayFree time was coming, and I went to Shibuya with Mia andChihiro. Thanks to Chihiro accompanying us. Japan'stransportation system was convenient but also complicated,which made me a bit anxious about taking the wrong trains.
We ate ramen for lunch. This was the yummiest ramen I've
ever had.

Then, Mia and I went to Tokyo Skytree with Kaku, AJ, Sota, Maico,and Lan Nhi. Sota chose 6 o'clock so that we could see the sunset.
The changes of light were amazing. I saw the different features ofTokyo from each angle of the windows. Afterward, we went to eat
monja(もんじゃ) and okonomiyaki(お好み焼き). It was an
unforgettable experience of watching the waiter mix all the
ingredients and cook right in front of us.

August 20, Sunday
Kaku, Mia, and I had already booked Disney tickets in Taiwan. We
were very excited about seeing all the scenes and characters in the realworld, which represented our childhood memories. If there were notlots of cute characters, I would die in Disneyland. It was extremely hot
and there was no shade! My favorite one was a roller coaster on themountain railroad. Because of the speed, I could feel the strong windrushing around us as we screamed from the highest to the lowest point.
It was a thrilling experience.

August 21, Monday CUC’s Net-Zero Carbon Actions
I loved the way that the professor introduced the
topic with a lot of interesting questions, such as
ranking countries' self-sufficiency in energy. I
was surprised that the USA achieved 100% selfsufficiency. However, my country Taiwan, andJapan were only 11% self-sufficient. As a result,Japan was dedicated to increasing energy production from renewable sources. After the lecture, wewent to see the solar panels on campus which were set on the top floor.


How to Read International Issues 1

The second lecture was led by Professor Ichiro. Although the content was very difficult, I still
enjoyed his lessons. The professor interpreted how to analyze global issues and the behavior ofnational leaders. We not only read articles about international affairs but also delved into thebackground of psychology and history. I found that elections, international organizations, GDP,and military expenditure were crucial for understanding a country’s history. After that, we could
apply this knowledge to analyze global issues and discern the true intentions of these leaders.
Because of this course, I got the motivation and the skills to study international affairs.
Japanese Language Experience

I had learned some Japanese in Taiwan, but I still liked this lesson.
We discussed our ways of celebrating a new year, and those wereinteresting. I hope one day I can speak Japanese as tender as Hiroki
sensei. By the way, Nancy, Lan Nhi, and I went to the library after
lectures. I love the atmosphere of CUC’s library. The librarian told
us that we could pick an expired magazine as our souvenir. I chose a spring magazine that contains
recipes. It was memorable for me, I felt so happy!!!!

August 22, Tuesday
I was looking forward to Rakugo during thisprogram. I knew this traditional Japanese
performing art from タイガー＆ドラゴン.
I couldn't imagine that one day I would havea chance to learn and experience this art.
Due to that, I chose 芝浜(shibahama) to be
my stage. I spent lots of time condensing this long story because of the time limit. After the class,the professor told me that he liked my slight adaption, and I was pleased.

We had woodblock printing in the afternoon. It was hard to put intowords to describe how beautiful the pictures were. We took eachstep slowly, carefully removing the paper from the woodblock.
Interestingly, even though we used the same woodblock, the results
were still slightly different. I guessed it was due to the strength we
printed. It reminded me of the Japanese slang "一期一会", which I
often saw in Japanese dramas.

After that, many of us visited East Garden of the Imperial Palace(皇居東御苑). Since we arrived
at 5:30 PM, the sky’s color was a mesmerizing blend of blue and grey, which created a fantastic
view. I appreciated that Kento took us to this wonderful place and looked after everyone so well.
Everything I experienced today was connected to Japanese culture and art, it was a meaningful
day for me. I really enjoyed it.

August 23, Wednesday
The tea ceremony experience marked the beginning of our bus
tour. The entire space was full of Japanese ambiance, such as
the delicacy of bowls and cushions. From the warm welcome toour departure, every gesture from the ladies radiated elegance.
They served us hot tea and delicious snacks, accompanied bysoothing music. In the end, we even got to try grinding our own
tea leaves. I truly admired the spirit of Japanese tea ceremony.

Visiting a museum was one of the things on my list that I wanted to accomplish in Japan, and I
was thrilled that CUC took us to the National Museum of Japanese History. As we explored eacharea, it felt like stepping into a time machine that ignited my imagination. I only wished I had
more time to spend in this museum. At the end of today, we went to AEON shopping mall. This
mall was bigger than any shopping mall in Taiwan. It was impossible to see the whole mall in 90
minutes. Maybe one day was still not enough.

August 24, Thursday

The Impact of War on Poverty

I really appreciated how the professor applied the concept of GDP to the situation of countries. "Acountry is poor because it is poor" and the concept of a poverty trap were all related to GDP. It
was great that every sentence and concept were interconnected. At the end of the class, theprofessor talked about her own country, Vietnam, and a conversation about the post-war periodwith her grandma. I never realized that I could apply the knowledge I had gained to the history of
my own country and think about how to change such situations. I truly enjoyed this lesson!
How to Read International Issues 2

Everything that happened in Japan opened my mind, but the most amazing one was thepresentations in the international issues class. I learned various techniques for making slides,
expressing opinions, clarifying structure, engaging in discussion, providing feedback, fosteringinteraction, and maintaining eye contact. We had five presentations each day, and it felt like
another world tour. In each presentation, I had a sensation that I was looking at a magnificent
building constructed in its unique way. Everyone used their knowledge, experiences, and skills
learned from this course to make their presentation. For me, it was undoubtedly the most valuable
experience and provided me with numerous insights for preparing my own presentation.



Word TourI was thrilled that we could meet in Japan and share our own countries with each other. At Isquare,
we visited five countries and tried snacks from each one in the afternoon. It was magical, wasn't
it? The best part was the interaction. During our presentation, everyone looked at us and listened
attentively. I could see the expression on each face, and I will remember it forever.

August 25, FridayHow to Read International Issues 3

I had my presentation on the last day, and it was quite challenging for me because it was my firsttime delivering an eight-minute presentation on an international issue. My topic was fake news in
Taiwan. I'd like to say thank you to Lan Nhi. After I completed my draft, we had a discussion. She
pointed out areas where my structure wasn't clear enough and which parts of the content weresomewhat off-topic. Discussing with her was truly beneficial, and I learned a lot from it. The
questions from everyone and the analysis from the professor after the presentation were themotivation for me to improve in my future presentations. I'm sincerely grateful to have a course
like this during this program.



Farewell Party

Farewell party was the last activity in the CUC summer program, I felt a little bit sad because it
was soon to say bye-bye. Everyone sat around the table, and we ate, chatted, played games, andlistened to music together. It was a very heartwarming and wonderful afternoon! In the end, we
received certificates and a very special gift from Yuri sensei. The traditional Japanese fan was
extremely beautiful, and it would be my most cherished memento.
✨On the last night of this program, we had fireworks, barbecue, and karaoke together. This kindof night had been my dream, and now my dream has come true. What a lovely day!!✨Name of university: National Taipei University of Business
Full name: KUO,CHIA-HSIN
The campus of Chiba Business University is truly enchanting. Despite being a bit far from thebustling heart of Tokyo, it provides a profound glimpse into the local Japanese lifestyle and natural
surroundings. The university's facilities are impressive, especially the minimalist and elegant interior
designs. When compared to universities in Taiwan, Chiba Business University sets a remarkably highstandard in terms of equipment and campus ambiance. During one of our lecture sessions, ourprofessor personally led us on a tour to the rooftop solar panels, showcasing the university'scommitment to environmental consciousness and delivering a top-notch campus experience.
Additionally, the unique vineyard on campus left me in awe as I witnessed the production of winefrom the grapes they cultivated. The university also offers a diverse range of campus activities,
leaving a lasting impression on me.
The student cafeteria boasts a decor that is both simple and elegant, exuding a sense of fashion
without being overly extravagant. Here, I could enjoy delicious lunches while engaging in pleasantconversations with friends. The student cafeteria quickly became my favorite spot on campus.
Speaking of lunch, I cannot adequately express the daily delight and surprise I felt when presented
with such a variety of dishes. Not only were the choices diverse, but the meals were also affordable
and incredibly tasty. To be honest, one of my biggest regrets after completing this summer
exchange program is not being able to savor the delectable cuisine from the student cafeteria
anymore.
Our accommodation for this program was a standalone Japanese-style family residence known as
the "guest house." Before this summer exchange, I had experienced Japanese housing, but mostly
in apartment-style settings. Hence, having the opportunity to stay in such a unique standalone
Japanese house brought me immense joy. The guest house provided a comprehensive array of
amenities, with the most distinctive feature being the separate toilet and bathroom, along with anautomatic water heating system. This setup is relatively rare in Taiwan, where most households
have combined toilet and bathroom facilities, making it challenging to achieve a completely dry andwet separation. Furthermore, Taiwanese people do not share the Japanese tradition of taking
baths, so on the first day of our dormitory stay, we encountered a comical situation: we were quite
puzzled about why there was no hot water, only to later discover the button for the automaticwater heating system! With guidance from our teacher and some exploration, we finally managed
to activate the hot water.
Returning to the guest house at night, we often encountered numerous stray cats that would

intermittently fix their gaze on us in the darkness, occasionally startling us by suddenly jumping out!
Moreover, I even had the chance to spot some rather large crows, adding some interesting
memories to my Japanese journey.
In the first lecture, we learned about Chiba Business University's use of environmentally friendly
energy sources, specifically solar power, to provide electricity to various parts of the campus forstudent use. During this lecture, our teacher personally guided all of us to visit the rooftop solar
panels. For me, it was the first time I had been in such close proximity to solar panels, and it was
truly spectacular.
The discussion of international issues in the course has not only made me concerned but has also
prompted me to seriously contemplate these matters. Witnessing other classmates confidently
present various topics in fluent English, I greatly admire their abilities.
The international issues discussed in class often revolve around significant real-world challenges
that affect the future of global society and the environment. This has made me realize that eachone of us should take responsibility, reflect upon, and take action to address these issues. Especiallyin the face of challenges like climate change, environmental preservation, global health, and more,
our choices and actions have far-reaching consequences for the entire world.
Simultaneously, seeing fellow students deliver these topics in fluent English has left me deeply
impressed and inspired. It has reminded me that language proficiency is a powerful tool that canhelp us better understand and engage in international affairs. Therefore, I have decided to enhance
my language skills to actively participate in global discussions about these issues and contribute topotential solutions.
In conclusion, this course has not only expanded my knowledge but has also sparked my interest
and contemplation regarding international issues. I look forward to future learning andengagement, aiming to make a positive contribution to global society.
In class, we had the privilege of getting acquainted with the art of Rakugo, a traditional form ofJapanese entertainment. Whether it was our teacher or my fellow classmates, everyone showcased
remarkable enthusiasm and fluency in their Rakugo performances, leaving a lasting impression on
me. I am acutely aware that describing Rakugo in English is no easy task, which further deepens myadmiration for those who can present Rakugo fluently.
This course provided me with the opportunity to delve into the cultural background of Rakugo andexplore a plethora of captivating Rakugo stories. Each story possesses its unique plot and moral
lesson, enriched with cultural elements. This experience has fostered a greater appreciation andunderstanding of Japan's traditional arts, inspiring me to continue exploring the beauty of Japaneseculture.
Participating in this event has been a truly fortunate and joyful experience. It has made me feel
exceptionally happy to have the opportunity to explore various places together with everyone.
The last time I wore a yukata was five years ago! So, I was really looking forward to the yukata
experience arranged by the school. The yukatas provided by the school were all very beautiful, andthe teachers who helped us put them on were incredibly friendly and gentle. Although I had visited
Asakusa several times before, this experience felt particularly delightful. Asakusa not only boasts
the beautiful Asakusa Temple but also has a unique tradition of drawing omikuji. Additionally, there
were delicious local specialties like strawberry candies and frozen cucumbers. What made it evenmore enjoyable was the chance to chat and go shopping with everyone participating in the Summer
Program. It truly has been an unforgettable time.
A few days later, the tea ceremony experience was also fantastic! As someone new to the world of
tea ceremonies, the tea ceremony teacher explained and demonstrated with great care. However, I
found it challenging to sit in the traditional position, and my legs quickly became numb and painful.
When I observed CUC students sipping tea and commenting on its bitterness, I mentally preparedmyself for a bitter taste. To my surprise, when I tasted the tea prepared by the tea ceremonyteacher, it wasn't bitter at all; instead, it had a delightful sweetness! This might be related to
Taiwan's tea culture, where drinking tea is a daily habit for Taiwanese people. Varieties like jasmine
tea, green tea, barley tea, black tea, and high-mountain oolong tea are all common in Taiwan. So,
when I tasted the tea, I might have already become accustomed to the bitterness that tea cansometimes bring.
Afterward, we visited the historical museum, where lifelike human models and rich exhibits fromdifferent time periods provided me with a deeper and more detailed understanding of Japanese
history and culture, leaving a profound impression in my mind.
Being able to participate in this exchange program felt like a dream come true. I'm grateful for theeffort I put into learning Japanese, which allowed me to communicate smoothly with everyone,
including the Japanese locals. I even had the opportunity to serve as a translator, helping those who
didn't speak Japanese understand what we were going to do next. However, I also became aware of
my limitations in English proficiency and hope to improve in the future.
During this program, I had the chance to engage in international exchanges with students fromThailand, Vietnam, India, Germany, and Japan. It was a valuable experience to learn about theirlocal languages and customs, extending beyond what textbooks can teach. I gained genuine insights
into the thoughts and daily habits of the local people.
I have a great fondness for our teachers and want to express my deep gratitude to all theadministrative staff and educators who helped organize this Summer Program. All the lectures andcourses were not only enjoyable but also highly educational. They provided us with a fun andrelaxed way to learn about Japanese culture and international issues.
Once again, I'd like to thank all the teachers and fellow students. This Summer Program will remaina cherished memory and treasure in my heart that I will never forget.

University: National Taipei University of Business
Name: Chou Yu Ting (周瑀庭)Topic: Participation Report

I truly feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in this event, and I am
genuinely happy from the bottom of my heart. This is the first time I have had thechance to make so many friends from different countries, including India, Vietnam,
Thailand, Germany, and Japan. Over the course of these brief two weeks of exchange,
while interacting with people from various countries, I've come to understand thedifferent personalities and lifestyles of individuals from different nations. Towards theend of the exchange program, we also had the opportunity to learn about famous
landmarks, cuisines, and cultures from our friends from different countries.
8/17
What I will always remember about that day is that the CUC faculty and students who
were part of this program actually came to Narita Airport to pick us up. I was deeply
moved because it takes at least an hour to get from CUC to the airport! The grand
reception they gave us touched me deeply and got me excited about the program fromthe very beginning. At the airport, I saw friends I had chatted with during online
meetings and also met our most important hosts for the event, "Irina" and "Miyahara"
sensei. Every teacher was incredibly warm, and I liked them very much. After weboarded the tour bus to head to CUC, Irina sensei introduced us to the dormitories andsome rules, such as not returning to the dorm after 11 PM or letting strangers into thedorms, etc. After the introductions, members from each group started to interact andget to know each other, and that's how our first day came to an end. (By the way, theschool gave each of us 13,000 Japanese yen as our meal allowance! I was deeply
touched once again by CUC's thoughtfulness, sniffles.)8/18
During this exchange program, we visited many places. One day, the school arranged
for us to go sightseeing in Asakusa, and we all wore yukatas while strolling through thearea. It was my first time experiencing a yukata, and the teacher who helped me put it
on was a very gentle female teacher. She asked me where I was from, and I told her
Taiwan. She mentioned that she had been to Taiwan once and really liked it, and sheeven wanted to go again. Hearing her say that made me very happy and helped ease
my initial nervousness.
I also learned that yukatas are actually quite complex to put on, with multiple layers
and various ways of arranging the clothing. After dressing in the yukata, there werealso hairstyling and accessories to consider. After getting into our yukatas, I took aselfie with two other Japanese friends. It was my first time visiting the famous tourist
spot, Kaminari Gate, which I had seen many times in magazines. I never imagined I
would get to see this breathtaking view in person, especially with such special andimportant people. While there, I enjoyed apple candy, had a soda from a marble vending
machine, and even tried my luck with gachapon (capsule toy machines).

(Me,Ayumu, Kanna)/(Shin, Boon, Chisato, Me, Madoka)

8/19
The next two days were consecutive holidays. On Saturday morning, Chihiro, Lin Lin,and I went to Shibuya. We bought a lot of clothes and had some incredibly delicious
ramen. After a brief morning outing, in the afternoon, Lin Lin and I, along with our groupmembers, went to the Skytree. It was my first time visiting the Skytree, and when wereached the observation deck, I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I accidentally
shed a tear, feeling a bit silly. We stayed on the observation deck until evening. Tokyo'snighttime skyline was incredibly beautiful, and I nearly cried again because of its sheer
beauty.
After our time at the Skytree, we headed to an okonomiyaki restaurant near Asakusa
to enjoy the last moments of our Saturday. The Japanese students were very
considerate and made sure to escort us back to the dormitory before 11 PM, which
touched my heart deeply.

(AJ, Maiko, Lin Lin, Chou Yu Ting, Lan Nhi, Guo Jia Xin, Sota)
8/20
On this day, I went to Disney with my Taiwanese friends Lin Lin and Guo Jia Xin, alongwith AJ from Vietnam. Disney has always been a place I've wanted to visit, and I was
thrilled that this time I could fulfill my dream of going to Tokyo Disneyland! Everythingat Disney is quite expensive, so I didn't buy a lot of things, but I took many photos. It
truly felt like a dream come true, as if I had entered a fairy tale world.
Because there were so many visitors, we couldn't get on many of the rides, but myfavorite was a roller coaster called Space Mountain! Even though it's indoors, it wasincredibly thrilling! I loved it so much!

8/21
We started classes on the 21st. In the first class, Professor TESHIMA explained about
energy supply and conservation, and also mentioned that Japan has the most vending
machines in the world. I could really relate to this because you can see vending
machines everywhere when walking around. It's convenient as you can buy water ordrinks whenever you're thirsty, but it's also very energy-consuming.
After the class, the professor took us on a tour of the school. We saw the school's Tesla
coil and the solar panels on the school's rooftop. When we returned from the tour, we
had a class with Professor FUJISAKI. His class was quite challenging, as he discussed
international issues and talked about leaders of many countries, explaining why thoseleaders are agents of change on the international stage. I had taken a similar courseback in my college, where we analyzed international trends and current events, so it
felt familiar to me.
In the afternoon, we had a Japanese class with the very friendly Professor IWANO. I
really liked Professor IWANO; I found him to be very approachable and his smile
welcoming. Through his class, I learned a lot about Japanese culture, such as Shinto
shrine rituals, which are different from Taiwanese culture.

8/22
The most memorable part of that day for me was discovering that our RAKUGO teacher
was actually from Turkey! The teacher's performance skills were excellent, andspeaking in Japanese, they seemed just like a native Japanese speaker. Before having
us perform, the teacher explained the history of RAKUGO and how the performances
are presented. For me, this was quite challenging. I didn't know how to perform well,and I felt like my preparation for RAKUGO was not up to par. Seeing so many people in
the audience made me nervous, so my performance didn't go as well as I had hoped.
However, others had prepared interesting stories, and I was impressed by theirperformances.
In the afternoon, we had a woodblock printing experience with a professional teacher
guiding us through the process. I struggled initially, but the teachers were patient andhelpful, and in the end, we all successfully created some great artwork!

8/23On this day, we got on a tour bus early in the morning and headed out for an excitingday. In the morning, we had the opportunity to experience the traditional Japanese tea
ceremony, also known as "chanoyu." It was my first time experiencing a tea ceremony,and a graceful teacher wearing a kimono guided us through the proper procedure. First,
we had a piece of sweets before drinking the tea. The tea had a slightly bitter taste,
and the Japanese students were watching our reactions as we foreigners tried it, which
made me laugh. Despite the bitterness, I found it to be a beautiful experience. There
was a skilled teacher playing the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument, asbackground music, and I was really impressed by their talent. The teacher was verykind and even let us try playing the koto after the tea ceremony, which was a uniqueexperience.
After the tea ceremony, we also visited a history museum and the Makuhari Outlet. The
history museum was quite large, but due to time constraints, we couldn't explore it all.
Nevertheless, I've always enjoyed history museums, and I used to visit them frequently
back in Taiwan. When we went to Makuhari, it was all about shopping! Madoka
accompanied me as we shopped together, and feeling a bit embarrassed, I bought asmall gift for her as a token of appreciation.

8/24
On this day, we attended a class taught by a Vietnamese teacher, focusing on the issueof poverty caused by war. The teacher discussed historical conflicts like the Vietnam
War and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. This was a very sensitive topic, but I was
glad that the teacher included it in the curriculum because wars displace many people
and lead to a decline in a country's economic status. Addressing how to solve these
problems and the formalities involved were the central points of the class.

In the afternoon, it was time for each country's presentation, which was also our World
Tour presentation. I believe this might have been the most anticipated part for somepeople. Through these presentations, I got to learn about the customs, lifestyles, anddietary habits of different countries. Since I don't travel abroad very often, I've always
been curious about other countries. Being able to explore the cultures of different
nations through this World Tour presentation made me really happy!

8/25On the last day of classes at CUC, many brave individuals volunteered to givepresentations in Professor FUKISAKI's class, and they did an amazing job. Each person
chose to address a highly sensitive topic, and what left the deepest impression on me
was when Lin Lin, another Taiwanese, gave a presentation about Chinese fake news.
Perhaps because we share the same Taiwanese background, I felt a strong resonancewith the topic. Although I didn't completely agree with all of his content, I thought his
presentation was excellent! I wish I had the courage to present as well, but I was too
afraid. Those who did present were truly fantastic!
In the afternoon, there was a farewell gathering. Irina prepared many fun games for us
to play, and people from each country brought snacks and cookies from their own
countries. This was also a part I really enjoyed! Even though I'm back in my own country
now, I still cherish these memories. Indian cuisine is very unique, with lots of spicy
dishes. Vietnamese snacks include many crispy cookies, which are a bit hard to bite
into but incredibly delicious. Thai snacks had a similar taste to a snack I love in Taiwan,
giving me a sense of familiarity. German cookies and candies were delightful, and I
particularly loved their soft candies. There's a similar candy I've tried in Taiwan, but thebrands are different, and I prefer the authentic German candies. I loved the snacks
from every country, and I knew that I was soon going to say goodbye to the friends I
had spent these past few days with.
During this event, I started to cry because I felt unprepared to say goodbye to thepeople around me. My friends saw me cry, and it made everyone emotional. I believe
everyone felt that this exchange program was amazing, and we all created lasting
memories. Once again, I want to express my gratitude to all the teachers and students
at CUC for giving us the opportunity to meet friends from so many countries and learn
aboutJapanese

culture.

I

hope

to

see

you

all

again

soon!

My experience of Summer School 2023 at the CUC
written by Karin Endrich from the Technical University of Applied Science Rosenheim, Germany

Before the adventure Summer School 2023 in Japan at Chiba University of Commerce could start on
17.08.2023, we were invited to two Zoom meetings. In the meetings, the schedule and the necessary
preparations were discussed.
On Thursday, 17.08.2023, the time had come, and all participants had arrived in Japan, mostly after along journey. Everyone was surprised at how hot it was in Japan. But this did not dampen anyone's joy
at their arrival. After a short orientation and introduction round including our supporters who werestudents of CUC, we were assigned to our accommodation, the student dormitory, or the guest house.
Last but not least we also got an overview of the schedule of the programme. This was the end of theofficial part of the first day.
For Friday, we received a short briefing about do's and don'ts in Japan. We were also asked to write
down goals and activities that we would like to do during the summer programme, together with our
supporters and within our group. After lunch, we had the great opportunity to wear a yukata, a kind oflighter or simpler version of the kimono. With these, we were then allowed to visit the famous Senso
Shrine in the Asakusa district and then explore the area for about two hours. This combination oflocation and yukata was a perfect opportunity to take lots of pictures, which we did.

On weekends was no programme planned, which gave us plenty of time to explore Tokyo and thesurrounding area. Even during the week and after the planned activities, which usually took place
between 9:00 and 17:00, there was still time to explore the area around the university on our own orwith friends. Therefore, we had enough time trying out the various thinks like, Japanese dishes andKaraoke were of course at the top of the to-do list, just to name a few things I wanted to do in Japan.

From Monday to Friday, we usually had exciting lectures in the morning and great activities in theafternoon. The lectures were about the influences on the economy, as well as an exciting lecture by Mr.
Fujisaki in which he spoke about his experience as a Former Ambassador of Japan. He asked if some of
us would like to give a talk. We were given topics to choose from. And we were told those who agreed
to give a talk will receive an additional certificate as a thank you. Ten of us had to prepare a presentation
until Thursday.
A deeper insight into Japanese culture was provided by a lecture on the traditional form of storytellingin Japan, the so-called Rakogu. Here we were not only presented with facts, but Halit Sensei also verymuch illustrated how a Rakogu is performed. This caused some laughter among all participants andmade us want to learn more. After the nice presentation, we were allowed to try it out ourselves. We
had already prepared a short story for this before we left. For all of us it was a challenge to go on thestage, which is always needed at Rakugo. The performance looked easier than it was because we all
got incredibly nervous. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun and we laughed a lot, also because the stories
were very different. There were funny stories, but also scary ones, so there was something for everyone.

After the lunch break, activities such as a crash course in Japanese were planned. Thanks to the great
efforts of Mr. Iwano, we had a lot of fun learning simple but very useful Japanese words and phrases.
The newly learned words could then be applied directly during the next city walk.
Another activity which I especially enjoyed was the woodblock print activities. This is a traditional formof picture printing. During an introduction we had learned that this type of picture was sold for little
money in the past. After the owner had seen enough of the picture, it was simply thrown away. We
couldn't believe all that, because the production of the pictures seemed to be very time-consuming to
us. This is because the different colours and planes are printed on top of each other using different
woodcuts, which requires a high degree of precision and experience. After the theoretical and cultural
introduction, we were given the fantastic opportunity to try out woodblock printing ourselves. There
were several motives that we were allowed to finish ourselves. We had help from experienced
Woodblock Master and his students. We were all very happy about the great pictures, which willcertainly find a special place in our homes.
On Wednesday, a whole day was planned for a bus tour, including a tea ceremony. Besides quiet music
played by a Koto Master, we were first served an Wagashi, which is supposed to neutralise thebitterness of the Macha tea through its sweetness. We were first shown how to eat the Wagashi. Thisis traditionally eaten before the tea to balance out the bitterness of the tea. Afterwards, we not only
drank the matcha tea, but we also got the opportunity to make our own matcha tea. We were surprised
to see how difficult it can be to stir the tea quickly enough to get the typical froth. It was very funny tosee how we all tried hard to create our own perfect matcha tea, sometimes with more or less success.
After a stop at a traditional O Bento, the next stop was the History Museum. Here we were able tomarvel at the development of Japanese culture. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we were notable to see all areas of the museum.
On Thursday, we gave the presentations we had prepared during the week. These were very
informative, and everyone had an exciting topic. We all learned a lot here, as Mr. Fujisaki always
rounded off the presentations with his own experiences. Finally, all speakers received the announced
certificate, which was issued and signed by Mr. Fujisaki.

On Friday, the Summer School ended with a farewell party. In addition to the delicious food, we also
played games to prove how well we had got to know each other. We laughed a lot here, as some of theanswers were quite unexpected. Each participant also received a certificate of participation and a small
private farewell gift from Yuri Sensei, who accompanied us almost every day. During the certificate
presentation, everyone was able to say a few final words, which was very emotional and not entirely
without tears. After the official farewell, we chatted, ate, exchanged contacts, if that hadn't been done
so far, and took many photos together.
On Saturday, we moved out of the accommodation and were transported back to the airport. Here we
said our last goodbyes before this great experience came to an end.

In conclusion, I can only say that it was a great experience. I was particularly impressed by thecommitment and hospitality of the CUC. For these ten days, we had gained a very good insight into
Japanese culture. We were also able to explore the surroundings and Tokyo on our own or, of course,with our new friends. I had the opportunity to make many new friends from all over the world withwhom I could share these unique moments. Exploring Japanese cuisine together, as well as the fun
Karaoke evenings will always stay in my memory.

I would do it again anytime and recommend this great exchange to everyone. Many thanks to everyone
who gave me these beautiful memories and also made them possible.
Best wishes
Karin Endrich

CUC Summer School 2023 – Participation Report
Name of University: Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences
Full Name: Leon Weber

Japan was one of the countries I really wanted to visit. The CUC Summer Program 2023 gave me
the opportunity to get to know not only the country, but also the culture and the people.
The CUC Summer Program 2023 was held at Chiba University of Commerce from Aug. 17 to Aug.
26 2023. The university is located in Chiba Prefecture near the megacity of Tokyo in the town ofIchikawa. On the university campus are classrooms, sports fields, a library, botanical facilities,
student housing, a dining hall and other buildings. The cafeteria offers a café for snacks and hot
drinks, as well as a variety of lunch options. The prices are fair and the quality is very good.
Already in the run-up to the program, two online orientations were organized, in which theframework program of the Summer School was communicated and a first meeting with theorganizers, the participants and the Japanese support students of the program took place. Afterthe first meeting, the communication was then done via the Line app, a well-known messaging app
in the Asian region. Preparatory documents were then shared and reminders distributed via thechat group afterwards.
In preparation for the stay, it was necessary for me to book a flight. The costs for this were borneby us as participants. I chose Lufthansa as the airline, with which I had a good experience.
Furthermore, I took out a travel insurance.
Not much later the time had come. Since I had a flight time of 12 hours from Munich to Tokyo, I
started my trip already one calendar day before the program start from Germany. The flight waslong but pleasant, and the landing was on time in Tokyo-Haneda at 8 am. Since the program start
was not scheduled until 4 p.m., I still had some time to get to know the subway and to do a few
errands.
Around 4 p.m. was the start of the CUC Summer Program 2023. We were warmly welcomed by
the program organizers in the so-called International Square, a room on the university campus withintroductions to different cultures, and then started with the first orientation. Here we received
information about our accommodation, the exact procedure, the rules and the important dates.
Furthermore, we introduced ourselves in the previously divided groups of international students
and support students and thought about common goals for the program.
Shortly before the end of the first day of the program, we were given the keys to our accommodation
and a WiFi password. I shared an apartment with a Vietnamese program participant in theInternational Dormitory for the duration of the program. The accommodation is right on theuniversity campus and it was provided to us at no additional cost. The apartment itself wasequipped with a kitchen, bathroom, washing machine, and two rooms. The rooms were equippedwith a desk with a reading lamp, a closet and a bed. The rooms were separated from each other,which also allowed time for productive work. I was very happy to be able to share the apartment
with another participant from another country, because this way we had a very intensive cultural
exchange and could get to know each other better.
On the second day of the program, we started with another orientation in the morning and explored
the Asakusa district of Tokyo in the afternoon, dressed in traditional yukata garb. The next two days
were the weekend, which we were free to do as we wished. I joined other international students
and Japanese support students to do various activities. Among other things, we visited the Tokyo

Skytree and its shopping center, tried different dishes in restaurants, visited museums, took picturesof the Tokyo Tower, and also took our cues from different stores and interesting spots.
On Monday after the weekend, thus the fifth day of the program, we started with the lectures in themorning. The lecturer of the first lecture was Susumu Teshima with the lecture title "Net-Zero
Carbon Actions & Campus Tour". Here, Teshima-san informed us about CUC's sustainability efforts
and gave us a tour of the campus. Among other things, he introduced us to the student-maintained
grape fields and beehives, which are located on the university's outdoor spaces. The second lectureof the morning was titled "How to read international issues" by the lecturer Mr. Ichiro Fujisaki. He
gave a presentation on how to analyze international issues to understand the motives of thedifferent parties. At the end of the lecture Mr. Fujisaki gave us the opportunity to prepare apresentation on our own topic for the next two lectures. In total, 10 students got the opportunity.
Thus, the next two lectures by Fujisaki-san on Thursday and Friday of the Summer School weekconsisted of presenting the topics and follow-up on them by Fujisaki-san. Here I chose apresentation on Corruption, which I presented in the last lecture by Ichiro-san on Friday. In theafternoon we learned some Japanese words and were taught about Japanese culture and rules.
Tuesday morning started with an introduction to the traditional Japanese storytelling "Rakugo" by
Mr. Halit Mizirakli. Already in advance we were asked by the organizers of the CUC Summer
Program to develop our own Rakugo story and to present it after the introduction into the topic by
Mr. Mizirakli. Here I told the story of the Woman in the Ebersberg Forest. In the afternoon we wereable to try Japanese Woodblock Printing, where we were assisted by professional artists and wereallowed to make a painting for ourselves.
Wednesday consisted of the Chiba Prefecture Bus Tour, in which we were able to see theCountryside of Chiba. The first stop was for a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, in which we
prepared and drank tea in the traditional way. The next stop was the National Museum of Japanese
History, where we learned a lot about Japanese history. The end of the day was a visit to a shopping
mall in Narashino.
Friday was the last full program day and started with the last part of Fujisaki-san's lecture, in which
I also gave my presentation. Next to me, the last 4 students gave their presentation. After lunch,
we moved on to the Farewell Party, the last official part of the program. At the Farewell Party wewere handed out our participaton certificates and looked back on our time, did activities together
and had dinner together. Here was time for personal exchange also with the organizers. The
Farewell Party was a successful conclusion of the CUC Summer Program 2023.
Saturday, the last day of the program, was dedicated to the departure. Until noon we left our
accommodations and prepared for the return journey. In addition to time for personal farewells, wewere kindly offered a car transfer to the train station, which made the journey with luggage mucheasier.
In summary, I was able to enjoy the CUC Summer Program 2023 to the fullest. This was possible
thanks to the fantastic organization by the CUC staff, who were always available for questions andalways supported us. In addition to the lectures and CUC's scheduled appointments, we were able
to explore Tokyo after the lectures and especially on the free weekend and do activities as we
wished. I really enjoyed having a lively exchange with people from other nations and learning aboutlife and Japanese culture. The time and activity framework given by CUC was very coherent and I
was able to take a lot from it.
I would like to thank all the organizers and participants of the CUC Summer Program 2023 for theenjoyable time and commitment.

CUC Summer Program 2023
HOANG LONG VO
FPT University | Vietnam | 17/08 – 26/08

Hello to all of my friends and all the staff members at CUC!

My name is Hoang Long Vo, or AJ to most of you. I am a senior in English Studies at FPT
University, Vietnam.

This is the first time I’ve ever set foot on Japan’s soil. Everything in Japan was so new to me. I
did not know that I would have such an eye-opening experience.

I have a lot to tell, so please come with me on a journey back to memory lane to relive thosemoments again!
I.

Before the program (… - 16/08)

I have always loved Japan. At the young age of 6, my brother bought me a copy of Detective
Conan (名探偵コナン), and it sparked my love for Japan. I have never thought about visiting
Japan because of numerous issues surrounding my circumstances. But once I heard that FPT
University was having an exchange program with a university in Japan, my immediate thought
was, “No way I’m going to let this chance pass by. By all costs, I have to find a way to go. Nothingis going to stop me from this dream!”.
After I knew I was selected for this program, I was ecstatic and could not contain my excitement.
I also learned that I don’t have to pay any fee to participate in this program, which was a hugeadvantage. A few weeks passed, and it was time for the first Orientation. That was the first time
I got to meet everyone and had a chance to know more about CUC and everybody who would
be participating in this program. The thought of what I could gain from this program and all the
new faces excited me. (Spoiler Alert: I learned A LOT!).
Once the first Orientation ended, me and Lan Nhi spent much time coming up with ways tomake this trip an unforgettable experience for everyone. We designed a Worldtour Presentation
and bought some postcards and traditional Vietnamese sweets to bring to Japan. Time flies bywhen you do not think about it, and the day of the flight has come. Me and Lan Nhi stepped
onto that flight, carrying many expectations, desires, and hopes for a smooth sailing trip aheadof us.
II.

Landing in Japan (17/08)

After an 8-hour journey of 6 hours of flight and 2 hours of delayed time, Me and Lan Nhi landedat Narita International Airport at about 10 AM Japanese time (2 hours ahead of Vietnam’s time).
My first impression of Japan was, “Wow! Everything here is so high-tech and advanced. Even thecustoms and International Arrival area is so different from Vietnam's! I know Japan is modern
and futuristic, but I did not expect it to be like this! I’m so thrilled to see what is awaits for meahead!”

PAGE 1

After completing all the paperwork, Lan Nhi and I met with the Thailand students (Nancy,
Double P, and Boon) who arrived before us. About an hour and a half later, the Taiwanese
students (Ray, Selina, and Mia) came. We sat down and got to know each other for almost 2
hours before everybody from CUC showed up at Narita Airport to take us to CUC Campus. Aftera short while of waiting for the Indian students to arrive but to no avail, all of CUC and us
International Students got on the bus and began moving to CUC Campus.
I was over here!

At about 4 p.m., we reached the CUC Campus. To my surprise, Leon and Karin (German
students) were already present and greeted us with open arms. On the way, I was in awe thewhole time at the discrepancy between Japan’s and Vietnam’s highway and traffic system!
Upon arrival, I had my first Orientation in Japan. Also, at the Orientation, I knew who would be
my roommate for the next nine days, and it turned out to be Leon (I much love this guy,honestly). After a day of traveling, at this point, I just wanted to lie down on my bed and rest.

PAGE 2

The guy in thatbrown coat is me!

My first day concluded with me going out with Leon to a convenience store near the CUC
Campus for dinner. We really got to know each other’s personalities, dreams, etc. The first days
were everything I dreamed of and more. Looking forward to the second day!
III.

Second orientation. Yukata Experience and Asakusa Sightseeing (18/08)

After a wonderful sleep on one of the most comfortable beds I had ever laid down, I woke up
and prepared for the next day full of activities. Leon and I got up early and checked out the
University Dining for the first time. All the pastries were so delicious that I felt like I was in somecoffee shop in the middle of Europe ^-^. It was then 10 a.m., and everybody entered International
Square for the second Orientation. Yesterday, Orientation was kept short and simple since
everybody was all tired. Today, Orientation explained more details about the schedule and otherusual stuff. (^_^) Also, I was informed that we would change to Yukata and then be on our way
to our first destination in the program: Sensoji Temple(浅草寺) in Asakusa!

That mein thecorner!

PAGE 3

First lunch in Japan (Amazing):

All the steps of getting the right fit for the Yukata were very time-consuming. However, all thewomen were kind and patient with us. There are multiple layers to the art of wearing a Yukata,and I was very honored to put on this very special Yukata! All in all, putting on a Yukata took
about 1 hour. At 2 PM, everybody finished changing into their Yukata clothes thanks to the helpof the locals (Arigato Gozaimasu! ありがとうございました.), and we were ready to hit thestreet of Asakusa. So exciting!
Me in the Yukata:

PAGE 4

On the street of Sensoji, Asakusa:#7: Badfortune 😓

PAGE 5

At the entrance of Sensoji Temple

While waiting for the bus

Sensoji Temple, Asakusa, was the first place I visited in Japan. A buzzing and crowded place fullof visitors from every corner of the globe combined was my initial impression. We all spent
about one and a half hours exploring Sensoji Temple and the surrounding areas. First, I drew
one Omikuji Fortune paper, but I got Number 7 – Bad luck 🥲. Following that, I rolled up the
paper and tied it to a nearby wire rack for my bad luck to go away in the future. Secondly, I
roamed all the areas around Sensoji Temple, such as Nakamise Street, washed my handswith the water fountain, and touched the incense smoke. While strolling around, I could not
help but wonder how it was possible that in the middle of one the most crowded cities in theworld, such a sacred and divine temple like Sensoji Temple could exist! I was so immersed in
the place that I almost forgot the time to return to our meeting point! At 5:30 PM, I returned tothe meeting point, still exhausted even after a 15-minute rest. We loaded onto the bus and said
goodbye to Sensoji Temple, Asakusa, to return to the CUC Campus. This will be one of the mostbeautiful memories from this program in my mind <3.

The sunset view from the bus (Nothing can compare to the sunset in Japan)

PAGE 6

In the evening, I and a few other International students and CUC Supporters went to Ichikawa
Station for dinner since the University Dining had closed. This was also my first time going to a
train station; it just blew my mind away. It looked more like a shopping mall-train station hybrid
instead of what I imagined would be like a typical train station—tons of jewelry, books, etc. I
also picked out some pieces of jewelry to buy later on. Shunsuke led us to a restaurant, andtogether, we had dinner at the station, which was jarring for Leon and me since we heard all thenoise from the train just going “vroom vroom” in the background. I did not know the name of
my dish, but let me tell you: It was DELICIOUS! OISHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I settled on a set meal like thisThe whole table for four of us

We decided to return to the CUC Campus from Ichikawa
Station to end a very long day. On the way back, as we
passed by a shrine near the CUC Campus, I learned more
about Leon, Karin, Boon, Selina, and Shunsuke.
It was great to see and hear different perspectives on thisprogram, and it also
widened my point ofview. I learned how
to see a problem
through the lens ofaninternational
student and otherways to approach aproblem. Today wasa phenomenal day
filled with memories, experiences, and knowledge. The
weekends, which would be the next two days, when
everyone would be free to do what they wanted, wereabsolutely fantastic and I was looking forward to thatwholeheartedly!!!. (Hooray!)

PAGE 7

IV.

The weekends (Got lost at Ichikawa Stations, saved by Ray, Tokyo Skytree,
Monjayaki, and Disneyland – 19/08 and 20/08)

Having woken up from a 7-hour sleep, feeling refreshed more than ever, I was fully prepared forthe weekend before me. It was 8:30 AM, and I went to wake Leon up. After doing our morning
routine and freshening ourselves up, we were ready to welcome the weekends full of surprises
ahead of us. AT 10 AM, we hit the University Dining Hall to have breakfast before going ourseparate ways. I planned to go to Ichikawa Stations to pick up the jewelry I picked out yesterday,
then head to Tokyo Skytree, and Leon planned to head to Tokyo Skytree immediately. Double
P, Boon, Nancy, and others were already waiting in the University Dining Hall. Today, I got
myself a cup of Espresso and a sugar-glazed doughnut, and it was perfect to start the day. At 11
A.m., I said goodbye to everyone and began my alone journey to Ichikawa Station. Although I
could not speak or listen to any Japanese, I was confident I could figure out the train. But as
people say, “It’s easier said than done”. I found out that I did not know how to read the
instructions on Google Maps, and my English was not helping me whatsoever in understanding
those confusing train tracks and stations. To be completely honest, I was then stuck at Ichikawa
Station with no one to ask (At this point, I was still terrified to contact CUC for help 🥲). Until
then, I was shaking in fear and had no chance to pick up the jewelry I mentioned before. I
contemplated returning to the CUC Campus and riding with anyone still there.
Nonetheless, a miracle happened. From afar, I could clearly see a silhouette of a girl I knew
exactly who it was: Ray! Ray to the rescue, hehe <3 Somehow, Ray and I crossed paths and met
at the Ichikawa Stations. Understood that she was going to Tokyo Skytree next and was about
to meet with others, I asked to join, and Ray gladly accepted. Thank you so much for saving me
right here, Ray <3 I could not express how grateful I was when Ray appeared in front of my eyes^_^.
At 1 A.m., Ray and I arrived at the Tokyo Skytree Stations and began to wait for others to arrive.
At about 2 pm, one by one, everyone came with a smile on their face!

From left to right and top row to bottom row:
Me, Maiko, Sota, Selina, Mia, Ray, and Lan Nhi

PAGE 8

The reception desk for the Tokyo Skytree is located on the 4th floor. However, it was so loaded
when we arrived that there were only slots after 6 p.m. So we did the only thing we could topass the time: We explored the Tokyo Skytree Mall!

PAGE 9

After two and a half hours (but it felt like 15 minutes) of exploring all three floors, it was time
for me and everybody to go up to Tokyo Skytree Tembo Deck on the 350th floor. The elevator
took about 30 seconds to take 20 to 30 people to the 350th floor. Honestly, I was blown away at
the 1st sight on the 350th floor! Not even in my imagination would I be expecting such a crowded
place!

But let’s put aside all my first impressions, the views from here were BREATHAKING!

PAGE 10

After circling the 350th floor and getting some pictures for ourselves for about an hour, we
decided to move to the 340th floor, where they had the Glass floor and souvenir photo booth.
And you already knew we were going to snap some pictures for ourselves!

We were getting hungry, and after a while, we decided to head down and get some dinner before
it was too late to catch the trains back to the CUC Campus for the curfew at 11 p.m. At first, we
all agreed on getting some Japanese BBQ in Asakusa. But after arriving at the place, it was so
crowded that we would have to wait more than 30 minutes for a table. So we switched it up andheaded to a restaurant specializing in Monjayaki/Okonomiyaki. I’ve known about this dish from
Detective Conan, but this will be the first time I see it with my own eyes. To say that I was
thrilled would be a massive understatement! Also, I NEEDED to sit like real bad!

PAGE 11

At this point, everybody was so tired anddrained of energy. This meal was the jolt ofenergy that all of us needed to be able to comeback to the CUC Campus. And how fortunate
we were to make it back at 10:55 p.m., 5 minutes
early of the curfew! Phew, that was a close call!
Saturday was incredible, and I was eager forwhat Sunday got for me since the place I would
visit next was DISNEYLAND! Before heading
back to the dormitory, Ray, Selina, Mia, and I
all came to agree on the time to meet thefollowing day: 9 a.m.
After a night filled with excitement to which I could only sleep for about 4 hours, I woke up at
8:15 a.m. I freshened up and changed into a comfortable outfit (but honestly, I was not on my
A-game that day 🥶🥶), and it was time to hit the street and meet all the girls. I’ll let all the
pictures do the talking for you thistime! I was just in awe about how
magical and mystical Disneyland
was. Even in my wildest dreams, I
could never dream about visiting
Disneyland, and I would like toshare all my memories about
Disneyland with everybody! Enjoy!

My breakfast at Ichikawa Station

PAGE 12

PAGE 13

We stayed at Disneyland from around 10-11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. I made it back to the dormitory
at 8 p.m., thoroughly washed up and unable to do anything else, but it was definitely worth it
to check out Disneyland 100%. If I can return to Japan, Disneysea and Universal Studios will beon my list!
V.

First day of school and Japanese Lesson (21/08)

Let me tell you, I was so beaten up that I slept soundly like a child from Sunday to Monday eventhe sirens from an ambulance could not wake me up from my sleep 🤣. Today, we got two
lectures and one activity. First is the lecture from Prof. TESHIMA, Susumu, about CUC’s NetZero Carbon Actions & Campus Tour. Followed by Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKI’s How to Read
International Issues lecture. Lastly, it would be a Japanese Language Experience by Mr. Hiroki
IWANO.

Prof. TESHIMA, Susumu was the first lecturer I listened to and paid close attention to it. He
introduced us to the current situation regarding the energy problems, how Japan is handling
this problem, what CUC’s Net-Zero Carbon Actions mean, and how it would benefit everyone. I
was hooked the whole time he was explaining things on the screen. He was passionate about
explaining all the details, had a soft voice, and his accent was effortless to follow and understand.
The first lesson ended with him giving us a tour of the Campus.

PAGE 14

After that, we were introduced to Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKI, a former Japanese Ambassador to theUnited States of America. You could feel he had a distinctive voice, powerful yet gentle and easy
to follow. I expected nothing less from a former Japanese Ambassador to the United States! Hislecture was utterly new to me since the concept he incorporated into his class was unlike
anything I have ever read up until now. He broke down how to read International Issues into
three categories: History, Psychology, and Personalities/Characteristics. He explained
thoroughly the concept and how to apply it to real-life scenarios, allowing me to see it under myscope. It was a very informative, academic, and influential lecture that gave me a ton of new
knowledge! At the very end, he wanted to see ten volunteers present about their topic of interest,and of course, I would volunteer myself. Thankfully, I was among the ten individuals chosen topresent! This was an excellent opportunity I would never have again, so I needed to bring my Agame and do my best!

In the afternoon, a Japanese Language Experience washosted by Mr. Hiroki IWANO. It was a very relaxed,
fun, and joyful class. I got to practice my Japanese witheveryone on myteam and talked
about
some
traditional
festivals of eachcountry. Overall,
it was a refreshingsession after sucha profound lecturefrom Prof. Ichiro
FUJISAKI.

PAGE 15

After finishing all the classes, I decided that I would not go out in the evening and instead
headed to my dorm and started my preparation for the presentation coming up later in the week.
Also, I was so fatigued from earlier days that I decided to stay at home and rest up.
VI.

Japanese Traditional Oral Storytelling “Rakugo”, Woodblock prints
experience and Imperial Palace (22/08)

Last night, as I was only staying in my room, I got to bed early, so I woke up sooner than usual.
A glance at the schedule, my worst fear had come: “Rakugo” day. All International Students had
to submit their choice of story to tell on this day. I had submitted a folktale from Vietnam rather
than a comedy or funny story, as I misunderstood it. However, there was no going back then,and I would have to do my best with my story!
To my surprise, when I arrived, I saw Prof. MIZIRAKLI Halit was already at the class. The
definition and history of “Rakugo” was the first thing he mentioned in this lecture. A reminder
to us of the rich history of “Rakugo” and how it has transformed since the ancient day. Different
aspects of “Rakugo” Storytelling were introduced, including a stage called “Koza” that I would
experience later. After half an hour of the introductory section, the “Koza” stage and thestoryboard were set up. He invited everyone to try and sit on the stage to familiarize themselveswith it before the real storytelling section. And you already know I would not miss out on that!

After that, in order from the storyboard, everybody started going on the stage to tell their stories.
Almost all of them were comedy or funny stories, besides the story from me and Lan Nhi(oopsie!). I enjoyed all of them, and they cracked me up a lot 🤣. However, it was unbelievableto see Prof. MIZIRAKLI Halit himself going on stage and telling a story for us! The way he moved,
talked, and acted was mesmerizing, and I was hooked on his story and completely dumbfoundedat the end by the twist. A massive round of applause for Prof. MIZIRAKLI Halit! Thanks to him,
I learned some very useful techniques, and I will try to implement them myself to be a better
storyteller in the future!

PAGE 16

Two hours of break went by in a flash, and Woodblock prints experience had officially started.
Everyone gathered on the top floor of a building inside the campus. We took turns to recreate
some of the most iconic images from Japan. I felt so privileged to be able to perform an art form
as old as this with the help of the artisans! There were a total of 3 pictures to recreate using thisart form, and I am pretty sure that everybody got all three pictures. Some even purchased bigger
and nicer-looking images offered on another desk!

PAGE 17

Before finishing the day’s schedule, we all took a commemorative photo!

PAGE 18

During the Woodblock prints experience, I heard Leon and a few others planned to visit theImperial Palace, so I decided to tag along with them. It was also my first time arriving at Tokyo
Station, one of the biggest stations in Tokyo! After stepping out of the station, my immediate
thought was, “Where am I? Am I in Wall Street, New York? What is going on with all theskyscrapers and stuff?”

I was highly impressed with how many skyscrapers there were.
And still, right around the corner, you could find somethingthat belongs to the past: The Imperial Palace! The atmosphereat the palace was peaceful and not so noisy. Unfortunately, we arrived a little too late to stay forlong. We had some Korean food for dinner at the station, then headed home.

PAGE 19

VII.

Chiba Sightseeing Tour (Tea Ceremony, National Museum of Japanese
History, AEON Mall – 23/08)

After a day filled to the brim with all the activities and fun experiences, one of my mostanticipated days finally came. It was the day of the Chiba Sightseeing Tour. We would betraveling on a bus from 9 a.m. in the morning until 7 p.m. at night, so I had a lot to enjoy. I was
also curious to see more of Chiba Prefecture, the history museum, and anything else it offers. I
hoped I would learn a lot about the culture (Tea Ceremony), the past till present times (National
Museum of Japanese History), and how a massive mall like AEON would differ from the AEON
Mall I knew in Vietnam through this day trip!
We arrived at our first destination for the Tea Ceremony at around 10 a.m., after an hour ofdriving through the countryside of Chiba Prefecture. We were escorted to the house's second
floor, where all the mattresses had already been laid out and set up beforehand. “Seiza”, a
traditional Japanese sitting position, was the style preferred for this type of event or setting. Still,
we were told that we could sit down during the preparation time and only need to kneel or“Seiza” when performing the Ceremony. We were introduced to the origin of this Ceremony, theproceeding of the Ceremony, and the proper method to carry out this Ceremony. The Ceremony
was separated into two parts, The Sweet and The Tea parts. The reason was explained that
because The Tea part would be pretty bitter, you will need to coat the inside of your mouth withthe flavor and the sugar from the Sweet part. The Tea part, when tasted after, would feel more
pleasant! As for me, I was used to drinking dark herbal tea, so the Tea part felt quite normal andpleasant. My problem was the “Seiza” because I was actively trying to respect the culture, butsometimes my leg just gave out, so I had to sit down from time to time. We also had bento boxes
for lunch at around noon, and these were hefty, I am not going tolie!

PAGE 20

We wrapped our visit to the first destination around 12:30 p.m. and moved on to the National
Museum of Japanese History. Travel time was approximately two hours, so we arrived at thesecond location at 2 p.m. Here, we were free to explore the entire museum with no restriction,and the only requirement was that we returned to the meeting point at 3:45 p.m. to disembark
on time. I took tons of pictures, nearly 300 photos in total. There were eight different sectionsin the Museum: two reserves for special exhibitions and six active sections – each portrayeddifferent themes in Japanese history (Unfortunately, during our visit, section number five wereclosed for renovation purpose). Everything was so well put together, looking neat and ordered.
Each section really highlighted the themes that the section was supposed to display. From a
distant time to different periods in the early days of Japan to the Modern day, from the life of
the commoner to the superstitions and beliefs, from the folklore to the post-war period,
everything was put on display in the brightest light, each component in each section got theirown significance in the flow of history that I could merely scratch the surface to comprehendand understand. I would like to thank CUC for creating such an opportunity to appreciate thehistory of a country as rich as Japan. I also purchased some souvenirs to remember such anastonishing destination like this!

Everybody taking a group picture at the entrance of The National Museum of Japanese History

PAGE 21

I was so eager to explore the place that I forgot I was quite ahead of everyone (oopsie!). When I
completed buying my souvenirs, I was like, “Am I the only one finished exploring this early? I
thought it was almost time already!”. Turned out that was exactly the case! I was so deep in mythoughts that I did not even check my watches, and I was 30 minutes early at the meeting point🤣 but it was nice to rest before heading off to the next location. At exactly 3:45 p.m., everybody
gathered back, and we set off to AEON Mall. I was told that AEON Mall was the biggest AEON
Mall in Japan, too! With my mind getting blown off the roof at each location I visited each day,
I wondered how this AEON Mall would put the AEON Mall I know to shame. No surprises, it
was ginormous! 4 different buildings, 3 stories, each with distinct functionality. AEON Mall inJapan was a totally different type of beast from the one in Vietnam 🤣 🤣. Sadly, we only had
an hour, more or less, to explore the place, and I could not explore all of this AEON Mall. It wasa shame not being able to explore this AEON Mall in its entirety, but if I can revisit this place, I
will do that! The clock then ticked 6:25 p.m., and we had to say goodbye to AEON Mall. All of
us returned to the CUC Campus at around 7 p.m. and completed a day full of amazement,
curiosity, and satisfaction. That night, I decided to, again, not to go out but rather stay behindat my dorm to prepare for the next day's presentation in front of Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKI and theWorld-tour presentation in front of everyone at CUC. I would have to perform at the highest
level and prepare to the best of my ability the next day. Everything was on the line, I got one
change, and one mistake can screw up my presentation! I could not let that happen!

PAGE 22

VIII.

Final lecture, Topic Presentation, World Tour Presentation, and Akihabara(24/08)

I was shaking in nervousness that I could not have a deep sleep at all. What if I did not do as
well as I imagined I would? Would anyone find my presentation informative and entertaining?
Etc. All the questions haunted me at night and at only 6 a.m., I had already woken up. I
determined that I had to be confident in myself first because only when I’m confident inmyself can others see the same trait in me. I put on the only suit I had prepared for the trip
and got ready to face the day ahead of me. Ms. NGUYEN Thuy will be the final lecturer in thisprogram (Note: The day after this day, there was supposed to be another lecture from Prof.
ENOKIDO Keisuke. But at the last minute, he called in sick and canceled the lecture. In asense, Ms. NGUYEN Thuy was the last lecturer in this program). Followed by a session of topic
presentation in front of Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKI. And concluded with the World tour
presentation in the afternoon.

Ms. NGUYEN Thuy
caught my attention
right from the firsttime I read theschedule! I said tomyself, “I need to get
to know more about
her. I’m very much
intrigued!”. She wasalso a Vietnamese
living and working inJapan so I would love
to hear more about
her story. Ms.
NGUYEN Thuy's
lecture was honestly
so emotional! Shetalked about the impact of war on poverty and it was just immaculate. She explained in detailthe definition of poverty, some insight on how to know whether a country is consideredpoverty or not, the tools used to calculate the poverty level of a country, and the mostemotional part: Examples from Vietnam. I did not know why but when she touched on thepoverty in Vietnam, the result of the poverty, and how the war had severely impacted the livesof ordinary citizens in Vietnam, I could not help but shed a tear! Maybe it was the fact that I
can relate to her story on a personal level and on a patriotic level. From the beginning of thisprogram, I had been comparing and judging a lot of aspects of Vietnam to that of Japan, but I
suddenly came to the realization that Vietnam had to endure so much to be where it was. Topnotch was the only word to describe her lecture! I had become a fan of Ms. NGUYEN and shewould be my role model for years to come!

PAGE 23

Time to shine!

I was among the first five volunteers who would present their topic on this day. The other fivevolunteers would present on the next day. My topic was “The Rise of ASEAN”. I broke it down
into 4 separate parts: General Information, Achievements, Using Prof. Ichiro Fujisaki’s
technique to understand, and the Future. I believed I did an okay job, and I was proud of myself
to be able to finish this presentation. But I also knew that I could still improve on what I had,and thanks to the feedback from Prof. Ichiro Fujisaki, I would try to develop myself even further!
The World Tour was up next in the early afternoon, so right after the session with Prof. Ichiro
FUJISAKI finished, I rushed to change into the “Ao Dai” I had stored in my suitcase since thebeginning. My “Ao Dai” was red with the Four Holy Beast Embroidery (Dragon, Qilin, Tortoise,
and Phoenix). This piece of clothing was my pride and I was glad everybody enjoyed my outfit
and also our Vietnamese World Tour. We even brought with us some sweets from all regions in
Vietnam, too! I was extremely happy when everyone came and gave our sweet a try, and almost
fell in love with it instantly! Those feelings were indescribable! What could I say? That was thefirst time I got to introduce Vietnam to an International audience. I saw everybody's eyes lightup when we offered each person a type of sweet and saw them enjoy what we had prepared, it
was just so warming for my heart! Furthermore, I had to experience different cultures from all
five countries and it came from the people who lived in the countries – that just made the event

PAGE 24even better! Each country possessed its uniqueness, something that you could only find in thatparticular country. German, Taiwan and Indian students’ also brought with them some treats
from their countries and the one word I could use to describe the atmosphere at theInternational Square was: Energetic! Everybody was curious about the meaning behind eachtreat of if there was some history tied to the treat.

The sweet we had preparedThis was Lan Nhi and I doing the presentation

Around 4:30 p.m., everybody started to wrap up the event. Right then, I was asked by Yoshi tosee if I would like to join him on a trip to Akihabara. I had heard about Akihabara prior to being
asked by Yoshi but I had not visited one of Tokyo’s most popular destinations. Without
hesitation, I immediately agreed. The night squad, consisting of me, Yoshi, Leon, Lan Nhi, andNancy, started going to Akihabara at 5:30 p.m. What a coincidence when Ray along with Osuke
and Yuto, were also headed to Akihabara, but for a different purpose 🤣. Somehow we also
bumped into Prof. TESHIMA Susumu on the bus to Akihabara Station. He was not present at
the World Tour Presentation, and we asked him whether we would see him again at the farewellparty the next day, but he said he would not be able to attend it since he would be at a different
campus. So Lan Nhi and I made sure to leave behind and share with him some tasty Vietnamese
Sweets! Neon banners, bright lights, and bustling streets were the first things I noticed when I
stepped out of the station and saw Akihabara for the firsttime! Before heading anywhere else, we decided to treat
ourselves to some soba noodles at a local restaurant.

PAGE 25

Afterward, we all agreed tocheck out Yodobashi-Akiba,
one of the largest places forelectronic goods and techthings. The building had six
or seven floors, so it was
massive. I think we took
almost 2 hours just to
explore this building alone.
But it was well worth it forme since I was able topurchase a Gundam and a
Conan-Haibara Standee. I
was beyond happy when I
saw the standee on theselves on the seventh floor.
All the love for Yoshi, who had taken us on this night to explore Akihabara. We exited thebuilding around 9 p.m., not too late, but we still decided to head home. Yoshi's home was about
an hour away from the Ichikawa Station, so we would like him to go home and have some rest
before it was too late. That was it! Such an eventful day for me! I still did not know how I wasgoing to handle the farewell party! I had gotten so used to life in Japan that it was so sad to haveto say goodbye! I wish the program would be extended to twenty days, although I knew it was
just wishful thinking, but to be honest, I did not think I would be able to hold back the next day!
IX.

Final Presentation, Farewell Party, Fireworks, Barbeque, and Karaoke(25/08)There was supposed to be another lecture before the last session with Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKI, but
it was canceled at the last minute, so we did not have to come to class until 10 a.m. However, I
was looking toward it the whole night, and I just could not sleep at all. So much was going on
inside my head! But after all, the time had come. Five more volunteers would be presenting later,
and then everybody who volunteered will be awarded with a Certificate of Appreciation signedby the one and only, Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKI himself!

PAGE 26

Commemorative picture with Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKIAnd just like that, the final session came to an end! I had such a blast doing all the preparation
and really enjoyed everybody’s presentation, and each brought forward some aspects that I
would have never guessed before! Emotions were already high at this point, but oh boy, did they
about to explode in the afternoon! Thank you, Prof. ICHIRO FUJISAKI, for taking the time to beat the CUC Campus and giving lectures and feedback to each and everyone here! I have nothing
but respect for what Prof. Ichiro FUJISAKI has done and will continue doing!
Farewell Party. I do have a lot to talk about that one. But until this point, this report is alreadylong enough, so I will try to keep it short and concise. We received our Certificate of Completion,a gorgeous fan, a nice piece of fabric from the Yukata, a souvenir from CUC, and a chance to
speak our final words in front of everyone at this Farewell Party. Foods and drinks were sodelicious, and I think everybody had a great time at the party. Of course, some tears were shed
during it, but it was inevitable. Even Leon could not hold back himself! I was going around
getting everyone's signature and farewell words, and by some miracle, I managed to get almost
everyone! I even took some of the sweets available at the party to surprise my friend in Vietnam!
These were and will always be treasures to my heart! I have not been able to find a suitable frameto hang the bag on the wall but I will definitely try harder! Thank you from the deepest place of
my heart! Thank you to everyone who participated in this program!

PAGE 27

PAGE 28

So, after such a roller coaster of emotions at the Farewell Party, we decided to find something
to do to celebrate the last day I was there at the CUC Campus. And, what would be better tocelebrate things than fireworks?

Our two final stops were a barbeque restaurant near Ichikawa Stati0ns and The Karaoke. Nancy
and I were particularly keen on the spicy pork and beef, but sadly no one was able to enjoy it
because it was too spicy for most of them 🥲. At around 9 p.m., we met up with Karin, Boon,
Kento, and a few others for a late-night karaoke. Fun was probably an understatement since
everyone went crazy and just balled out! I had never known that everybody could sing so well

PAGE 29

like that! I was taken aback at first but then the mood and the flow started to kick in and got me
to vibe with the music. I was glad that everyone was enjoying themselves and also tolerated myterrible singing ability =)) The last night, and I had the best experience with the new friends I
made on this program. What could be better than that? Nothing! At the time, I just wanted time
to stop so I could appreciate the moment even more than it had already been up until then! My
feelings were all over the place but Lan Nhi and I still had one more thing to do before the night
ended: Write Postcards for everybody! Carefully chosen from a pile of Postcards we had prepared
before and separate them according to the interest of all the new friends! Me and Lan Nhi wereup until almost 2 a.m. when we decided that we would finish them in the morning because there
was no way we could finish all of them! We still had another morning to finish these Postcards!

X.

Final Day and conclusion(26/08)

Wow! What a journey it had been for me! I never hoped that this day would ever come sincethat was the most unanticipated day for me in the whole program! But it is what it is and I had
to bid my goodbye to CUC. It was hard, not going to lie! I was secretly crying at night because
this day would come just after a night of sleep. Lan Nhi and I handed out the Postcards to all
the International Students and some CUC supporters who were also present at the International
Square that morning. The rest we left behind to Mr. Miyahara-san to take care of giving them tothe students the next week. I hope that they have already received all of them! I wonder what
they think about our gifts? Do they like them? What will they remember about me and Lan Nhi?

PAGE 30

あ り が と う ご ざ い ま し た
Thank you everybody for making this program an unforgettable journey for me! This was themost wonderful Summer I have ever had in my life! I love everyone!

PAGE 31

Japan Trip – CUC Summer Exchange Program 2023
17 – 26 August, 2023
FPT University, Vietnam
Lan Nhi Vo Nguyen (Little Flower)

Since very long time, I have always dream to experience lives in Japan. When seeing the program on myuniversity post, I applied immediately. After being in the wait-list for months, I was announced to prepare
documents to go to Japan for the CUC 10 days trip. I still remember our flight from Hochiminh city delayed andhow we were waiting with sleepiness and excitement. After 3 hours delay and 6 hours flying, we arrived Narita
Airport. We (Vietnamese) met Thai friends first, then the Taiwanese friends came, we chitchatted in front of
the airport conbini until we met the Japanese supporters and wait for German and Indian friends.

On the way from airport to CUC, I couldn't take my eyes off the Japanese street, house, people, even a traffic
light made me felt like anime. When we arrived the CUC campus, the school was large, open space, full of green
trees and fresh air. At that time, I felt this is really ideal environment to live and grow, and I was grateful to standhere. After orientation, we check-in room. My room had the scene and smell of a Japanese tradition. I stayedwith Nancy, sometimes we forgot we’re foreigners so I talked Vietnamese to her and she spoke Thai to me,then we laughed when realized it. My group took a bus to Ichikawa Station to eat dinner. We ate all types ofchicken dishes, fried dumplings and horse meat, which Sota liked but Ray and Selina was afraid. The total bill
was over 2000¥/person. It wasn’t too high but it could shock who had planned only 200¥/per meal as me.
Thank to Maiko, the 1st journey was smooth and we didn’t lost, phew~.

On the next day, CUC prepared the yukata activities for us. The professionals helped us wear and made gorgeoushairstyle then we went to Asakusa with it. We tried the lucky message, sightseeing around, ate matcha ice
cream, strawberry candy, pickle cucumber and bought souvenirs. Osuke won the salmon and tuna sushi
earrings gatcha, then he shared it for us. After walking for a whole afternoon with tight yukata, we nearly
couldn’t breathe on the way back. It was tired but so fun.

On 19th and 20th, we separated for different plans; AJ, Maiko, Selina, Mia, Ray, Sota and I went to Skytree. I
expected it would be the same as Landmark 81 in Vietnam; however, it was new. Firstly, it was super crowned,me and Takeru lining while planning how to escape if there was zombie. Secondly, from here Tokyo, we can see
the biggest ferris wheel and rollercoster of Yokohama amusement part. At night, we passed the Asakusa again.
The night of this place has a mysterious and chilling vibe. We wanted to eat BBQ so Takeru ran to the restaurant
first to book seats; unfortunately, it had fulled so we decided to eat monja and okonomiyaki. It was surprisingly
delicious.

Since arriving Japan, I noticed that Japanese women are pretty. They have personal fashion, make up carefully,
dress neatly and usually wear high sole shoes. I was impressed by Yuri-sensei unique style. This motivated me
to go shopping in Shibuya on Sunday hehe. Besides, I found out Daiso is a reasonable store to choose souvenir.
I bought a furin, computer light, lamp, aroma, wood bowl, etc. within 110-330¥ for each and those all havegood quality. In the afternoon, I visited the Hachiko inu statue, his story movie made me cry. Then I had chance
to try the most yummy udon restaurant, they even put natto in. It was my 1st natto.

⚫

My advises for a Japan trip:

1. Don’t bring meat or sausage (or warp it carefully until you believed the police dogs at airport can’t smell it).
2. Japan is safe but there're still silent bad people. Wear protection pant under dress and be careful when go
escalator and train (could have hidden camera).
3. Think twice when buying at stores in the station. Usually it’s more expensive. But good deals exist too (likethe 110¥ mochi)

Review the lectures:
Before coming to Japan, I was curious how to use energy efficiently and advance human life in household,organization and a whole country. Not only Japan, CUC already surprised me with the realistic practice on
renewable energy, which 100% supplies the school. Moreover, I feel the mindset of human in CUC is more
'green', friendly and different than my place - as a private university belonged to a business corporation. It
reminded me the philosophy “money is only a means”, so when we can find out an answer for the energy
problem, we can less cave into pressure for money.
In the socio-political class, I presented about the 9 Dash Line (a.k.a. Cow Tongue Line in Vietnamese). I couldn’t
stop wakuwaku despite worry of learning new knowledge in short-time then sharing it with everyone. I
prepared it for days. I listened to news podcast when taking shower, scripted in head while confused whichwater bottle is cheaper and still practiced the speaking flow before my turn. I was surprised that after thepresentation, many friends asked many questions, told me their opinion and said they hadn’t heard about thisbefore. This experience really made me proud and helped me get confidence back. Meanwhile, the otherfriends presented the hidden problems of their countries, which also new to me. I had thought people would
only go abroad to study passively, but now I found out our 'global mission' is to spread the truth and tounderstand the world more. Everyone is enthusiasm with the classes. I love this atmosphere.
The final lecture was taught by a Vietnamese professor, who had the view of a family growing up in Vietnamese
war. When she told story about the poverty and the terrify that the war left, I totally agreed because I used tohear the same experience of my grandma and parents. It’s funny that I kept looking at her and nodding head
without knowing the other friends were shedding tears.

A few day later, AJ and I visited her house and we talked about many things. In Japan, there’s a prefecture foruniversities and professors’ houses only, no pachinko is allowed here. Thuy-sensei said she moved here to havea better educational environment for her children. I admired her decision and how hard-working she did sincecame here. It was inspiring watching the superiors enjoy what they do everyday. I have changed mind about
my education path after program.

The woodblock print and museum time was awesome. Japan is truly a place for culture and art, it arouses ourartistic soul. With rakugo, art is the way we use tone, rhythm, facial expression and imagination. With Japanesetraditional tea ceremony, art is how we dress, walk and gesture femininely, besides the logical taste of sweetand bitter matcha. Art is creative from the inside feeling. We treasure even the small details.

24, 25 Aug - The memorable last days
The last presentation was Lin Lin's. When we practiced together last night, I felt nervous too, didn’t knowwhether my review was helpful or not. She studied seriously all the time which reminded me also had to do
better than I used to. You did great girl~
The world tour was fun. We exchanged our national snacks, games together and heard about each country.
India has tons of spices and their dresses are unique. Genman’s traditional clothes are interesting, kind of themedieval sense. Taiwan has lots of fun and a sporty spirit. And I still remember the capital name of Thailand
was as long as a half of the present page. Thank guys for everything you shared.
On our last night, after standing in front of the gate, having an unknown conversation by mixing languages andplanning for an hour, we decided to do all the wishes. We went fireworks as written on the team’s goal paper.
We went BBQ and Nancy was so happy, then we made another Thai-Chinese-Vietnamese-Japanese class again
in the restaurant. After that, we sang karaoke until late night. Gladly, we could catch the last bus to campus. I
ended the day with AJ, we sat together in my dining room and wrote last words for our friends. We wished we
had more postcards for everyone.

It was emotional from the farewell party to the time we said bye-bye. I was the last person stepped out the
CUC gate. At that time, I had a feeling like “oh.. so it’s the end..”. I will miss them, miss these happy days andmiss Japan. Thank Toma for sending us gifts until the last moment. Thank Mr. Miyahara for still waving until I
totally couldn’t see CUC anymore.
Finally, I want to send my thankfulness to all CUC's humans for this amazing program. I can feel everyone
passion, care and effort to make our trip enjoyable. Seeing new culture, meeting new people and living thefulfilled days, everything is special to me. It opened my eyes and gave me new perspectives about the world.
Thanks to this program I have more confidence to focus on my dream. I will remember those days and keep
belief whenever I have tough time.
Thank you CUC. Thank you all my friends from Thai, Taiwan, German, India, Vietnam and Japan.

from Lan Nhi with love. <3

- 11 Sep. 2023 -Participation Report
Name: Ms.Prawat Onrampa
Panyapiwat Institute of management
Majoring: Communicative English for business
Date 17th August 2023, we are Thai students and we arrived before the time around six
hours, we walk around and waiting for another students from another countries my firstexperience for me is I try to make everyone to be a one group for CUC bus and supporters willfind us easier, and it was good. Everyone told me after camp, it was show about my leadershipskills and I appreciate it so much because students are friendly and kind.
1st orientation, make me spend my life in Japan easier and I know my friends from Japanand Taiwan Kento, Chihiro, Yuto and Kaku chan. They help me a lot and always support mesuch as foods, luggage and especially travelling.
Lan Nhi, I have to mention this girl, because she is my roommate and now we are closefriend, She always be right by my side and walking to everywhere that we can even though I
said to her I’ll sleep but she never forget to give an invitation to me all the time.
Date 18th August 2023, Ms.Irina let us did the goal of our group “Eat together and Take agroup photo” and we done now!, and I I will not forget Yukata experience I got a lot ofsouvenirs and Asakusa temple was nice ! I can learn about Japanese cultures and eat someoriginal matcha and I like it.
Date 19th-20th August 2023, I got my free time to spend time with my family because
they follow me to Japan, I ate some Yakiniku, travel in Tokyo Tower and ate a lot of things but
my best experience is transportation in Japan, even though in 19th, Kento, Karin, Boon, Leon
took me to the hotel but in 20th I must go back to Ichikawa by myself and I done it!, and thisexperience make me know the process of trains in Japan, I went to ask some Japanese people
and try to use Japanese language like “Sumimasen, Watashi Ichikawa Ikidai desu” but she told
me “Watashi wa Tokyo jin Janai desu” And I can know the meaning by keyword of “janai” she is
not familiar in here because she is not person who live in Tokyo, but she try to use theapplication of train to help me, and finally I can go back to Ichikawa by myself.

Date 21st August 2023, the lecture classes were good because these classes make melearn a lot of the commerce, I can know the period of business such as how was businessbefore COVID-19, during COVID-19 and after COVID-19, so I can adapt myself in real life if mybusiness must face with disease situation.
2nd lecture, I have learned about how to observe everything in business world such as
personalities and history will make us can do the presentation easily and direct to the point,
also I got a lot of knowledge because of the topics that professor gave it to my friends to do
the presentations such as cow tongue, fake news in Taiwan and knowledge about AI.
Activity 2 Japanese language experience, this class can make me use the bus in Japanand know how to say in polite way like Japanese people, and I have to say acknowledgement
to professor and especially Kento, He told me about my accent in Japanese language is was
good! And now I can spend my life in Japan because you so smart and know a lot of Japanesewords, not for a long time you will be able to speak Japanese.
Date 22nd August 2023, The Rakogou section was funny!, because professor is very
friendly and tell a lot of thing to be a good story teller, I was have fun because I can tell
everyone to understand my story and professor did the good example to us and it was fun,
Storytelling is my best favorite, and someday I want to be a good storyteller like professor.
Activity 3 Woodblock print experience, I got a lot beautiful pictures that I made it bymyself even though my finger have a little bit rash and can’t use the power too much, but
thank you for everyone to help me to do the picture and I got the unity of us, Arigatou
gozaimasu!
Date 23rd August 2023 Chiba Prefecture Bus tour day, I saw a lot of beautiful things inJapan such as rules of server in traditional matcha and how to eat and how to be polite like
Japanese, In the museum I saw a lot of histories of Japan I got a lot of pictures too and I saw a
lot of things in Japan that similar with Thailand such as house, home, weapon and living
structures.
Date 24th August 2023, Presentation of my friends was nice! Everyone did it best andhave a lot of interested topics and I like when professor gave us about knowledges that was
opened my world.

World tour section, thank you prepare this section, because that make me have a plan
to travel now, actually I’m an introvert and do not like to travel a lot but this section makes me
open my mind and make chance for me to try the snacks and whatever about traditional
things, and from my bottom my heart the full name of Bangkok and king are not easy please be
careful.
Date 25th August 2023, My friends did it best in their presentations especially Leon’s
presentation that was opened my knowledge even though I have a bit of confusion about thegraph that he showed but it was wonderful.
Last lecture, make me got the point in problem and a lot of things during the COVID-19
and she made me got a lot of vocabularies, because her presentations she uses high level a bit
and difficult to understand but it’s challenging for me I never study about English in vocabulary
in this level before.
Farewell party, this section made me was cried because we have the time to tellsomething in our mind along this trip, because of everyone gave a nice memory to me so I
really love everything in this program especially friends, professor and best friendship that I will
never forget it.
Date 26th August 2023, Everything is so fast only ten days, but I’m feeling like Japan is
my home and everyone is my friends even though I checked out too fast but someone still
come to university for send me to the airport safely such as Lan Nhi, AJ, Miyu, Nana, Daisuke,
Chihiro, Kento, Karin, and Leon, and this person that I have to mention to him is Yuta, because
he has his friend in Thailand and he follow us to Thailand but fortunately his flight is the sameas us, at least our trip didn’t have only sadness because Yuta can make us smile and thinking
back to our friends in Japan
Eventual, I’m glad to see all of you in CUC Chiba university of commerce summer
program, thank you for make me growth up and thank you for a lot of experiences that you
gave it to me, to be honest this is a best experience for me just only nineteen years old cannot
found it in anywhere, I cannot write it too much but everything that we did together in thisprogram is the best more than any words in the world.
NANCYPanyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM)
Boonprom Limcharoen
Before coming to Chiba University of commerce, I do not have a confidence to communicate withany foreigners because my English is not good. When I was in the airport ,students from CUC started
talking to me first, To be honest at first I did not understand many things that they spoke to me but they
noticed that I cannot follow their conversation so they slow the speed down and explain to me what they
are talking about and never leave me behind I am very appreciate and I am really glad that I can join theconversation. The first day on the bus I talked with Kento and Daisuke and it make me more confident tospeak with foreigners because I understand almost everything that they talk to me, after that sometimes I
start the conversation first, I ask them about an information I want to know and they always explain to me
very clearly. The second day when we were in International square. Professor Irina gave us a money tobuy a food and start the orientation. We separate in to many groups and we start introduce ourselveswith each other there are 5 members in my group include with me ,Chisato san ,Shin san, Madoka sanand Mia san from Taiwan we can get along together very well. Then in the afternoon we are going to wear
a Yukata uniform and then explore Asakusa in Yukata uniform. It’s very hot at that time and my obi is tootight so I dizzy a little bit and almost get faint but everyone in my group are very care about me and help
me to find a cool place then bring me a water. I really appreciate that. In the evening we are eating somesushi at Hamazushi it is very delicious and very cheap. The next day is free day, we are going to Tokyo skytree but we did not go on the top of that building because it is very crowded and too much queue, so weare shopping and then in the evening we are going to Edogawa River and play Hanabi besides the river.
This moment is very fulfilled me because when I was a kid I watch many anime and there are many scenesthat the character play Hanabi beside the river and at that moment I feel like I am a character in the
Anime and this moment is the best memories of my life! Nana, Miyu and Sosuke also join us. Then we aregoing to the haunted forest it is very exciting and scary,I really love that day! The fourth day we are goingto eat a ramen at Tokyo station and then we are going to museum, Miyu tries so hard to explain me about
the art in the museum,She is so kind and has a very much attempts I really appreciate. In the evening weare going to karaoke together, it is my first time to be a singer among of foreigners. A little bit nervous but
I can sing anyway. The next day we have to attend the class,It is a little bit difficult for me because mypoor English but I still try my best to understand the lesson after that we have a Japanese class, I reallylove that because it is very relaxed after a stress lesson. In the evening I did not go anywhere because I
have to prepare myself for Rakugo,I try so hard and it worth! Because the next day when I tell my joke
everyone laughs of loud, I am so glad! After rakugo we are going to do a wood printing, it is very fun andvery exciting for me then we are going to Tokyo imperial palace, it is a very beautiful place and then we
ate a Korean food at Tokyo station.The seventh day we have a bus tour, In the morning we do a matcha inauthentic way. Actually, I worry about my internship interview but there are no problems at all! Then weare going to national museum of Japanese history it is a very good experience for me, Kento explain me alot, but I think there are many specific vocabularies, so I have to very concentrate and try to understand.
Then it is shopping time at Aeon! I bought some present to my foreigners friends.For dinner We decided
to go to Tonkatsu restaurant!It is very tasty and we can refill the soup and rice it is very worth! Then
karaoke again lol at this time I sang a Japanese song “we are” from ONEPIECE this moment has fulfilled
me again because I love ONEPIECE very much. The next day there are many presentations from ourfriends and then I go to Odaiba took a picture with a giant gundam and go to New York lol there is a
Statue of Liberty in Tokyo! It is very amaze me and then go to beach and took a lot of pictures together!
And then find some souvenirs for my Thai friends in Donkihote. For the last day there are 5 morepresentations from our friends and in the afternoon, there is a farewell party!! We tried a lot of snacks
and sweets from many countries! And a message from overseas friends.Then took a lot of pictures
together! The day that we have to say goodbye is coming I am very sad that I cannot tell all of you all of
my feelings I cannot explain all of it into a word, you guys are so kind and very lovely. Thank you foreverything, thank you all of CUC staffs and Professors for your hard work in this program I am very very
appreciate and I don’t know how to express all of my feelings into a word next time I promise I will bevery very much better in English so I can explain all of my feelings to you guys! Actually, Yuta has a same
flight with us! So, we are going to Thailand together. And I took him to many places in Thailand!

I never have a foreigner friend before so all of you are my first foreigner friends.I really appreciate that I
have new friend like you guys and thank you that always keep in touch with me thank you for text me
many many time I love you guys very much Thank You!

Dear CUC University

I’m Papinwich Sukcharoen from Thailand
Panyapiwat Institute of Management
This my felling about CUC summers program.

**The Happiest Summer Vacation in Japan**
Summer vacations have a magical way of creating lasting memories, and the one I
spent in Japan stands out as the happiest and most unforgettable of them all. Fromthe moment I set foot in the Land of the Rising Sun, I knew I was about to embark on
an adventure that would leave an indelible mark on my heart.
My journey began with meticulous planning and excitement.
Japan had always fascinated me with its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and vibrantcities.
With a backpack filled with anticipation, I landed in Tokyo, a city that seamlessly
blends modernity with tradition.
The bustling streets, neon lights, and bustling Shibuya Crossing were sights straightout of a movie.
As I roamed through Tokyo, I found myself captivated by the city’s intricate blend ofancient temples and futuristic skyscrapers. Visiting Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa was a
spiritual experience, while exploring the quirky districts of Akihabara and Harajuku
felt like stepping into a parallel universe.
Each corner of Tokyo had a unique story to tell, and I soaked in every moment withawe. However, it was my journey to Kyoto that truly stole my heart. The city’s serene
ambiance and historic charm transported me to a different era. Walking through thetorii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine was a dream come true, as I followed the path thatwound through the vibrant red gates up the sacred Mount Inari. The tranquility of
Arashiyama’s bamboo forest and the mesmerizing beauty of Kinkaku-ji, the Golden

Pavilion, left me humbled by Japan’s cultural richness. But what truly made thisvacation special were the connections I forged.
I was lucky to meet fellow travelers from around the world who shared my enthusiasm
for exploration. We navigated the intricate train systems together, indulged in local
delicacies like sushi and ramen, and marveled at the intricate art of origami.
The bonds we formed transcended cultural differences, reminding me of the universal
language of friendship and curiosity. Amid the adventures and sightseeing, I foundsolace in the simplicity of Japan’s everyday life. The tranquil gardens, the meticulous
tea ceremonies, and the deep respect for tradition left an indelible impact on me.
Taking part in a traditional tea ceremony, wearing a yukata, and witnessing thedelicate art of ikebana were moments of cultural immersion that I’ll forever treasure.
As the days turned into weeks, I found myself reflecting on the lessons I had learned.
Japan’s dedication to excellence and mindfulness in every aspect of life was something
I yearned to incorporate into my own routine.
The discipline, respect, and humility displayed by the Japanese people left an
impression that would stay with me long after I returned home.
In conclusion, my summer vacation in Japan was an exquisite blend of exploration,connection, and personal growth.
The country’s vibrant cities, serene temples, and warm-hearted people filled my days
with joy and wonder.
This journey taught me that happiness lies in embracing new experiences, forming
meaningful connections, and appreciating the beauty that surrounds us. As I bid
farewell to Japan, I carried back not only souvenirs but also a heart brimming withgratitude for the happiest summer vacation of my life.
Words cannot express how grateful I am for your help.

Papinwich Sukcharoen

Schedule
午前
8/17

8/18

Arrival

午後
16:00～ Campus Tour
１７：００～ Welcome Dinner

10:00~ Orientation-2

13:00～ Activity-1

11:40~ Lunch

・Yukata Experience13:00～14:30
・Asakusa Sightseeing15:00～18:00

8/19

Free Time

8/20

Free Time
09:00~ Lecture①

8/21

10:40~ Lecture②
12:10~ Lunch

13:30～15:30Activity-2
・Japanese Language Experience
09:00~ Lecture③
8/22

10:40~ Lecture④
12:10~ Lunch

8/23

13:30～15:30 Activity-3
・Woodblock print experience

Chiba Prefecture Bus Tour
09:00~ Lecture⑤

8/24

10:40~ Lecture⑥

14:00～16:00 Activity-4

12:10~ Lunch

・World tour

~14:00 Participation in Campus Festival Event
8/25

8/26

09:00~ Lecture⑦
10:40~ Lecture⑧
Checked-out ～ 12:00

13:00～16:00 Farewell party

Departure