hello! i'm a 20 yr old liberal arts student planning on studying abroad for a semester next school yr (2026-2027). i've looked into the exchange programs my school offers and have narrowed it down to three universities:
- rikkyo university
- kwansei gakuin
- hiroshima university
i'm also still considering whether i should go abroad during fall or spring.
i would like to take some courses related to my minor in religious studies. from what i've seen in the past course listings, rikkyo and kwansei gakuin seem to align w most w my academic goals.
i visited japan for the first time this summer and stayed in tokyo for a couple weeks. i absolutely love it there, but i'm curious if i would have a more enjoyable study abroad experience in a smaller place instead.
so basically my questions r:
- for those of u who have experience with any of these universities, what is life like for international students at the school? how is the campus life, classes, extracurriculars, etc.?
- is it better to live as a student in tokyo or a smaller city/town (i know hiroshima is still quite big but is smaller comparatively)? how easy is it to travel within the city and to other places in japan from tokyo vs. the other two?
- do u prefer spring or fall in japan?
thanks in advance!
by loversalwayslose