[Hatredcopter]

Studied in Nagoya for one year.

1) Academically, why did you want to study abroad in Japan?
To learn Japanese, of course. Unless you already know Japanese, you'll only have a small amount of other things you can study aside from the language, depending on the school. I didn't choose to study in Japan strictly for academic reasons, as there are a lot of other places I could have picked if I wanted a top-notch education. I picked Japan because Japan is the place I want to be in.

2) What can universities in Japan offer you that the universities back home cannot?
Complete Japanese immersion and very intensive Japanese courses (15 hours of class time per week, 25+ hours of work outside class).

3) How are you preparing to meet your academic goals abroad?
I prepared by studying as much Japanese as I could before I left, so I'd be able to do well on my placement tests and get into a challenging course (the school I went to in Japan had 7 different levels of Japanese language courses).

4) Are there any political or social issues that interests you about Japan?
Mainly the role of Gaikokujin in Japanese society and the workplace. I also took a foreign policy class while I was in Japan, which I found quite interesting. Other than that, Japanese politics are dreadfully boring (especially now that Koizumi is gone :P)

5) Overall, what has influenced you to study in Japan (besides the obvious answer of culture)?
The prospect of being able to work in Japan after graduation (which I now am). It's also a great way to get out and meet new people - I had the time of my life while I was studying in Japan.