Category Archives: Education

Doshisha MBA

First week at Doshisha

I just finished my first week as a graduate student at Doshisha University. A lot has happened and I got many new friends here.

I’ve joined my first student circle, the kendo club kenrenkai(剣練会). Went to a seminar by a Google manager. I had courses in Accounting, Critical and Analytical Thinking, Business Economics and Strategic Management. They have many fancy names but seems basic so far. Exactly one week ago we were welcomed by the president and the deans of the school. There were speeches, songs, and prayers. Yes, Doshisha is a school-based upon Christian principles. But more about that later. Here are some pictures!

Doshisha University
Japanese level check
Scholarships

Opening a Japanese bank account

A bank account is usually the hub of your financial transactions. The same is true for Japan, If you live and study or work in Japan for a long time it’s essential to have it.

Basically you will need your:

  • Residence card
  • Passport
  • Money to deposit
  • Hanko (Personal seal)
  • Patience
  • (Japanese friend)

I choosed to open a bank account for the JR post bank. It doesn’t cost anything. They have offices in all cities of Japan. The bank is allways equipped with a post office. But the first and formoste reason for this bank is that I got the JASSO scholarship, and they will put in no other than a JP post bank account. By doing this I also hope to cut my transaction costs while not having to depend on withdrawing cash from my Swedish bank account all the time.

Opening up the bank account is requires quite some time. It took about 45 minuties even with the help of a Japanese friend. There is a lot of information to fill in, in Japanese. They also want your adress and phone number. And most importantly your Hanko! When I finally left there I realized that I didnt have to deposit any money either.

In the post office I went to they had an English pamphlete that explained in detail how to fill out the Japanese application form!

I got an old fashioned bank book and a cash card a week later in the mailbox.

Doshisha MBA, Kyoto

Finding my accomodation and bicycle in Kyoto

Since I’m a student of Doshisha University I wanted an apartment close to Imadegawa campus in northern Kyoto. Doshisha itself cannot help graduate students with student dormitories. So when I came to Japan, my head was full of ideas of what kind of place I wanted, AC, internet, location, pricing, the amount of tatami etc. I really believed myself to have planned this quite rigorously. Most of my friends and classmates live close to school in apartments and dorms they have found through accommodation agencies around Doshisha.

What happened to me is however completely different. Something randomly occurred and changed everything. To make a very long and interesting story shorter:

During my bachelor studies, I was a mentor for a Japanese exchange student in Sweden. Now while I have arrived in Japan, his family kindly offered to help me find an apartment in Kyoto. They gave me a list of apartments around Doshisha but also mentioned that they had an old Japanese house in the outskirts of Kyoto that has been empty for quite some time, so they offered me to stay there! After going to the place and having a look, I found the deal amazing! And the bath has a control panel…! I have thus moved to Yamashina-ku (eastern part of Kyoto) behind Higashiyama. It takes about 35 min for me to commute by bicycle to school.

My new home!

Oh talking about bicycling, I went to Eirin. A chain-store company with funky shops all around the city. It just happened to be working a guy from Finland there who spoke both Japanese and English perfectly. I spend about an hour in there and came out with a second-hand mountain bike!

My bike!
Doshisha MBA, Education

Taking an MBA in Japan!

Hello! I’ve just created this blog so you can follow me on my coming adventures in Japan. As some of you already know I have applied for Doshisha University’s MBA program and got accepted! This will mean a two-year stay in Kyoto, Japan!

I’m having this blog to write about my life, thoughts, and experiences as a Swedish person and a graduate student at a Japanese university.

After a little more than a year has passed since I left Japan the last time, I’ll be arriving at Kansai International Airport on the 13th September. I’m thankful to have friends there helping me out. One of them offered me to stay at his place the first night even though I’m coming in the middle of the night. After that, I’ll be staying at another friends house until I find an apartment of my own!

The apartment I have in Stockholm will be rented out during the time and I’m packing my bags and going through all my possessions. I must say that I’ve gathered a fair deal of junk so far.

Daniel, Stockholm

August 2014