Student Life

Mr. Christian Rasmussen from Denmark

Why did you choose Faculty of Economics, Nagasaki University?

To be perfectly honest I did not choose to go to Nagasaki myself.

Much more Nagasaki was chosen for me by luck of the draw among other students. I was however happily surprised, when I found out that I would not only be able to study Japanese, but Economics as well, in the selected University. Moreover, I had never been to Kyushu, let alone Nagasaki before and so saw it as a chance to learn and expand my horizon.

Why Japan?

One of the reasons I chose to come to Japan as an exchange students, is how different the country is compared to Denmark.

As a european I have always done a lot of traveling to various countries and seen many different things. It is very easy for us since we do not need a visa and can basically go anywhere by car. Not so when it comes to Japan.

Japan, being an island nation, is another story entirely. I think even people who live in countries near Japan, find it an experience to come here and as a Dane it is sometimes a once in a lifetime opportunity. How could I pass up something like that?

I find the difference in culture and way of thinking very fascination. So many things here are very different from Denmark; language, food and so on but also the very way people think and act to one another is very unlike what we do in my own country.

I think it these kind of things are very important to experience in our globalizing world, and that it is important to actually try to live in a place that is away from what you know and grew up with. I have learned a lot of very useful things in my time in Japan, that can no doubt help me in the future, and needless to say I have also learned quite a few things about myself.

The reason I made the choice to come to Japan, is that I had an idea of what Japan would be like. I am a big fan of cooking and I think that noone would be able to disagree with the power of the Japanese kitchen. Furthermore, the Japanese language was always very interesting to me. I suppose Danish people in general have a knack for learning new languages, since we need international trade for our small country and so we learn various languages from an early age. Japanese however is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to learn. It is very complex and hard to grasp, but I think that therein lies the appeal.

Being interested in Japan in general, but especially the food and language made it clear, that Japan was the place I wanted to go as an exchange student. I think it is important to have a basic understanding of, or at least an interest in the country you go abroad to, to avoid cultureshock.

And so I set my sights on Japan.

How is your life in Nagasaki?

I have grown accustomed to life in Nagasaki. I believe my lifestyle as a danish person, fits well with Nagasaki in some ways. Nagasaki itself is not really a busy big city with tall buildings and huge shopping streets (although Fukuoka can be reached with bus in a relatively short time, if a visit to such a place is desired).

Rather, Nagasaki is a cozy town where you form close groups of friends and enjoy a lot of small local places and get to know all the nooks and crannies of the town. Anyone who has been to Denmark, knows that we love this sort of place, and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere especially if you will be staying in one place for an extended period of time.

With regards to things that you can do in Nagasaki, I think the town have some quite nice bars and restaurants as well as some of the more beautiful areas/views I have seen in my time in Japan. For someone like me; who likes pretty views, food and a beer with some friends in a cosy Izakaya rather than shopping sprees and Jrock concerts, I think Nagasaki is a nice fit.

Transportation around Nagasaki is as easy as it gets. The local Trams are both easy to use and very cheap. Although, I myself quickly to a liking to biking around Nagasaki, which is possible for those with a little bicycle experience.

What sort of event/ activities have you participated in?

I have participated in quite a few event, in my time in Nagasaki. There are quite a few events to be part of, if you actively seek them out. I myself has been in various “summits” to explain our respective culture and countries in which many different exchange students took part. I also took part in an event, where exchange students made and sold food from their country and sold it at a festival at a nearby school.

Also, there is often events such as badminton or soccer games, that I have been part of from time to time. Needless to say, there have of course been a few gatherings for students as well as the various festivals both in Japan in general as well as special festivals for Nagasaki.

Japanese New Years, Nagasaki Lantern Festival and of course Nagasaki Kunchi Festival, is a few of the main events here.

How will this experience in Nagasaki affect your career?

I believe it will be quite beneficial for my future career to have studied here. Having studied Economics in Nagasaki, can not possibly be seen as a bad thing, I think. Not only has it given me a more broadened knowledge about Economics and taught me a lot it will also be beneficial since I am doing it in Japan. Japanese business culture, being quite different from that of many other countries is very interesting for me to study. Not only will it give me a better inside view of business culture, I can get this cultural perspective from actual Japan along with the impressions and opinions of the Japanese people. Anyone who know of the theory of “high/lowcontext cultures” and “Mono/polychronic cultures”, will easily see the benefits to and possibility for gaining knowledge here and its importance.

My personal plan is also to be working in Japan, so in that respect having studied in Nagasaki will be quite an advantage I think.