Student Life

Mr. Daniel de Amorim from Portugal

I am Daniel de Amorim, a Brazilian exchange student coming from University of Porto in Portugal. I chose Japan as my destination because of the country’s uniqueness. Japanese food, culture and language are very different from anything I had ever known before, so that was quite appealing for me. Nagasaki was my choice because of its mild weather, great cost-benefit and for having a very competent faculty of economics.

Unlike Tokyo or other major cities in Japan, only few people can speak English outside the university in Nagasaki. This scared me at first because I don’t speak any Japanese, but very soon I learned my way around the city with my tutor’s assistance. Also, the kind and helpful nature of the local people turned up whenever I needed even though we could not communicate.

I stayed at Sakamoto dormitory during my time in Nagasaki. While it was a bit older than the other dorms and somewhat far from Katafuchi campus, it is also the most international of them and the cheapest. On top of that, I had the best view of the city from my room.

My experience at Nagasaki University was enriching as I had classes with international students from multiple continents and Japanese students from many backgrounds. I also had the opportunity to meet Japanese entrepreneurs and businessmen in one course that I took and to visit Toyota Kyushu factory in another one, which gave me an inside view on differences and similarities when doing business.

I took part in some of the many volunteer activities available for students and they were quite enjoyable. I could feel that I was making some difference for a better world and usually the activities were incredibly fun.

Being Brazilian, making friends and playing football is in my essence. I believe that I made some true good friends while in Japan who I really hope to see again in the future. We shared great moments together: at dinners, karaoke places, festivals and school. I also enjoyed playing football on Saturdays at the main campus with guys mostly from Africa and Middle East, but some Japanese too.

Another thing about Nagasaki: festivals. Yes, it is a quiet and not too big city, but it has some great festivals throughout the year. The best one of them in my opinion is Kunchi festival at the beginning of October.

I will always cherish my time living in Nagasaki as an extraordinary experience. I opened my mind in new ways and I am a much more globalized person. For sure it will boost my career opportunities since this is a requirement for job offers from great international companies.