Nationality: United States
Affiliation: University of New Hampshire

My time at Saitama University was filled with fun.  I chose Saitama because I had been told by alumni from my home university, University of New Hampshire, that Saitama University had a very strong program for learning Japanese, and also had classes taught in English.  When I first came to Japan, my Japanese was not very good, so I was really excited to take being learning Japanese intensively and alongside other students who were also committed to improving their Japanese ability.  My other courses that were taught in English were also fascinating, with a mix of students and teachers from many different countries lending a lot of diversity to the views and ideas expressed in class. 

Outside of the classroom, I found my classmates, both Japanese and other international students, to be very friendly people.  Saitama is located right next to Tokyo, and it was always easy to find something to do with friends any day of the week, and someone was always willing to tag along.  Speaking of travel, Saitama is an excellent city from which to explore Japan.  It isn’t as crowded as nearby Tokyo, but still has plenty of things to see and do.  It’s easy to access public transport and get anywhere else in Japan, and there’s so many things to see that are just a short train ride away.

If someone asked me where to study abroad in Japan, I would definitely recommend Saitama University.  The teachers and students are wonderful, and the classes are engaging and interesting.  Not only that, there’s so many things to see and do in Japan as a foreigner, and Saitama is an excellent city to start from.  Studying abroad can make anyone nervous, but I assure you that Saitama will welcome with you open arms.

-James Rochefort -(University of New Hampshire)