Destination： National Cheng Kung University
Study Period： February 2023 – January 2024
Affiliation/Grade at the start of studying abroad: Graduate School of Design, Environment and Heritage Design Course, Master Year 2

After hearing from Professor Inoue of the Department of Environmental Heritage, School of Arts and Engineering, I learned about the appeal of Tainan, where Cheng Kung University is located. Since I was planning to live in Taiwan for a long period of time to find a subject for my master’s thesis, it was worthwhile to study and live in Tainan, the ancient capital of Taiwan. Furthermore, I learned that Cheng Kung University is famous for its architecture and decided to study there.

Cheng Kung University has several campuses in the same location, covering a large area. The university is conveniently located right next to the Tainan Railway Station and close to the city center. The area surrounding the university is a lively student district with dormitories, residential areas where students live, and many restaurants. The school buildings are of a beautiful traditional architectural style, and there are ruins such as the castle gate on campus. Since the area is warm throughout the year, residents and students can be seen relaxing under the banyan trees on campus, indicating that the campus is an important place for the people of central Tainan. The library is spacious and well stocked with Japanese books. Teachers are friendly and offer a variety of advice if you make an appointment to talk to them via email. I ride my bicycle to school every day and looking at the banyan tree, which is therapeutic and has truly become my favorite part of the university.

There were many trivial things that I did not understand in daily life, but having Taiwanese acquaintances and friends helped me. Also, when I first arrived in Taiwan, I was very anxious when I fell ill and went to the hospital, but most of the doctors could speak English, so I was able to understand what was being said.

Studying abroad in Taiwan allowed me to achieve my goals of mastering the Chinese language and finding and writing a theme for my master’s thesis. It was my first experience to live abroad for as long as a year and a half, including six months of language study, and although there were some difficulties and efforts due to cultural and language differences, everything was fresh and enjoyable. During my year and a half living in Taiwan, I was able to observe the city of Tainan and think deeply about the complex history of Japan and Taiwan, as well as Taiwan itself. Studying in Taiwan caused me to reflect on my own identity. My future task is to learn more about Taiwan by finding a job and working in Taiwan.

There are many procedures and other troublesome things to be done, but please do your best.

On-campus view