Stephanie Lim
2025-2026 Tanaka & Green Scholar

“Hitotsubashi…?” I thought to myself, reading over the familiar kanji: 一橋. “One bridge.” What could that mean? Was there a famous bridge on the campus? Why choose this name for the university?

Before applying for my exchange, I had never heard of Hitotsubashi University. All I knew was that I was dying to study abroad in Japan while in college— from taking Japanese courses in high school through college, watching countless travel vlogs on YouTube over the years, and even joining my school’s Japan Bowl team, this had always been a dream of mine. It always felt like a distant daydream, only slowly becoming more and more tangible over the past six years, with each kanji stroke I studied and each Miyazaki film I watched. Yet, when I started researching exchange programs, nothing felt less tangible than “Hitotsubashi University.” Could I really be living in Tokyo soon, all by myself, still not confident in my Japanese, thousands of miles from home?

Even when the time came to submit my application, I almost changed my mind at the last second. I was scared: scared I might fall behind socially or academically at my home university, have too much trouble adjusting to a whole new life, or simply miss out on a semester at home in the US. The idea of finally reaching the finish line to a goal I’ve been working towards for so many years felt surreal, too good to be true, and terrifyingly unfamiliar. Thankfully, my supportive family and friends encouraged me to make the jump, and when my acceptance letter came in, it really set in: I was finally going to live the dream I’d always longed for.

During my exchange semester, I had such an incredible set of experiences both inside and outside the classroom, which I can confidently say have completely transformed my worldview academically and personally, even in just a few months.

Inside the classroom, I took courses in subjects such as culture, business, management, economics, law, and, of course, Japanese language. At my home university, I actually major in computer science and primarily take STEM-heavy classes. But during my exchange at Hitotsubashi, known for being one of Japan’s top humanities schools, I wanted to experience courses with the incredible professors and subjects that I normally don’t have the freedom to take at home. After studying these topics— which I knew virtually nothing about before this exchange— I feel I’ve come out of Hitotsubashi a more well-rounded student, thinker, and person in general. The simultaneous combination of my language study, examination of the Japanese business world, and exploration of Japan’s cultural system helped me understand Japan more deeply than ever, from a theoretical perspective.

In terms of language, I felt like the years I had spent learning Japanese from American classrooms were coming to life, like characters leaping off of my textbook page: as much as I loved studying Japanese from America, I quickly saw that nothing can replicate the experience of being immersed in the language and its home. From filling out government paperwork in Japanese to having dozens of conversations with local shopkeepers, my language confidence and cultural understanding have skyrocketed even over just a few months.

Outside of the classroom, I had the privilege of solo travelling (for the first time!) in the Japanese Alps, visiting famous sites like Kiyomizu Dera that I’d dreamt of visiting for years, and meeting the most incredible friends I’ve ever known.

In the future, I plan to take the JLPT exam until I can pass the highest proficiency level, as I’m more excited than ever to continue my language study and holistic understanding of Japanese culture. Additionally, I hope to return to Japan and visit all the places on my bucket list that I didn’t get to cross off this time, or even work as a full-time employee if I find an opportunity.

Altogether, through my exchange semester, I realized that Japan has so much more to offer than the things we see on social media or even in textbooks, so much more than I was able to experience even after living here for a whole semester— the only way to fully experience it is through time, patience, and open arms to embrace it all.

For me, Hitotsubashi, one bridge, came to represent a connection between my understandings of East and West, a path from what I thought I knew about Japan to all of the parts I had no idea about, and a bridge between the bubble of my life and the limitless potential in the world around me.

, , , , ,