Sophia University

As Japanese people in general are not as easy to approach as for example Mexicans, one gets more insight into Japanese society by living with a typical Japanese family. I have a very close Japanese friend living in Osaka; I met her family during my stay in Japan, and was much more able to appreciate Japanese way of thinking and customs after having spent time with them. Also, while in Japan, it is always very helpful to talk to Japanese students who have studied abroad, for example in Western Europe or the U.S., as they know both forms of societies, and can more easily introduce a foreigner to their country.

The cost of living in Japan is very high. In contrast, the cost of living in Berlin is very cheap, even compared to other German cities such as Frankfurt/Main or Munich.

I chose the courses "The Development of the Japanese economy" and "Asian Industrial Systems". The first one gave a very good overview of the development of the Japanese economy since 1945, and introduced the students to the characteristics of Japanese management. We also took a study visit to a Japanese manufacturer. The class "Asian Industrial Systems" was offered by a former employee of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He invited a lot of professionals from the field as guest speakers. Thus, we could listen to experienced people discussing their experiences as employees of the IMF or ADB in Manila or Toyko, Bangkok or Singapur.

No. The readings as well as the course presentations were very good. I appreciated that my lecturers were people coming from the field, and not only academics.

No.

To choose one business study class and one language class.