Getting from A to B – always on time
As a doctoral student at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, I am taking part in the exchange programme of the International Research Training Group Münster-Nagoya, which has enabled me to conduct research abroad in Nagoya, Japan, since the end of September 2024. Having previously conducted research in the USA, this is my second stay abroad in my academic career. I am delighted to have the opportunity to live in another country for six months and to learn a lot about that culture.
I moved into a student residence near the university and settled in quickly. My room is much smaller than my flat in Germany, but this reduction in living space is the Japanese way, which goes hand in hand with high population density and good infrastructure. There are fewer rules about where and how buildings can be built, and the urban centres look somewhat random, which is what defines the Japanese style in cities.
Getting from A to B in Japan is very easy thanks to the great public transport system. Buses and trains always run on time. In fact, life in Japan is very convenient because it is really easy to get to places without a car. This also applies to groceries. There are convenience stores everywhere where you can buy food 24/7, 365 days a year. There are also the ubiquitous vending machines.
I have become a big fan of the local cuisine, which has much more to offer than just ramen and sushi. Service staff are remarkably polite. In general, people in Japan seem a bit shy towards me at first. This has taught me how to approach people better and how to break the ice. In the halls of residence and on campus, I meet people from many different cultures from Asia and Europe. I have found it enriching because it has enabled me to improve my conversational English.
I use quantum chemistry computer programs to perform calculations on molecules to find answers to chemical problems and to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the models used. In the building where I work, researchers from different groups and disciplines work side by side, and the laboratories on the floor below the offices are visible through glass walls. This is designed to encourage openness and collaboration in Japan’s relatively closed working culture.
With all the things that make life here comfortable, it is easy for me to get a lot of work done. In my free time exploring the country, I have been fascinated by the architecture – but not the kind you might expect when you think of Japan, such as traditional temples, but modern concrete buildings in the Brutalist style. Two highlights for me were Uji Station – a creatively designed railway station in Kyoto – and the world’s largest drainage system, the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel. Its final chamber consists of an underground hall about 180 metres long, which in some ways resembles the interior of a cathedral.
In my view, international cooperation and intercultural exchange have unexpected positive effects on one’s own life as well as on the people one meets in the host country. I now see my own culture in a different way – and can place it in a wider context. A lot of the things that you might have taken for granted and considered normal are reflected upon and you gain a deeper understanding of how you are perceived by people from other cultures. For example, I now try to smile more when I greet people!
I am enjoying every single day of my stay in Japan. And yet I look forward to returning to Münster soon. I have kept in touch with my friends and family all the time using chat programs and social media – it has made it easier to keep up with life at home, even from afar.
This article is from the university newspaper wissen|leben No. 2, 2 April 2025.