The reason I choose to go on Exchange was primarily for the adventure of it and I Think this is reflected in my choice of University. I wanted to go as far away as possible to experience a Culture that I wasn't very familiar with. That excluded any English speaking country of course. The remaining candidates were Singapore or Osaka. Since Osaka was a completely new exchange I thought it sounded the most exciting.

Going on this Exchange required a great deal of paper work but with the support of both KI and Osaka University it was never any problem.

I arrived eight days Before my Courses was supposed to start and I can recommend anyone going to take at least one week to get settled in. There were introduction Courses offered by the University and basic language Courses offered by the municipality. I never went to any of these Courses since I was too busy exploring Japan and meeting new friends.

There a strange conception that Japan is a very expensive country to live in. This is not at all the case. In fact it turned out to be one of the cheapest industrialized countries I've ever visited. Restaurants, beer and entertainment are substantially cheaper than Sweden. Even though it's cheaper it is very easy to spend lots of Money. Japan is one of the most exciting countries you'll ever visit and it is next to impossible not to indulge when fun is lurking around every corner. You might end up spending more than you planed. I certainly did!

However, if you are disciplined enough you should be able to keep a lower budget than you do in Sweden.

 The hard working administrators at Osaka University arranged accommodation for me. In my case this was a Japanese all male dormitory where tasty Japanese breakfast and dinner was served. Girls were not allowed into the dormitory. The dormitory was located about 10km away from the University. I ended up buying a better bike and biked the distance. With the exception for the warm humid days of September biking was very pleasurable. I commuted by public transportation just a few times which was fairly Quick and painless. The reason for me to take the monorail to work was usually the hangovers I suffered the day after drinking with my Japanese boss.

I enjoyed the studies. Teaching methods were similar and the English level of the teachers was usualy not an issue. If you do any sort of internship you can expect to get a very warm welcoming.

The course I took was in English and there was no problem comprehending what they said. In the laboratory the professors were fluent in English, the Phd Students also knew decent English, the laboratory secretaries and labtechs did most often not speak English. I did never experience any problems communicating with anyone. The Japanese usually understand English and are quite able speaker’s although very reluctant to showcase their English speaking abilities. They are however very interested in communicating with foreigners and will go to great lengths to make you understand what they are trying to say. My experience is that most people are much better at expressing themself in written English. I everything fails, ask them to write it down, this can usually solve any misconception. There are of course many cultural differences, but much less than I expected. As a westerner you are not expected to know how to act and the Japanese are usually keen on showing you.

There were many opportunities at recreation. There are plenty of sports communities at the University. I did never have any time to look into the University social activities because if you are only a Little outgoing you will start making Japanese friends from day one. Getting in Contact with people is extremely easy. They are all very interested in foreigners and don't mind showing you around or take you drinking. If anything, the problem is to keep up with all the Contacts you make.

Osaka is a true mega city. I found it to be a series of cities rather than just one. Osaka is a city merged with the surrounding cities of Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and several smaler cities. Together they make up a vast urban area interconnected by a highly efficient mass transit system. If you Think Osaka is second to Tokyo going there will probably change your mind.

The Exchange to Osaka University has certainly changed me both professionally and personally. Going to Osaka is something I will never regret nor forget. I would be lying if said I did not miss it.

It is difficult to say what part was the best. It was a mix of so many great things at ones. It was highly exciting academically and exciting on all levels personally. I made many very close friends in such a short period, some I expect to see in Sweden quite soon.  I can truly recommend anyone to apply for Osaka. Don't settle for something more convenient or easy. If you dare to go, I am certain you will not regret your decision