Sep '06 - Oct '06
To answer the last question, there are 4-5 courses available in English each semester, and to that my professor speaks English, so I think it is quite good conditions for the foreign student here at titech. We are only 10-12 international students all together, but I hear that the number will and have been increased a lot the last years. The system of classes, courses and intensive workshop, though doing individually projects or competitions in groups and finding out the system of credits, is still total confusing for me. On that account I just realize that I missed two classes yesterday, because I was focusing on my intensive course assignment. But they have just begun so I hope to be allowed to enter these from next time. Strange enough the International students division has not explained any of this to us - about the system of education and classes here - but on the other hand explained the compulsory health assurance 3 or 4 times. Makes no sense... but I guess this is part of the experience of going abroad. I just feel frustrated at times, but also you have to smile a bit.
One thing is sure, though, Japanese students work very hard and do not need to sleep - or so it seems. The advisable 8to9 hours sleep everynight - rule does not exist here. Hopefully I will get use to this. I wonder or fear....
So, first week in school has gone by, and I have a lot more work to do before presentation on Monday. It is an intensive Course lasting 3 weeks with a Norwegian guest professor from A-Lab Architects. The theme is about the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, which is to be moved within a coupled of years and the present proposal is a mass-media centre for the possible future Tokyo Olympics 2016.
Tsukiji is an amazing market providing most of the metropolis with fresh tuna and much more. You have to go there early early in the morning because they start the auction of fresh caught fish at 5 am, and all the fascinating events occur from 3am - 9am. So it is completely different rhythm from the rest of the city. Also the actions and activities are just astonishing particularly during auction - it is really recommendable to see before it disappears.
The assignment is to find a new identity for the fish market area and do a strategic or planning proposal also containing urban housings. More to come on this.
So I have uploaded a few pictures from Tsukiji - hope that you enjoy.
C. 
21 Comments
tsukiji's awesome...that's too bad that it's gettin' moved...
raw fish at 6am, after being up all night. mmmmmmmmmmm. nothing like it.
actually we ate a raw fish dish - Sejimi (im not sure how it is pronounced) that was delicious but hardcore early in the morning and unfortunately I ended up with nausea - tasting fish when I woke up 8 hours later though I had brushed teeth and so on - nausea again...
Sure it wasn't sashimi? Could be wrong, I'm no expert, but raw fish with no rice is called sashimi. Maybe it's something else. Tsukiji is cool though. I went there in flipflops though. That was kinda gross.
yeah sashimi it is!. thanks you for that. I really have a problem with my japanese profiency, but I am trying to learn.
It isn't easy I can tell you that much. Three months of really trying and I just couldn't get it. There is just some weird grammar and everyone speaks so quickly. All the books are in formal Japanese, then everyone speaks informal in social groups etc. SOOOO hard. Plus it's so hard to read anything. You most likely won't just learn from immersion. YOu have to make an effort if you really want to learn. I met a guy that lived in Japan for 13 years and couldn't speak it. It's tricky to learn. わたしのずぼんがどこですか？
Where are my pants!?!?! haha, def an important phrase to remember.
immersion works if you have no other choice. i learned japanese by working in an office where no one knew a word of english. since working hours were 9am-11pm+ i ended up living the japanese life. and learned to speak and do dwgs in japanese (with frickin japanese software) lickity split.
about the classes, carl, if your school is anything like todai i wouldn't worry about it. requirements are not too high, usually, compared to canada at least.
i had the exact same deal about courses...what i needed to take, how many credits and so on was something i had to piece together over a year or two on my own...with contradictory answers depending on who i spoke with. the system here is absolutely do-it-yourself-ish. for a culture supposedly so based on group mentality it is a shock to realise how much personal responsibility you are expected to take on. a nice surprise actually.
btw, you on monbusho?
Thanks for the comment
Yeah Im a monbusho student on Master's Course, so that is quiet nice. I guess it is just a matter of time before I have the routine in school life and the system. But yes it kind of frustrated/shocked me this week, because there are no students division or secretary to go to - I suppose to go to my professor - but he is too busy and I am sure it would not have been appropiated. But as you mentioned there also good sides of being independent.
//C.
do you start as a research student? my first term was as such before taking exam to enter the university properly and start phd course...i mention it because i was allowed to take any courses i wanted to while kenkyusei, but NONE of the credits taken in that period would count for graduation. not so nice that bit...
have to chuckle about your description of figgering out courses. i spent a half day trying to find someone like a secretary for the dept too...finally went to my prof, who told me to ask other students...which i did, and it worked. got lots of good advice and horror stories to avoid.the latter were actually the more important.
hey, this is great. since I knew very little about studying in japan, I browsed the official sites to find out more about enrolling the masters program at Tokyo and had no luck. but somehow I ended up here. could you send me some more information on entering the scholasrhip programme (+which one), and enrolling all together. regards h.
hanadraskovic@yahoo.com
hi, I will email you then.
Sorry for not posting the past months. It has been overwhelming, and I dont have time for essays at the moment.
I truly hope that I can get the change to depict even more about the japanese life and TiT school in the future.
Best,
Carl
Hey Carl,
I'm interested too!! As you, I'm european and looking for a master degree in Tokyo or Kyoto. Do you have any informations about other universities too (Todai, Kyodai, Waseda, Keio, KyTech or TiTech)?
Do you stay a whole master degree in Tokyo or are you going to study there just for a year, like an erasmus program?
After a few months, how do you judge your experience? Is there, with you at TiTech department of Architecture, any foreigners? What do they think?
Did you get this international program and the monbusho by the Copenhavn Royal Academy? Was there any links between your universities?
いま、あなたの日本語はどですか。日本へけんちくべんきょはどですか。etc etc...
Please, tell us!!! We wanna know!
またね,
LaBoule
that was alot of questions...
It is challenging to go abroad I think. Not only academically but on many personal levels aswell BUT rewarding.
Sometimes I feel my old school was more suitable for me, but then again I get so many strange, unique and fantastic experiences being here in so different a place (as compared to europe) in Tokyo.
Yes Titech has a International Program - we are around 6-10 masterstudents enrolled (architectural design) and more to come. They are getting more and more english intergrated, but it is still clearly a problem with the language barrier, which makes it impossible to follow everything you want and also miss out more vital discussions and crits... this is the mayor problem, so I can recommend learning japanese.
tjeck out:
http://www.arch.titech.ac.jp/arch/etop.html
good luck
~Carl
thanks for the website. Do you have any links with urban planning students?
I know you must be busy but can I contact you by mail to have further informations?
Thanks for all.
Laboule
LaBoule:
I send you an email through intern Archinect.
Mail me, and I shall try answer your questions.
~C
Carl,
Didn't know that you actually have a second blog.
Just found it accidentally.
Glad that this one is in English, instead of Danish, haha.
Seem like Tokyo is still a popular city among western architecture students.
Just drop by to say hi.
Clarence
hi!I was just googling around looking for some ideas and I found this site. doumo!I'm kamelia from malaysia and I'm a final year architecture student in Kyoto Institute of Technology. How are you doing with your studies now? It's been my 4th year here but I'm still having problems especially in discussions and presentations. I really hate it when I can't fully express my project because of my terrible japanese.I'm thinking of continuing masters here but still not sure whether i can carry on or not like this.Right now I just hope I could get through this and get my degree.I hope you are not as miserable as I am T_T
good luck and all the best!
Well, I am enrolled on a International Graduate Course, which idealistic should be in English. Although it is very challenging in many aspects as you say. Hopefully you will be truly good at making your drawings communicate most of the project which must be a good ability.
Good luck.
I am living in Tokyo and looking for MArch or other architecture related programs in English In Japan. I don't have a any background in architecture. My question is what sorts of students are accepted at Titech or TIT as my wife calls it ?
hi, i just read your blog post, i'm pursuing B-ARC in the united states as undergraduate(i'm japanese, by the way). i know what you feel in foreign country. Although i have already spent 2years here in my instituition, there are still many obstucles to me, such as communication with others(especially when it comes to team project, and final presentation), and difference of values and calture,
sometimes i really feel out of place because of above reasons, but i really try to adopt here. one thing i'm sire is that you have a background in architecture, so that it might be easier to keep up with classes and studios if you clear difficulty in language. I kinda regret that I newly got into architecture program without any architectural background( yet i'm gonna make effort even more lol)....
anyway, hope you have a great experience in Japan!)
Hi
I live in Vilnius, and it is comfy here, but I think I'd like to experience life in a more dynamic place, to learn more etc., thus I also applied for MEXT2009 for TiTech architecture master program few weeks ago.
I have just read this blog and it's really interesting.
What worries me in your posts, is that you face the communication barriers and cannot grab everything the surrounding could give. I'm a bit afraid of it as I'm escaping the small town and getting where? to even more isolated island with no normal opportunity to build the network of people?
have you finished your course already? Do you think this unique experience in Japan would be appropriate after you came back to Europe > or are you staying here any longer?
Thanks and good luck.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.