SJMC Japan students had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a look into Japanese students’ daily lives during their visit to Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts in Kyoto.
Doshisha Women’s College is a prestigious Christian women’s university in Kyoto, founded in 1876. With an enrollment of approximately 6,500 students, it is one of Japan’s oldest institutions dedicated to higher education for women. While it operates independently, the college maintains a close relationship with its sister institution Doshisha University.
While at Doshisha Women’s College, students got to go on a campus tour led by four current students: Riko, Yuzuki, Mayume and Mio, and their professor, Dr. Mahboubeh Rakhshandehroo. During the tour, we visited the school’s cafeteria, learning commons, chapel building, university library, main academic building and fitness center.
We also learned that the university offers classes to junior and senior high school students.
After the tour, SJMC Japan students gathered in a classroom to hear from Rakhshandehroo, an assistant professor in the Department of English at Doshisha Women’s College \. Originally from Iran, Rakhshandehroo has lived in Japan for over 17 years. She teaches senior seminar courses that explore intercultural communication.
When asked how she enjoys teaching at Doshisha Women’s College, Rakhshandehroo said that she “loves it” and described the university as “very supportive.” She added that “this has been the best job I’ve had so far” and that the “all-women student body helps to make it very comfortable.”
The theme of her lecture was “Life Now and What Comes Next,” which encouraged students to reflect on their current experiences and future goals. Following the presentation, several of her students joined the group for icebreakers, allowing SJMC Japan students to connect, share experiences and learn more about student life in Kyoto.
For the icebreakers, students were divided into small groups and given an interview worksheet. Doshisha Women’s College students and Texas State students took turns asking each other questions, sparking conversations about their backgrounds, interests and college experiences.
During the icebreaker session, students Christina Saenz, Brady Hart, Austin Barwegan and Faith Williams were paired with Doshisha Women’s College students Moe, Natsuki and Mizuki. Through the interview activity, the group discovered many similarities and differences in their daily lives and experiences as college students in the United States and Japan. The conversation quickly became engaging as students asked thoughtful and sometimes surprising questions, leading to meaningful cultural exchange.
We bonded over our shared love of K-pop, particularly the groups RIIZE and TWICE, our appreciation for McDonald’s and our common goal of finding stable careers after graduating.
At the same time, we learned about several differences between life in Japan and the United States. The students explained that securing a job after college is generally easier in Japan, while the job search process in the United States can be much more competitive. We also discussed how cars and food portions tend to be significantly larger in America. Another notable difference was transportation, as many Americans rely on personal vehicles for daily travel, whereas people in Japan often use trains and buses to get around.
Rakhshandehroo was particularly shocked by the size of food portions in Texas. Reflecting on a visit to Houston, she said that one meal was so large that it could have been shared among a group of friends.
We also shared similarities and differences about our universities, like how, for fun, Texas State students go to Sewell River, or football games, while Doshisha Women’s College students visit temples and try street food.
One student, Moe, shared why she chose to attend Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts.
“It’s an all-girls school, which makes it comfortable,” Moe said, “and I wanted to be in Kyoto.”
The icebreaker conversations led to several interesting questions from the Japanese students. One student asked whether any of us had ever met U.S. President Donald Trump, and Moe explained that Trump is a popular topic of discussion in Japan.
Another surprising question came from Natsuki, who asked if movie tickets in the United States cost $149. We were shocked that she thought that, and we clarified that tickets typically cost between $15 and $20. Even so, the students thought that the price was still pretty expensive. These conversations provided a fun opportunity to learn more about one another’s cultures while also clearing up a few common misconceptions.
After the icebreaker session concluded, each group created and presented a poster that highlighted the similarities and differences they had discovered about one another. The posters reflected the conversations students shared and served as a visual summary of the cultural connections and contrasts discussed throughout the activity.
Advertising freshman Ainsley Burnett said that her favorite part of the university visit was when she “saw their faces light up at the (Buc-ee’s) Beaver Nuggets.”
On the other hand, public relations sophomore Isabela Escalona said one of the most surprising aspects of the visit was discovering how much she had in common with the Doshisha Women’s College students.
When reflecting on the visit, Escalona said her favorite part was “noticing how many similarities over differences we had, even though we have such a different culture and lives in general are very different, but we do a lot of the same things.”
The visit to Doshisha Women’s College was one of the most memorable experiences for SJMC Japan students. We had the opportunity to learn about college life from a different perspective, share our own experiences and build genuine connections.
By the end of the day, many of us had exchanged Instagram account information with the Doshisha Women’s College students, leaving with not only new knowledge and new perspectives but also new friends.
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