Colorful bags of chips, peach-flavored candies and familiar fast-food conversations may not seem like the foundation for international friendship. Yet inside a classroom at Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts in Kyoto, a simple snack exchange helped students from Texas State University and Japan discover just how much they had in common.
As part of a study abroad experience in Kyoto, Texas State students visited Doshisha Women’s College to learn about Japanese student life and connect with local students. While the day included a tour of one of Japan’s most historic universities, it was the conversations shared over food that left the biggest impression.
Founded as a Christian university, Doshisha Women’s College blends history with modern student life. One of the campus’s most recognizable landmarks is its chapel, built in 1932 and capable of holding about 1,600 people. The building hosts daily chapel services, graduation ceremonies and university events throughout the year. Doshisha students, who led the group on a tour of campus, also pointed out the university’s oldest library, built in 1913, where many language classes are still held today. Walking through campus, it was easy to see why the university is considered one of Kyoto’s most respected institutions.
After touring the grounds, Texas State students gathered with Doshisha students for a cultural exchange focused on student life, hometowns and favorite foods. At first, the room was quiet as students introduced themselves. Within minutes, however, bags of snacks were being passed around tables and conversations began flowing naturally.
I expected to learn about Japanese university culture, but I did not expect food to become the bridge that connected everyone so quickly.
One of the students, Sae said she was from Kagawa Prefecture, a region famous throughout Japan for its udon noodles. Sae studies intercultural communication and shared that yellowtail fish is her favorite seafood. Sitting nearby was Miki, another intercultural communication student from the countryside outside Osaka. She described her hometown as being surrounded by nature and explained her love for takoyaki, a popular Japanese dish made with octopus.
As the conversation continued, students compared hobbies, academic interests and favorite foods. Some students talked about watching baseball, while others discussed music artists such as Bruno Mars and Ariana Grande. Despite growing up on opposite sides of the world, many of our interests were surprisingly similar.
The most memorable discussions centered around snacks and fast food.
The Japanese students introduced us to snacks such as Calbee chips and peach-flavored candy. As everyone sampled unfamiliar flavors, students explained which snacks were popular in Japan and which ones reminded them of childhood. Some students laughed while describing favorite convenience-store treats they regularly buy between classes
In return, Texas State students shared pieces of Texas culture.
Celeste Montoya, a mass communication senior from Dallas, talked about Texas traditions, Texas Longhorns football and Raising Cane’s. Evan Luna, electronic media sophomore from Wimberley, described Texas barbecue and his passion for filmmaking. Ellen Nash, digital media innovation junior from Austin, shared her love for burgers, Tex-Mex cuisine and traveling. Valeria Cerecer-Vargas, advertising sophomore, discussed her background in graphic design and some of her favorite Mexican restaurants in Texas.
One of the most interesting conversations compared American and Japanese fast food. While many students on both sides were familiar with McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s, the Japanese students explained that menu items and portion sizes are often different in Japan. Something as simple as comparing cheeseburgers quickly turned into a discussion about culture, eating habits and how global brands adapt to local tastes.
The exchange revealed that food often tells a much bigger story.
A favorite snack can represent childhood memories. A hometown dish can reflect local traditions. Even a conversation about burgers or chips can reveal something meaningful about where a person comes from and what they value. Although the foods being shared were different, the emotions connected to them were often exactly the same.
As someone studying digital media innovation at Texas State, I have learned that stories are one of the most powerful ways people connect. During the snack exchange, I realized that food can tell stories just as effectively. Every student at the table had a unique background, yet each person could relate to talking about favorite meals, family traditions and places they call home.
By the end of the afternoon, the snacks were nearly gone, but the conversations continued. Students exchanged social media information, asked questions about each other’s hometowns and discussed future travel plans. The nervous introductions from earlier in the day had been replaced with laughter and genuine curiosity.
As our group left Doshisha Women’s College and walked back across campus, I found myself thinking less about the historic buildings and more about the people we had met. The chapel, library and museum helped tell the story of the university, but the students brought that story to life.
Thousands of miles separate Texas and Japan, but for a few hours in Kyoto, those distances felt much smaller. Through a simple snack exchange, students from Texas State University and Doshisha Women’s College discovered common ground, proving that meaningful cultural connections sometimes begin with nothing more than sharing food around a table.
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