STUDENT INTERVIEW: Steffen Lehmann (AIJP - Germany)

Steffen Lehmann

Steffen has been studying from October 2000 on the AIJP program.

Jon: Steffen, you're finishing at Yamasa this week, can I get a quick interview before you go?
Steffen: Yeh sure.
J: Are you feeling sad to be leaving after nearly a year in Okazaki.
S: A little bit, but I won't be leaving Japan, I'm going to be working for a firm in Yokohama, programming new software, from September 5th for four months.

J: And after that?
S: I'm going to Canada from next April to study Commerce and Administration which is a continuation of what I have already studied in Germany.

J: How does Japanese fit into your Commerce and Business background?
S: When I started studying at University I thought it would be useful to learn another language. I considered Chinese as well as Japanese but I was more interested in Japan and the culture than China. Also Japan was easier to find schools and information through the internet than China.

J: So you found Yamasa through the internet.
S: That's right. From the homepage I found all the information I needed about accommodation , courses and visas. I visited a language school in Osaka that was on the 11th floor of an office building and though they had plenty of classes, it didn't have the campus feel of Yamasa.

J: Apart from the campus feel, what are your other impressions of Yamasa and Okazaki.
S: I think it's in the homepage somehwere but it's true that Okazaki is a good point from which to visit other places such as Tokyo, Osaka, Takayama and so on. People are friendly and the living expenses are lower than the big cities. Everything you need is here, with the internet access and accommodation close to campus.

J: How about the bad points, downside?
S: A lot of people say that life in Okazaki is boring, but I don't think so - if you want to go to night clubs you can go to Nagoya.

J: So life in Japan, generally is good?
S: I think Japan is the most convenient country in the world - the transport system, shopping.......
J: And the banking system?!
S: OK, maybe the banks.....
J: And the bureaucracy?!
S: OK, maybe Japan is a bit slow when it comes to things envloving paperwork and government organisations, but it's quite fast compared to Germany.

J: So there's nothing you dislike about Japan?
S: The only thing I don't like is the cost of living and especially the cost of travelling. But, if you get the opportunity, there are many places in Japan you should visit.

J: What places have you been to?
S: Kobe, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Takayama, Himeji and many small towns in Gifu and Aichi Ken that I've forgotten the names of.
J: How do you normally travel in Japan? Train, car, motorbike?
S: Mainly by highway bus or train - the highway buses are good, they take a bit longer than the trains but are cheaper.

J: What is your favorite place in Japan.
S: Hiroshima, because of the atmosphere - it's a very relaxed place. Also the food is good and the weather was very mild when I was there.

J: Do you have interesting stories from your travels?
S: I travelled with some friends to Hiroshima recently and based on my friend's timetable we were going to take a train from Nagoya at midnight and sleep during the overnight journey. When we got to the station we found we couldn't use the tickets we had and the timetable was wrong! I only found out afterwards that my friend had bought the timetable from a used book store and it was out of date. So we had to sleep in the station and take the next train at 5.30am.....it was a lovely experience!

The interview is interupted by Steffen's mobile phone ringing. He speaks for a couple of minutes in his wonderful Yamasa Japanese ........

S: Sorry.
J: Who was that on the phone?
S: My girlfriend.
J: Japanese?
S: Yes.
J: Where did you meet her?
S: At the big shopping mall in Okazaki. I was looking for a store on a map of the mall and she helped me find where I wanted to go. Then we began talking and the rest, as they say, is history. I go for dinner every week with her family. Her father is a general manager of a company & I speak with him about business, politics etc. Her mother has invited me to stay with the family any time and my girlfriend will come and visit me when I'm in Yokohama.

J: Any final thoughts?
S: I should've studied harder when I was here because I could have learned a lot more. But I experienced many things that many people don't when they come to Japan and saw a part of Japanese life that most tourists would never see.