Niclas Preisler Clausen Research Student, Graduate School of Humanities, Nagoya University 2023 –

   
 
Niclas Preisler Calusen
Research Student, Graduate School of Humanities, Nagoya University 2023-
 
 
 
“My name is Niclas and I am a research student at Nagoya University in Nagoya. My field of study is the representation of disasters in Japanese literature, film and TV series. I also take classes in Japanese at the university, so I can start to make sense of the many kanji and navigate daily life here. I live in a share house with Japanese people at the moment, and I try my best to use the language outside the classroom.     
 
As a research student, I conduct my research under the supervision of an academic advisor, who works in a similar field. I have free access to the campus facilities and to the main library, where research rooms are available to graduate students and employees. From my desk, I can see the northern mountains far off in the horizon. I also have the option to audit any of the courses offered by the faculty, should I find it relevant to my research.    


I was granted a dorm room the first six month of my stay, where I lived with the other research students, who came in from all over the world. It gave us apt time to get to know each other, cook meals together and explore our new hometown. There are not many tourists in Nagoya, few consider getting off the train on their way between Tokyo and Kyoto. Nonetheless, the many international students and expats ensure that the city still has an international vibe.     
 
In my free time I go bouldering, visit museums and festivals, or I’ll search for the best noodles in town. I also enjoy hiking in the mountains or visiting some of the smaller cities in the countryside, where things are quiet, and life moves at a slower pace. There is plenty to do as a research student, but you schedule your own time for the most part, so there are opportunities to take a break every now and then. 
 
 
  I highly recommend anyone interested in studying in Japan to engage as much as possible with the Japanese language and culture. Learning the language has been essential in terms of making Nagoya feel like a home away from home. The more I have gotten to know local traditions, cuisine and customs the less alien I have felt. My university hosts a wide array of cultural events every semester, and I try to participate in all of them. In addition, I can only speak favorably of living in a share house. It’s a great way to get to know people outside the university bubble, and I found it to be surprisingly similar to my co-living experiences in Copenhagen. “  
 
*****************************************************************************
If you are interested in the Japanese Government Scholarship programme for research studies (Graduate level studies), please feel free to contact info@ch.mofa.go.jp.