When I chatted with my Japanese friend, I got to know that she was interested in cooking. Then I invited her to cook the traditional food of one’s own country and she agreed without hesitation. I made the Chinese sesame balls deserts while she made minced chicken meal for me. We taste each country’s food, making us more close and becoming good friends.

First of all, you have to learn Japanese well. Then you have to speak Japanese with others actively. Of course, this needs a great courage, however, you should never wait for others to speak to you first. Yet it is difficult to find a good opportunity to practice Japanese in our daily life. Therefore, I made full use of the international exchange events held by our university and made friends from different study rooms.

Living without hesitation enabled me to meet many friends. Try speaking with other people in class even if you do not know them at first. Of course, you cannot become best friends with everyone, but initiating with others helped me enjoy my experience. Also, taking normal classes at Hiroshima University taught me how to learn without any supplemental English and gave me opportunities to study with Japanese students.

In addition to sharing an apartment with a Japanese student, most of my friends here seem to be either Japanese, Chinese, or other exchange students that speak fluent Japanese. This hasn’t been a conscious decision, but it has really helped with the immersion into Japanese.