Mobility specification

Country:Japan

Institution:Dokkyo University

City:Sōka

Program:Partner universities

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Arts

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?manageable

Are your credits converted?yes

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?It offers many clubs from sports to dance to music or art (e.g. photography, film, literature). Outside the clubs, there are also activities to introduce Japanese students to foreign students (board games, calligraphy). However, these events are not that common.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:20000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?My accommodation was arranged by the school, but it was not a dormitory, but private apartments.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Shop primarily in supermarkets instead of kombini. Kombini are great for a quick lunch, dinner or snack, plus most are open twenty-four hours, but for groceries like eggs, milk, etc. it's more worthwhile to shop at supermarkets.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?with gestures

How does public transport work in the city?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?I searched for connections using Apple or Google maps. I didn't buy a ticket, instead I used an IC card with a loaded wallet. This is a much easier way than looking for specific tickets - it can be used almost all over Japan and for all types of transport (train, bus, tram...). You only need to buy the ticket separately for the shinkansen (midori-no madoguchi), the night bus and some ferries.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?mostly fine

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Tokyo is a giant city and I recommend taking advantage of the free time to explore as many places as possible. Some of the best places are definitely Yoyogi Park, Tokyo Tower and the Shimokitazawa district. I also recommend going through Ueno Park and visiting some of the galleries or museums present. And if you want to experience a bit of traditional atmosphere head to the Asakusa district.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Outside Tokyo, but still somewhat close, Yokohama, Kamakura and the nearby island of Enoshima are definitely worth a trip. Kyoto is also worth a visit, of course, and you should definitely set aside at least five days for it, as well as Miyajima near Hiroshima (but you only need one day for that). If you like to travel, I also recommend flying to Okinawa or Hokkaido.

Share your best experience:I think one of the best experiences was the visit to the onsen, which despite the initial embarrassment I can now highly recommend.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?yes

Where can it be arranged?Prague

What is needed?Certificate of Eligibility, passport

How long does it take approximately?The Week

How did you get to the place?Plane
Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Arrange your mobile internet before you arrive.

Can you pay by card?neutral

What not to forget when packing?You can buy most of the things there and often they are better and cheaper, but what I would definitely take is deodorant.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Six months in Japan was definitely ones of the best in my life.