I went to Tokyo Christian University in 2022. I planned to go for 4 years but God had other plans. I was there about a year in total. I have quite a lot to share here so this might be a bit long. I tend to be a pessimist, I try not to but with depression and other issues, it’s hard. I tried not to complain here but bring up fair warnings.
Student Life
I’ll start with student living. They dorms were a bit old but they held up well. Cleaning was odd because I got a different schedule than my partner and that caused some communication issues. But that wasn’t a common mistake. There is a communal bath. At first it’s odd for foreigners but we got used to it over time. Was a really good place to hear about other girl’s days. Made some friends in the bath too. (Sounds weird like that). I definitely had issues there but it wasn’t as bad for me as for some. (Noise complaints, etc.) But that’s just college.
There wasn’t a lot of space to meet up with others. Boys and girls couldn’t visit each other’s dorms. We only had like 3 shared spaces and 2 were closed on holidays.
Prepare to walk a lot in Japan! The train was about 30 minutes. So was the mall. Closet grocery store was maybe 15 min. It’s nice to slow down, see nature, talk to friends, and get the exercise. You can eat anything and still lose weight.
Teachers
As for teachers, I loved a lot of my teachers! My Japanese teacher was a saint. One of our teachers did a special Greek class for only 5 of us. Reading class was a great time. However, there was one teacher that I didn’t get along with. I often am stubborn and can’t get behind just shutting up about something. He had some questionable beliefs. Normally even if things were odd, other teachers gave Biblical proof on why they believe such a thing. Example: “God is a pacifist”. However, this teacher made claims and didn’t back them up when asked about them. At least give us a reason! Plus these things were often really questionable. At some point we had to get a group together to talk to the office about him. Later, I got an email from him that ended up making me cry.
Cafeteria
The cafeteria was a great place to meet people and talk with friends. Occasionally, with COVID scares we had to eat in our rooms instead but that is understandable. The one part that was concerning was allergies. My husband (BF at the time) is allergic to shellfish and squid. One night he took a bite of squid and spit it out. He ended up ok but it was a scare. When we talked to people about it, the staff started to let students know when something they were allergic to was out. Especially, the people who can’t read the menu sign. No problems after that!
Some of us didn’t care for the food at times, but that is common for cafeterias.
General Experience / Church
I met a lot of amazing people there. Lifelong friends! A lot of them were there for the 3 month program. Some of the year. Some full time. It was always a great community of Christian kids. Never got bullied and made some great friends. 10/10 recommend!
When it came to church, Little Ones Mission International School was great. It was 1.1/2 hours by train but it was a great church. Lots of great people and it was bilingual. Very small cute church! Most Churches were almost an hour by train. Some were walking distance from the school. We did some church hopping to find the right one.
All in all, a great experience! 10/10 worth it! Plus God sent my husband there and we met. He was the first person I met at the airport. We were waiting for a whole group of us to arrive and go to the school together. He isn’t Japanese like my family expected. He’s from Florida. But God knew and I am incredibly grateful! We both want to go back if God wills it.