Japanese Room

The Japanese dorms for international students is a rather interesting place, I stress the international student part of that phrase since I have no ideas what Japanese student dorms are like and most of my graduate student friends live in apartments. I have been fortunate to stay in, at least what many have told me to be one of the best international student dorms in Tokyo. Well, as everyone knows, Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, so it come to no supprize to me that my dorm which spans about 15 square meters or so is considered quite "spatious" by Tokyo students standards. The price is also very good as it is subsidised.

Dispite the rooms small size, I've gotten used to its size as it is plenty for one person. However, the minus side is that if a friend should come over we'd probably have to the common room for a more cumftable setting to sit and chat. One thing I found interesting was that there is a service to empty the joint kitchen's garbage and wash our bed covers and pillows which is rather different from the dorm I lived in Sweden. I wondered weather they just couldn't stand the irresponsible students not cleaning up after themselves, and decided to add this service later, or was it part of the dorm's organization from the beginning. I've never heard of such a service before in European countries at least, but it somehow occured to me that this might be the result of one major difference between the western and eastern culture, in which parents treat children rather differently. While to me western culture seems to believe in the children's total (or at least near total) self-sufficiency after they move out, in the east it is not uncommon for the parents to support their children through college possibily until they get married.

Another interesting (and useful) system that they have here is that the international dorm which comprises of (at least from what I know) only International students, is that they have a few Japanese students living in them serving as what they call "tutors". Despite their names, "tutors" as far as I know, are not there to help tutor us through difficult subjects, but rather to help international students cope with their daily life. They help us get our alian card and national health insurance done, and are basically there to discuss any matters from where to buy cheap stuff, what should I eat tonight, even borrow manga from their RA room or just someone to chat or drink with! I don't exactly know what RA is supposed to stand for, but I just joked to my friends that it probably stands for "Recreational Assistants"! I found this addition a very good one, as any students who still do not have close friends at the unviersity in the initial stages can go and find someone to talk to with ease and piece of mind. What's even more amazing is their avalibility (on a rotating shift basis ofcause) of between 9:00am to 10:00pm!

It occured to me that studying and living in Japan must be very stressful for some as we have so many advisors to talk to! In my case for example there is my research advisor, student advisor, dorm tutor, and I've even seen posted somewhere on the university's website that there are still extra advisors in the international student centre and even a phone number at the university that you can call to relieve stress. It is then not supprizing that on the orientation day some of the student advisors express slight confusion of why only 1-2 students visit them each year and urge us to go to him/her if we have any problems. Well I'm not supprized, with all of the advisors and people we can talk to here to help us with our problems that's all together 5 advising sources not counting our lab and fellow country friends!