Student Voice: SHINMOTO ALVAREZ Rafael Alejandro

From Republic of Peru

• Name
  SHINMOTO ALVAREZ Rafael Alejandro
• Country/ Region of Citizenship
  Republic of Peru
• Graduated from
  Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
• Department
  Department of Computer Science and Communications Engineering （Master’s）
  The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship Honor

Did you have any concerns before coming to Japan?

Actually, this is not my first time to come to Japan.  In 2009 I stayed for 9 months as a research student in Yamaguchi University thanks to an academic and cultural program of Yamaguchi Prefecture.  As you may know, there are a lot of Nikkei (Japanese descendent people) in Peru, and they formed associations based on their place of origin, called Kenjinkai.  I used to participate in one of them, Yamaguchi Kenjinkai, and they gave me this opportunity.  My great-grandparents were from this prefecture.  Since that was my first time in Japan, I was very curious and excited about visiting a new country, as well as the place where my family came from.  At the end it was a great experience for me, I learned a lot about Japanese society and its culture, and of course some Japanese language as well.

I didn’t have that many worries before coming to Waseda.  I knew I wouldn’t have to experience a strong cultural shock because of my previous experience.  Probably I was a little concerned about the language, because even though I had studied Japanese language before coming, I was not yet proficient.  But in Waseda, many students and professors can speak in English, so it was not a big problem.  Apart from that, I knew that it was not only the language but also the social code, the rules of Japanese society, to respect one-s superiors regardless of age, like the ‘Senpai’ concept.  I knew that I could get used to it, but I just wondered how long it would take.  But anyway, the idea of studying abroad was so exciting that I actually wasn’t thinking much about those things.  Coming to Japan once again was what I really wanted to do.

How did you find out about Waseda University? And why did you choose us?

searched for information about universities in Japan on the Internet, and there I quickly found Waseda University.  I also read the rankings of universities in Japan, and noticed that Waseda was always in them.  Then, when I visited the Waseda’s homepage and looked for programs and faculty members, I liked it, and after checking the details of the program I decided to apply.  I sent emails to many universities, and the first one to reply was Waseda.

How did you get information for our program?

Before coming to Japan, only through the web.  After arriving, I had an interview with my professor.  He explained me more about his laboratory and the research they were conducting.  Then I decided that I wanted to join his lab.

How is your life in Japan and Waseda?

Life in Waseda is very good.  I am satisfied with it.  Now I am a first year student in the Master’s program so I am still taking classes, but after classes I do research in my laboratory.  I come to the university on weekdays mainly.
About life in Japan, I think I already got used to it.  Now that I am living in Japan, I see this as a very good opportunity to learn and get the Master’s degree I want.  But I also think I have to take this chance to learn outside of the classrooms too, to meet other people, to visit different places, and to have many different experiences.

What do you do in your free time?

If I have some free time and I am not too tired, I like going out with my friends and have a meal or a coffee with them.  Sometimes we go to the karaoke too.  I also like going on trips and taking pictures, since that is one of my hobbies.

How are the relationships with your supervisor and lab members?

There are more than 30 students in my laboratory, of which surprisingly only 6 are Japanese.  A large number of the international students come from China, and others come from different countries around the world, like Myanmar, Vietnam, Tanzania, and Venezuela, for example.  Our lab is very international.  My professor, Sato sensei, is very nice and talkative, although he is busy most of the time.
Last semester, sensei held an off-campus seminar at the university’s seminar house in Karuizawa.  We went there all together and had a good time. It was fun.  When we are in the laboratory, every one usually focuses on his or her research.

Outline of the research

My current research topic is Information-centric networking, or ICN.  This new concept is about to bring major changes to the way data is transmitted through communication networks by focusing on the data itself rather than on its location, hence improving the performance of present-day networks that have to deal with increasing volumes of data.
In my laboratory, wireless communications are also one of the main research topics, so along with other students we are researching about how to improve mobility support in this new type of network.  The topic is relatively new so it offers me and other lab members a wide range of possibilities to conduct research.

What is your career goal after your degree completion?

Right now, I am considering taking the Doctoral program here at Waseda.  After that, I would like to work to get some experience, and then go back to Peru to work in projects to improve telecommunications in rural areas.

Short message to the prospective students

in English

Hello everyone! My name is Rafael Shinmoto from Lima, Peru, and I am a first year Master’s student at the Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering in Waseda University.  Studying here offers many advantages like, for example, its high academic level, its wide range of fields of study, its prestige, and its good location in Tokyo, among other aspects.  Moreover, hundreds of students from everywhere around the world come to Waseda because of its openness to foreigners (it is the Japanese university with the highest number of international students).  Sharing the classroom with Japanese and other foreign students creates an international, friendly, and favorable environment for research and cultural exchange, the latter being one of the most fascinating experiences about studying abroad.  For these reasons, Waseda is definitely a very good option to consider if you are thinking about studying in Japan.

in Spanish

¡Hola! Mi nombre es Rafael Shinmoto, soy de Lima, Perú, y actualmente soy estudiante de primer año de maestría en la Escuela de Posgrado de Ciencias Fundamentales e Ingeniería de la Universidad de Waseda. Estudiar en Waseda ofrece muchas ventajas como, por ejemplo, su alto nivel académico, su fama y reconocimiento, su gran variedad de áreas de estudio y su buena localización en Tokio, entre otros aspectos. Además, cada año llegan cientos de alumnos de todas partes del mundo a Waseda debido a su apertura con los estudiantes extranjeros (es la universidad con mayor número de estudiantes internacionales en Japón). Estudiar junto a alumnos japoneses y de tantos otros países crea un ambiente internacional, amigable y favorable para la investigación y el intercambio cultural, siendo esto último una de las experiencias más fascinantes de estudiar en el exterior. Por todo ello, Waseda es definitivamente una muy buena opción a considerar si están pensando en estudiar en Japón.