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My second hometown, Taiwan, where I always want to return at least once a year

Tamaki Shimizu, 5th year student, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

In front of Miyahara Eye Clinic in Taichung, which has been around since the Japanese colonial era. A tourist spot famous for stylish souvenirs and ice cream

I visited National Taiwan University (hereinafter referred to as Taiwan University) on a family trip when I was 16 years old. It's been six years since I fell in love with its historic architecture and palm tree-lined avenues, but my study abroad was postponed for a year due to the pandemic, and after another seven months of online study, I finally arrived in Taiwan's capital in March 2022. Traveled to Taipei. I majored in modern Taiwanese history at Waseda University, and started my study abroad in Taiwan with the goal of balancing language study and fieldwork.

What left a deep impression on me during this study abroad trip was the Taiwanese history class. In this class, we had to read two books in groups of 10 people and then present them in a final paper through group discussion.We not only deepened our knowledge of Taiwan's history, but also grew significantly in terms of language skills. Also, Taiwan University is full of greenery like a botanical garden. Even when I was busy with my final assignments, I was able to clear my mind and refresh myself just by taking a walk around the campus at night. I realized that being able to concentrate on my studies and having a living environment that suits me is very important when studying abroad.

Left photo: Palm tree-lined avenue, a famous feature of Taiwan University. Commonly known as Coconut Grove Avenue. During graduation time, many graduates take photos on this street. At the end, in front of you is Central Library
Photo right: The beauty at night is completely different from that during the day. The campus was especially beautiful after the rain with the light reflecting off the asphalt.

My Taiwanese friend took me to Keelung Miaokou Night Market by car. It was huge and full of energy!

What's appealing about Taiwan is that there are many people who are generally kind and helpful, even though they maintain an appropriate sense of distance. When I first visited Taiwan, I had the impression that it was a homely place where I didn't feel like an outsider, and that impression hasn't changed to this day. During this study abroad trip, I fell asleep on the MRT (subway) on the way to the airport, but a Taiwanese lady saw me carrying my carry-on and said, "You don't have to get off. ? We're getting to the airport!'' She woke me up, and I was able to avoid missing my flight.

While this country is full of humanity, fierce debates over historical issues occur during elections. Taiwan is an immigrant society with people from various backgrounds. Studying abroad made me realize that even though on the surface it may seem like people accept each other and coexist, there are unanswered questions swirling inside. As the debate intensifies in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, it is important not to idealize Taiwan more than necessary, but to take a proper look at its historical background and the difficulty of establishing an identity in an immigrant society. These are the days when I am reminded of this.

I went to buy a Qipao (cheongsam) with my Chinese teacher, and then went out to drink some high-quality Pu'er tea.

My fondest memories are of the interactions I had with the people of Taiwan. Due to the pandemic, I was only able to study locally for three months, so I wasn't able to go to many places, but I have fond memories of becoming close to my Taiwanese roommate like sisters and chatting until late every night. Also, the Taiwanese family of my father's friends treated me very well, and I felt like I had family in Taiwan. Knowing that there was someone to help me in times of need was a great source of emotional support. From now on, I want to return to my second hometown, Taipei, at least once a year.

Be sure to rely on those around you when you are in trouble. Even if you can't see the future, don't give up and keep trying. Continuing to challenge questions that don't have clear answers. And to be close to and love people who have different values and cultures. My future goal is to utilize these skills that I developed while studying abroad in all kinds of situations, both at work and in my private life.

～What surprised me when I went to Taiwan～

My favorite is tuna egg cake (Danbing). I tried and compared tuna egg mochi from various shops.

One thing that surprised me when living in Taiwan was that many people eat breakfast outside. Breakfast restaurants called "early gohan restaurants'' that are open from early morning until late afternoon are found all over the city, and both students and business people like to eat in or take out and eat at school or work. that's right. What was especially surprising was that when I saw the place in the morning, it was a "early lunch restaurant,'' but when I went there in the evening, it had become a sock shop, and the next morning, it had become a breakfast shop again. In Taipei, where land prices continue to soar, I thought this was a way to make effective use of the limited land available.

What is Taipei, Taiwan like?

Taipei City, Taiwan is the capital of the Republic of China. The population is approximately 2.6 million (March 2021). The area is approximately 2.72 million square kilometers. Official languages include Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hakka. The time difference is -1 hour from Japan. Warm climate throughout the year. Rainfall is high from June to September, with long summers and short winters.