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At the stairs next to Building No. 14 on Waseda Campus

From Waseda to the world, and from the world to Waseda.  Study Abroad reports share what people feel, learn, and notice about cultural differences through their study abroad experiences. This time, we introduce the experiences of Darren, who is studying at Waseda from Indonesia.

I learned to value individuality and that each person has a deep story.

Darren Kusnowo, 3rd year student School of Social Sciences

I am originally from Indonesia, but I was also raised in the United States and China. I was born in the US and stayed until I was 6, then lived in China until I was 11. After graduating high school in Indonesia, I had read about the School of Social Sciences' English-based degree program, and I thought that it would be a perfect place to be in an international environment and learn a new language like Japanese.  

Since coming here, I have been grateful for the people I’ve met. Every day I learn from classmates and friends with diverse cultural backgrounds. At first, I found myself comparing my life to others, whether they were excelling in academics, working, or even getting married, which sometimes made me doubt myself. But being surrounded by so many different individuals has taught me to value uniqueness. While Japan is often stereotyped as collectivist, I’ve come to see that individuality is everywhere if you look closely. 

One of my favorite classes I’ve taken was Urban Regeneration. Unfortunately, the class is no longer available as the professor has moved to another school. We would go on field trips around Tokyo, analyzing how and more importantly, why different buildings were designed. For example, we looked at the new Toranomon Hills complex and discussed the implications on class structure and the economy on the surrounding area. These experiences showed me that, like the city’s architecture, every person carries a story beneath the surface. That insight has been one of my most important lessons in my two years here. 

This photo was taken in 2023 when I visited Coredo Muromachi in Nihonbashi for a class on urban regeneration. I am standing at the top right.

One of my best memories in Japan was going to Yokohama for the first time. I had always wanted to go to see the beautiful views, but surprisingly it took me almost 8 months before I actually got out there. I sat in Yamashita Park with my university friends in the sunny April weather, and while nothing out of the ordinary happened. It is one of the memories that encapsulates peace and inner happiness. Even though I haven’t yet thought of where my future will take me, I know that I’ll be happy wherever I choose as long as I’m with the people I love.  

I visited Yamashita Park again in December 2024.

I think it might take living thousands of miles away from everything you once knew to realize that happiness comes from within. I’ve tried to stop comparing myself to others, and ever since, Japan has given me some of the best years of my life. 

～What surprised you when you came to Japan～

I had already come to Japan a few times before moving here, so I grew accustomed to Tokyo life pretty quickly. But what surprised me the most, was when I visited a small city in Nagasaki Prefecture called Shimabara. I went with one friend from university, whose’ grandma still lives there. I don’t get to see rural Japan very often, even more rare is spending a few nights there. Tokyo is a very busy and fast-paced city, so I was surprised by the kindness and hospitality of the people in rural Japan.  

I stopped by a Starbucks in Shimabara, which was quite empty compared to Tokyo standards, and as I was ordering, the worker started making friendly jokes and small talk. I feel like Japan gets a negative reputation for being quiet and unfriendly, but I realized that that wasn’t true at all. Of course, it might take a little time to learn the language, but it opened up so many doors for me once I could talk with people I meet.  

Photos from my visit to Shimabara City. At an empty seaside station (left). I sat in the driver's seat of a bus (right).

Outside of my university life, I visited a chess club in Tokyo, which I met many Japanese and international people who bonded over their love for the game. After a few games, some of us went out for dinner together. I think there’re’ so many people, even in Tokyo, who are willing to reach out and make new friends, which, I can’t lie, I was very surprised about. Maybe these are my first experiences as an adult, but I had never experienced reaching out to people outside school or extracurriculars. So, while I can’t say it is something opposite from my culture, I was extremely surprised at the amount of people wanting to be friendly and outgoing in Japan.