Hello.

I'm Inaba, and my husband and I are in charge of Student Support for ICT students in Dunedin. This time, I, Wakako (the wife), would like to briefly introduce Dunedin and our life here.

We regularly check in with students to support ICT students in making their Otago Polytechnic study abroad experience more fulfilling.

My husband worked at a Japanese energy company for 15 years before coming to study in the MBA program at the University of Otago, which he completed this year. Our family loved life in Dunedin so much that after graduation, he found employment with a local company and we've continued living here.

Dunedin is compact, without the hustle and bustle of a big city, yet not too rural—it's a "just right" kind of town. We often hear from young students that there aren't many places for entertainment, but it's blessed with nature. With beaches and trekking courses just a short distance away, it's perfect for refreshment. I think it's a calm environment where you can really concentrate on your studies.

We've been meeting regularly with ICT students since April, and at first, we noticed they felt confused by the new environment and different culture. However, they've gradually adapted and transformed into confidently enjoying their lives, which makes us feel they're becoming quite resilient.

Next, I'd like to introduce what kind of life we actually lead from a private perspective.

We're a family of five: husband, wife, and children (eldest daughter 7 years old, eldest son 5 years old, youngest son 3 years old).

On holidays, the whole family enjoys various types of activities such as visiting parks, shellfish gathering, fishing, and free museums. Since we lived in Tokyo before coming to Dunedin, we're often overwhelmed by the scale of nature here. Just a five-minute drive from our home, we can see many sheep, horses, and cows leisurely grazing in pastures that stretch far into the distance.

Our home is also located partway up a mountain, and from our garden we can see the mountain scenery. In the morning we hear birds singing, during the day sunlight pours down, and when there's a sun shower, rainbows often appear—it's an environment where we constantly feel nature close by.

Dunedin is welcoming spring and moving toward summer. In summer, we have so many things we want to enjoy: swimming at the beach, casual trekking, playing with water and pools in the garden, and more. It's been over a year and a half since we started our life in Dunedin, and we've gotten used to various aspects of clothing, food, and housing, and feel we now have the capacity to enjoy it all.

Recently, we've been challenging ourselves with making homemade natto (fermented soybeans) and miso. Through trial and error, we've become able to make natto more consistently and deliciously than before. As for the miso, we prepared it about half a year ago, so it's about time to take it out and taste it. We're also growing vegetables in the garden, and it's very enjoyable for the family to tackle various things together that we probably wouldn't have tried if we were still in Japan. We are gaining new knowledge and experiences.

By the way, our children, who had zero English ability when we first came to Dunedin, have reached the point where they can communicate in daily life almost without any problems in English after only a year and a half (kids are really amazing!). They have long since surpassed me (a wife in my late thirties) in English ability, but I'm trying hard to keep up by attending lessons and such.

We want to continue enjoying our Dunedin life positively as a whole family.

To everyone reading this article, please do reach out to us when you visit Dunedin!

Wakako Inaba

　Hello, my name is Kaya Yasuda. I am a 3rd year student at ICT. It has already been six months since I arrived at Dunedin International Airport. I’ve gradually gotten used to life in New Zealand, and I’m now enjoying every day here. In this journal, I’d like to introduce what my new daily life looks like after these six months.

　First, I’ll talk about my host family. My host family is a woman who lives with two dogs. To be honest, before coming here, I imagined a host family with parents and children. I thought we would have barbecues together and join various family events. So, when I received my homestay information during the spring holidays and read that she “lives happily with two dogs,” I couldn’t quite imagine what my life would be like and felt a little nervous.
　However, once the homestay began, I realized she was a kind person and a great match for me. We do things like having meals, walking the dogs, and going shopping at our own pace, which makes living together feel very comfortable. Our dinner conversations are always enjoyable—not only about school or studying, but also about funny stories from her work or the mobile games she’s into lately. Sometimes she suddenly says, “I feel like ice cream,” and takes me to a drive-through, and every Friday and Saturday night, we go to her friend’s house for dinner. I think this kind of lifestyle, just the two of us, is something I wouldn’t have experienced in a typical host family stay, and I really enjoy it.

　Next, I’d like to talk about how I spend my time outside of class. Classes here in Otago Polytechnic usually run from around 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and even on longer days, they finish by 5 p.m. After class, I often go to the university gym located near my school. The gym isn’t just for sports—it also has a fitness area, pool tables, and even a café, so there are many ways to have fun. The facility is open not only to students from the polytechnic I attend but also to students from the University of Otago, and anyone can use it if they become a member. Because of that, I’ve been able to make friends with people my age, university students, and even working adults.
　There are also many international students who use the gym, from countries such as Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Japan. It’s always fun meeting new people. Especially when I meet Japanese students, there’s a special sense of comfort—a feeling of connection that’s a bit different from other friendships. While I often play badminton and volleyball with my ICT classmates, sometimes students from other countries join in naturally. Other times, I start by asking them to help me practice setting or serving. Before we know it, more people gather, and we end up having a small match. Everyone is very open and friendly, and many try to speak the simple Japanese they know. It’s always a fun and warm atmosphere.
　Recently, the days have become much longer, and it stays bright even after 8 p.m. After leaving the gym, I often go out for dinner with friends or take a run to the beach. I really enjoy spending my evenings freely and actively.

　

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve now completely settled into life in New Zealand, and the days are flying by. Since the term is almost over and exams are coming up soon, I’d like to focus on studying hard as well.

Kaya Yasuda

Hello. I'm Rinse Okiyama, a 3rd year student at the International College of Technology, Kanazawa. I'm currently studying abroad in New Zealand. Here in Dunedin, the weather is gradually warming up as spring approaches. Since arriving, I've been learning a lot every day through language study and cultural exchange. Living in a different environment isn’t easy, but it's full of new discoveries, and I can truly feel myself growing each day.

While people in Japan were diving into the sea, I was diving into the snow on the ski slopes of New Zealand. My friends and I took a bus and rode for an hour. Outside the window, lush green hills and flocks of sheep stretched out before us, revealing one beautiful scene after another—views unlike anything we’re used to seeing in Japan. Dunedin, where we live, is a suburban area, so we don’t often see farms, making the scenery feel refreshing.

We arrived in Roxburgh and had lunch at “Jimmy’s Pies,” famous for their meat pies. Next, we headed to “Puzzling World,” a mysterious space where you can enjoy a maze and optical illusion art. We got completely lost in the maze, feeling like little kids again. It was quite a challenge, and we ended up walking around for hours, but we finally made it to the end.

After checking into our accommodation in Wanaka, I took a walk with my friends to a nearby lake. Along the way, we discovered a stylish café and enjoyed some ice cream. After exploring the town on the first day, we returned to the lodge and enjoyed a warm dinner that our teachers had prepared for us.

The next day, we left our lodge early in the morning and took a bus to the ski fields, enjoying the sunrise along the way. Whether it was the driver’s rough style or the poor road conditions, the ride was bumpy the entire time. When we arrived, I was worried because there didn’t seem to be much snow, but the ski slopes were actually well-covered. Since I had just skied at Hakusan earlier this year, I got used to it quickly and had a great time.

Japanese ski resorts are known for their convenience, with abundant hot springs and lodging facilities. In contrast, New Zealand’s major advantage was the chance to experience the grandeur of nature itself. The scenery was totally different, featuring numerous courses with exposed rock faces, vast treeless slopes, and majestic mountain ranges stretching across the landscape.

At night, I went to a restaurant and took a walk around the lodge with my friends. Later, back at the lodge, we all gathered together as if we were back in the dormitory at Hakusanroku Campus and played a quiz game. It felt like those nostalgic and fun times were back again.

The third day was all about activities. Arriving in Queenstown, we took a gondola to the summit and looked down on the town. The view of the blue lake and surrounding mountains was stunning in its beauty. After that, we tried the Luge, a thrilling activity where you race down a steep slope at full speed. We all enjoyed it.

For lunch, we bought the tastiest burgers, known as “Fergburger.” Unfortunately, our schedule was packed, so we didn’t have time for sightseeing. At the final destination of our trip, three classmates challenged themselves to bungee jump. After jumping, they looked proud and relieved, having overcome their nerves. After that, we headed back to Dunedin, and the fulfilling three-day trip finally came to an end.

This ski trip was a valuable opportunity to deepen bonds with my friends and experience the differences in nature and culture firsthand. I want to continue challenging myself in various ways and make my study abroad life even more fulfilling.

Rinse Okiyama

 

 

About 350 years ago, on July 13th, the famous poet Matsuo Basho wrote the haiku:
“How still it is here—
Stinging into the stones,
The locusts' trill.”

But according to the news this year, because of global warming, people in many places said that cicadas did not sing even after July began. Now, one month later, Japan is still in the grip of a very hot summer, I believe. How are you all doing? From the other side of the Earth, I am Rintaro Kamoshita, a 3rd year student at International College of Technology, Kanazawa.
Our life in New Zealand is very different—almost the exact opposite—from the summer in Japan. Every day we burn firewood in the fireplace to fight the cold. Today, I would like to tell you about my “unusual daily life” here in New Zealand, especially as the person who is sometimes called the “subculture manager” of our school.

First, I know you may not be the same, but for me, a day usually begins with solving a math problem, and ends with solving another math problem. When I was in Japan, at ICT, I did not have much time for such study, because I was busy with Robot Contest preparation and with many assignments. Only on holidays could I do math freely. However, after coming to New Zealand, my life changed a lot. Simply put, I gained “more than 24 hours of free time in one day.” Because of this, I could make a new style: at night, I study math for two or three hours and choose one problem, and then I try solving that problem the next morning. Thanks to this, I now have a lot more time to think about math in my daily life here.

On holidays, I often go to Otago Polytechnic. There, I write a math problem and its process of solution on a whiteboard, and leave it there before going home. It was like creating a secret code that only those who love math could understand—much like the one in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Dancing Men. Recently, one math teacher saw my problem and we were able to talk about it. Some people say that “math is a language.” I felt that it was really true, because at that moment, we crossed the boundary of ordinary communication by using the language of math.

But since I am supposed to talk about subculture, I should now speak about my “card game life” in Dunedin. First, let me tell you something surprising: in New Zealand, there are no shops that sell single cards. You may think “so what?” but for card gamers, this is almost like a death sentence. What is worse, in Dunedin, there is only one card shop in the whole city. Because of this, I had to spend three months without playing card games. This was maybe the first time since I was five years old.

However, in mid-July, something changed. One Saturday, I went skating with my friends at the southern ice rink. On the way back, I found a card shop, because I saw a sign with a very famous Japanese character. I went inside and looked at the card products. Then the shop owner talked to me, and told me that every Sunday they have a tournament. The next day, I joined the tournament with my friend, and I had my first international card game exchange.

There, I found something surprising. In general, New Zealand people are very free, and their way of thinking is different from Japanese people. But in the card game community, everything was almost exactly the same as in Japan. For example, if someone used a very strong deck, other players did not like it. And if someone was very unlucky and already almost losing, other players tried not to attack too hard. On the internet, I often saw people saying “foreign players act just like Japanese ones.” I found out that this was true.

Now, I want to finish my journal with a message to the students in the Hakusanroku Campus, and also to junior high school students who are thinking of entering our school. What I want to say is this: English ability is not the most important thing. …Okay, maybe I exaggerated. What I really mean is: communication ability matters much more.

I don’t play popular games, or popular sports. Also, I do not enjoy speaking with young people very much. In other words, I have some serious handicaps. But even so, I can still “fight,” thanks to two things I learned in Japan: the skill of talking with teachers, and the skill of talking through card games. These two skills have a special power: they automatically create a moment when the other person listens to me. So I recommend that you also make a strategy about how to communicate in English before you come to New Zealand.

For example, I live in a homestay with a Japanese family, so in daily life I do not use much English. But still, compared with other students, the amount of English I touch is not any less. That is, I can say I won by strategy. Dunedin is truly a wonderful place. So I hope you can make it not a place of suffering and homesickness, but a place of your own growth.

P.S. Actually, I am from Shinshu, so I wanted to start with Kobayashi Issa, not with Matsuo Basho.

Rintaro Kamoshita

Hello, I’m Ruuna Nakazawa, a 3rd year student at ICT. Right now, it's the middle of winter in New Zealand, and it’s as cold as in January in Japan. Because of that, warm outerwear like a down jacket is essential when going outside. Today, I’d like to share a bit about my daily life here in New Zealand.

I’m staying with a host family that includes a host mother, a host father, and two host sisters who are around my age. When I first arrived, there were also two other housemates, but one of them recently returned to her home country. I had a lot in common with her, and even though we only spent a short time together, we became very close. I don’t talk with my host family extensively every day, but they all have a great sense of humor, and simply spending time together in the living room often brings lots of laughter. There's also a large dog at home, and I often play with it.

 

The house is located on a hill, and from the living room I can enjoy a wide view that includes the sea. One night, when the aurora appeared, I was able to watch the beautiful display right from the balcony. The house also has an electric piano and a garage with a dance floor, creating the perfect environment for me to fully enjoy my hobbies—playing the piano and dancing.

I have fewer classes here than I did during my 1st and 2nd years, and there are more holidays as well, so I now have more free time. Thanks to that, I’ve been able to spend plenty of time on my hobbies like piano, dance, and drawing. Speaking of dance, I’ve joined a dance club at Otago Polytechnic and take weekly lessons to improve my skills. I’m also taking an online course about AI, using my free time to deepen my interests.

One unique feature of New Zealand is its rich natural environment, and I’ve been going on hikes regularly to experience it. Dunedin has many well-maintained walking tracks managed by the local government, and I choose where to go by checking the city’s website. Each location offers different scenery and plants that I wouldn’t find in Japan, which makes each hike fascinating. As a dog lover, I also enjoy encountering dogs out on their walks.

While I’ve been enjoying these peaceful and fulfilling days, I also face some challenges. One of them is my English ability, especially speaking. Although I’ve gotten used to being surrounded by English, I still lack the confidence to actively start conversations on my own.

Now that a third of my study abroad experience has passed, I want to continue making the most of this warm host family environment and the free time I have, taking on new challenges little by little, and continuing to grow as a person.

Ruuna Nakazawa