A Story of a Japanese Japanese Student: Saori studying Philosophy 1

Hi everyone! How was your winter holiday?

Today, your Japanese Ambassador Yoko will introduce another Japanese student.

Saori is a third year student studying Philosophy. 

Hi, I’m Saori Kon and I’m studying Philosophy in undergraduate level in University of East Anglia. 

I’m studying mainly European philosophy (It is quite different from universities in Japan. We don’t learn Eastern philosophy in undergraduate level). The course offers various modules such as philosophy of history from ancient Greek to modern, analytical philosophy, philosophy of mind, logic, moral philosophy and aesthetics. One example of unique module is ‘Film as Philosophy’. We leaned the possibility that ‘Film do philosophy or not?’

Regarding what I’m studying in the course, there are various areas in philosophy, so I will give an essay title as an example. In the area of ‘philosophy of mind’, we deal with a question ’what is mind?’ and from this area, I have written an essay ‘In what way (if at all) should we think of the mind as a physical thing?’ in my first year. In our everyday life, we come up many questions. Philosophy starts to examine these small questions and help us to approach to more complicated questions. I think this is a basic idea of what I’m studying.

When I started to research about universities in the UK when I was in Japan, I was looking for university on two conditions; one was that a university has a language school and it offers foundation course, second one was that a university has a good reputation in BA philosophy course.

If students can pass the final exam in a language school, they can proceed to the associated university. UEA has the language school called INTO and I could improve English skills, academic skills and learn some academic subjects that are relevant to the subject which we wish to learn in university. There are lots of international students from a variety of countries in UEA. So, I thought that UEA has good supports for international students including Japanese and this is the reason why I have decided to go to UEA (Additionally, only UEA has a website in Japanese).

Although I’m living in the UK more than three years, I still often face to difficulties in terms of studies as well as living. It can be a challenge to lead a life in other countries in which circumstance is totally different from home where we were born and we are familiar with. Common senses in Japan and the UK are also different. However, if I would not spend long time in the UK, I could not have lot of experiences. Everything I see and feel here is irreplaceable.

Regarding UEA, there are cafes, a post office and a sport park on campus. When I first came here, I thought campus was like a town. Personally, I like to feel the nature closely and there is a museum called Sainsbury Centre. When I want to relax and want to spend time in quiet place, I often take a walk in the forest and around the lake Also. I go to Sainsbury Centre.

I’m thinking to go on master degree after I graduate UEA. Philosophy may not provide us immediate practical skills that we can use in modern society.  It might be quite difficult to imagine what philosophy does and how it helps……however, philosophy enables us to widen prospects and multiple thinking through re-examining the foundation and the method of thinking and the process to reaching conclusions.

Moreover, whichever you learn philosophy in academia or not, I think philosophy concern the question ‘What is a better way of leading a life?’ and philosophy can be practicing this question in our everyday life. My current aim is pursing what I’m interesting in and sharing it with others. In order to do this, I’m seeking the best way to contribute to societies what I have been leaning here.