Finding and Expectation in Nokodai, Japan

(Tsuru: tufted heron)

Japanese people is so popular in case of discipline, diligent, and hardworking. The lifestyle, culture, technology also make me curious about Japan. So that i want to improve how to become like that. Besides, i want to learn Japanese language during my stay in here.

Make a line when waiting the train

Today is the second month of staying in Japan. So many things that i get from here. First is experience using more high technology diagnosed tools for identify the cause why insect die. Since i haven't started my research in Indonesia, so that it's all new for me. One of the technology that we never use in Indonesia is mini-screen connected to the microscope. So when you find something in microscope, you can capture easily by using this screen (I'll attach the picture later).

In Japan, i belong to  Sensei who is concern about biological control. What am i doing in her lab is
trying to find new insect pathogen. So, we collect some harmful insect from field, rearing on the lab everyday, and wait until they die. After they die, we examine the cause of death insect. That agent will be potential to become bio-pesticide. So far, i find some fungi that still unidentified. I am still propagate the fungi in selected medium and wait the time to observe.

Nokodai Field (Taro) 

Spodoptera litura from the field

Rearing with artificial diet

The "dead insect"

Observation, make a slide and propagation

Second is i have a lot of Japanese friends, either in Laboratory or buddy teams.
I really like when all members in my lab always eating lunch together in University Cafe.
Although sometimes i don't understand because they speak Japanese, but i try to guess what they're talking about by their body language. It's quite challenging!

Look! Omg. Our Sensei is taking a picture of us when we're selfie :')

Third. i get more knowledge. I take some courses and i can compare to Indonesia. Japan is really good at managing something. For example is waste management. Garbage separation is needed in order to recycle the garbage and how to prevent it become pollution. In my house, there is so many types of garbage that we must separate. And from ecosystem management lecturer, i know how water in Japan is very clean.

Waste management in my place in Japan.

Fourth, University festival. It's so wonderful that i can try so many kind of foods there. Also the performance on the stage is very creative and amusing. I think i must adopt some idea performance on the stage to my university festival. Unfortunately, we don't have the big event like that.. We just have not so big than Nokodai Fest.

On stage performance at Nokodai Festival

(Ringo ame : Apple candy) at NokoFest

Fifth, sight seeing in Japan. I went to some places. In my opinion, the most beautiful one is Hakone. Although it's a bit expensive in transportation, but you can see so many beautiful place there. I sail the ship and use cable car to go from each place to another place in Hakone. And also the tourist map is easily find everywhere. So, it's such as a good example of tourist marketing.

Ship for transportation among places in Hakone

Route Map Hakone, easily to find!

In brief, there is a lot of advantages for staying and experiencing university life at TUAT. This program give me a lot of precious things in life. I hope that this program will be sustain in the future. I expect that there is more student around south-east asia which can come and experiencing life in Japan. More country and more diversity is better, right? :)

Written in Mid-Term Seminar of AIMS Program

Thanks for Reading!