For my CIP this semester, I chose to practice Jiu Jitsu at Ground Core. Ground Core is a dojo run by Morimoto Sensei and includes many other skilled masters at Jiu Jitsu that come to practice. The people there are fun to train with and are very kind to new members. Although Jiu Jitsu was a new sport for me I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Ground Core, it is one I will never forget.
For my CIP, I participated in the hip-hop/breakdancing club called Egoistic Dancers. At the club, we did some workshops and taught each other moves. They have different group chats for what year of breaking you are at, for example, if you are a first year, they would invite you to beginner workshops. The club didn’t really do any cyphering, which I feel like was very much needed, as it allowed everyone to interact with each other. Many of the club members were very busy with upcoming tournaments and shows, thus there was not much room to interact with fellow breakers. Unfortunately, they also did not have a real break space, so I would often go to another place to break. Some advice would be to do some more research before committing to a CIP, and it doesn’t always have to be something that you are really into, because if I could go back, I would have changed my CIP to something I’ve never done before but had some interest in. I think CIP should be moreso a place to meet and interact with the local Japanese students.
For my CIP, I joined Intensity, one of Doshisha’s basketball circles, where I participated in weekly practices throughout the semester. This circle holds practices on MTF from 3pm-6pm, and there are usually around 10-15 members who always show up.
At first, I struggled to communicate with the other members as the circle has a quieter, more gradual style of building connections. However, by showing up consistently and playing in practice matches with the other members, I slowly understood the rhythm of the group, felt more comfortable and included, and was also able to make friends.
My advice to incoming KCJS students is to be open to slower-paced relationship building and to show up consistently, as the connections form naturally over time. I also recommend not hesitating to speak up or ask if you can play with the other members, because usually the Japanese members are really nice and want to play with you but they can be a bit shy to ask you themselves.
For my CIP, I took lessons at Greenwich House to learn the shamisen. I was joined by two other students from KCJS where we learned how to play a variety of traditional music pieces and ended the semester with a concert that involved the whole music school.
Before coming to Japan, not only did I have very limited experience with stringed instruments but I had also never seen a shamisen in real life before. Learning the shamisen in such a short time to perform at the concert was a big challenge for me but I’m so grateful I was given the opportunity to be a part of this community and learn about such a valued piece of Japanese culture.
My advice to incoming students would be to apply an interest you already have and use that passion to create connections within the community. Despite my skill-based challenges, I had a genuine interest in music and because of that I was able to bond with both the other KCJS students as well as the wonderful people at Greenwich House.
I worked at one of Kyoto’s local animal shelters for my CIP.
I had a great time taking care of the dogs and cats. Some of my responsibilities included walking the dogs, teaching them how to sit and walk alongside you, and cleaning their living spaces.
This CIP is perfect if you love animals and share a passion for protecting and caring for them. For me, it felt like a weekly therapy session where I could destress and build bonds with both the animals and the shelter staff.
For those wondering what CIP to choose, find something that excites you and offers a space to connect with others. The most valuable part of the CIP is that it gives study abroad students a chance to form a special community within Japan. Think about what kind of community you’d like to be part of when deciding on your CIP. No matter what activity people choose, CIP often leaves a warm and lasting place in our hearts—so my best advice is to come excited and ready to participate!
This Spring semester, I volunteered at the Kyoto International Manga Museum, where I assisted with archiving, shelving, and preserving manga while learning about Japanese workplace culture and library systems.
Volunteering at the museum was incredibly fulfilling, not only because of the unique nature of the space itself (a hybrid museum/library), but also because of how much I learned about intercultural communication and the subtleties of Japanese work etiquette. As someone who has personally loved anime and manga for a long time, getting to volunteer in a space dedicated to their preservation and study made the experience even more special. This space was a place of personal growth, cultural exchange, and meaningful connections for me, and I am incredibly thankful to have been given the opportunity to be part of it.
My advice to incoming students and prospective students: Don’t be afraid of discomfort or feeling out of place at first while abroad; these moments are often where the most growth happens. Observe how others interact socially, and most importantly, be curious and open-minded. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn simply by participating with sincerity and respect.
My CIP was the traditional Japanese flute known as a Shakuhachi. I had lessons once a week for about 2 hours and occasionally practiced with other students who practiced other instruments, such as the koto or shamisen. Towards the end of the semester, all of the other students involved in the instruments took part in a traditional concert recital.
The shakuhachi was an incredible experience that was not only extremely rewarding to learn, but it also helped with listening comprehension and feeling more comfortable speaking Japanese in a more casual manner. One of the most important aspects of learning this instrument was becoming good friends with my teacher as he created an environment where learning the instrument was fun and no stress was created.
My advice for future students of KCJS is to go beyond what you believe you’re comfortable with and do not be scared to try something new. I’m not new to learning instruments, but learning a new instrument in a language I’m not fluent in was incredibly daunting. Yet, it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. I’m forever grateful for this CIP and will continue to practice the shakuhachi for the rest of my life.
Although NALBA is a cafeteria, as a volunteer I was more so responsible for playing with the kids as meals were being prepared rather than participating in the cooking. We would all have dinner together, during which I would make small talk with the kids and volunteers, and then it would be time to clean up and keep the kids entertained as they waited for their parents to come pick them up.
I love kids so this was an incredibly rewarding (though physically tiring) CIP experience for me as I got to develop relationships with the children and see them excited to spend time with me every week. The volunteers at NALBA are incredibly warm and friendly, and the children were very curious about why I was in Japan and also wanted to know about the USA, so there was always a lot to talk about and I easily made conversation with the people I met there.
I highly recommend NALBA to anyone who is nervous about their Japanese skill level but still wants a bit of a challenge for themselves — it’s easy to connect with the kids because there are so many games you can play together which require limited conversation ability, but at the same time you will definitely still need to practice the more advanced grammar you are learning in class when talking to the kids (and they talk a lot!). Speaking with the older volunteers was always a little outside of my language comfort level, but I’m glad I pushed myself. My biggest advice for anyone in a similar situation is to just power through any hesitancies you have at your CIP. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation, and ask clarifying questions as often as needed! I would say the latter piece of that advice is definitely extremely important, as it’s absolutely necessary in order to understand what the rules and boundaries are.
Overall NALBA was a warm and energetic environment I enjoyed going to every week, and leaving it was really hard. I hope many more KCJS students will participate there in the future!
For my CIP I had private 茶道（Tea Ceremony) lessons with the lovely 三谷先生. Our lessons consisted of meeting once a week for about two hours to practice the steps of the ceremony including purifying (cleaning) the utensils and bowl and learning how to prepare the tea.
This was, by far, one of the most enjoyable experiences of my personal journey in Japan. Not only I was able to learn something I had been wanting to learn for a long time, but also I was able to understand the cultural and historical context of Japanese way of life through the lens of this ceremony.
I also owe this experience to 三谷先生 because she was the best teacher I could have had for this. She is the sweetest and most patient woman I’ve met. Even though I made a lot of mistakes, she kept cheering me up and telling me I got better every session, and that really inspired me to practice at home by my own.
I would recommend incoming students to do this as your CIP project if you want to get more involved in the subtle culture of Japan—or if you really like Matcha. Through this activity, you can get a deeper understanding and appreciation for the way Japan approaches interpersonal communication and mutual respect.
While here in Kyoto, I did dance lessons at Fly Dance Studio near Teramachi. While here, I specifically focused on hip-hop dance lessons, slowly and surely improving my skills one class at a time. For those interested, they offer a variety of dance lessons other than hip-hop, like K-pop and jazz.
Although I wasn’t super good at it at first, I gradually improved and learned several dance moves and movements I wasn’t sure I could pull off, isolation in particular being one of the techniques that challenged me in a good way. I also met some cool people along the way who ended up chatting with me from time to time in between lessons.
If you want to do something that makes you feel a little intimidated or out of your comfort zone, don’t worry about those feelings and do what’s calling to you. You’ll end up regretting that decision–do whatever is calling to you and you’ll have the time of your life!