Hello,
I’ve been wanting to study abroad in Japan ever since I started Uni. After a series of unfortunate events I missed my chance these last few years, but I am hopeful this time it will work out (as it is also my last chance). First when I tried in the end of 2019 the study abroad got cancelled due to covid-19, 2020 also had the same issue, 2021 my advisor told me the wrong application date so I missed the deadline. I have been in the process of applying for this upcoming semester (and the deadline is very soon) however, I started a second guessing myself with University choice as I want to make the most out of my experience. And I was looking for some advice on which University to apply for.
I want to be able to learn more about the culture, people and language primarily. Learning about Japan is what I would like to accomplish with my time there. While having lots of fun!
The first time I was applying I was set on Osaka University. And I still feel very interested in Osaka, the location feels very nice. It seems close to Kyoto and not too far away from Tokyo. I heard many good things about Osaka. One of the big pluses to me was I heard that the residents in Osaka are also very friendly. For a introvert like me who struggles making friends I found this important. And it is located in the Kansai region which I heard has a lot very beautiful and historical places to see/visit.
My other choice is for Touhoku University, and the more I read about the more I was interested. I heard it was very highly rated in rankings, and one of the websites ([nippon.com](https://nippon.com)). The website listed an environment ranking in which Touhoku was rated the second highest. I really value good environments. I also heard that Touhoku is very beautiful in terms of nature, I really like beautiful scenery.
My third choice would be a University in Tokyo, however, I am not a huge fan of big cities. However, I would still like to see Tokyo. I feel like location wise, if I wanted to see the most of Japan in my limited time their Tokyo would be the best option.
​
Out of these three locations/universities which would you all recommend the most? At first I was leaning the most towards Osaka, now I am slightly leaning towards Touhoku (the only downside I saw was that location seems very far away from Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo).
​
I apologize for the long post and word scramble. I am just both really stressed, anxious and excited and I am having some difficultly making a decision with the deadline getting closer each day.