Hi everyone
I’m a university student who next year will be going to Japan to undertake a master in medicinal chemistry.
I applied to both Tokyo Tech and Tohoku university. I just heard back the other day that I was accepted to both.
The problem is I wasn’t expecting it and now I don’t know which would be better to go to.
Tokyo is the place that everyone knows in Japan, it’s full of lights and experience. As a student from an English speaking country I’ve heard it’s great for international. I do know a decent level of Japanese too. I’m sure there would be plenty to do but as a student Im not sure if it’ll live up to the expectations. It’s great on a vacation but is it still good to live there as a student?
I hadn’t heard of Sendai before but the more I look into it the nicer it seems. It’s in a lovely location for mountains and the beach. The university also ranks really well. But I don’t know how much there is to do compared to tokyo and how foreigner friendly they are. I also want to travel around japan while there which tokyo is better set up for.
I would really appreciate any input 🙂
11 comments
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**I got accepted to Tohoku and Tokyo tech. Which do I pick?!?**
Hi everyone
I’m a university student who next year will be going to Japan to undertake a master in medicinal chemistry.
I applied to both Tokyo Tech and Tohoku university. I just heard back the other day that I was accepted to both.
The problem is I wasn’t expecting it and now I don’t know which would be better to go to.
Tokyo is the place that everyone knows in Japan, it’s full of lights and experience. As a student from an English speaking country I’ve heard it’s great for international. I do know a decent level of Japanese too. I’m sure there would be plenty to do but as a student Im not sure if it’ll live up to the expectations. It’s great on a vacation but is it still good to live there as a student?
I hadn’t heard of Sendai before but the more I look into it the nicer it seems. It’s in a lovely location for mountains and the beach. The university also ranks really well. But I don’t know how much there is to do compared to tokyo and how foreigner friendly they are. I also want to travel around japan while there which tokyo is better set up for.
I would really appreciate any input 🙂
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Sendai is a lovely city! Depends what you like of course, but I find it to be the perfect size for being able to do big-city things (restaurants, cafes, shopping, etc) while still being small enough to not feel too crowded like Tokyo can. Plus, it’s a quick shinkansen trip away if you ever want to go for the weekend or something.
There’s some other foreigners there too but likely less than Tokyo. If your Japanese is fine then you won’t have any issues in Sendai.
I did my MSc at Tokyo Institute of Technology and I loved it. I was in computer science and machine learning. The campus is great, if a bit small. The location is phenomenal, right next to Midorigaoka/Jiyuugaoka (where I lived for 8 years) close to Nakameguro, Shibuya, everything else.
I had a great lab and really internationally renowned adviser so I also felt like I got a great education there. I was there on a MEXT scholarship, and ended up later transferring to Todai to do my PhD. I’d definitely go with TITECH!
Not quite sure why ANYBODY would choose Sendai over Tokyo at your age having being given that opportunity. Sendai is one of the most dull places I have ever visited.
I would prioritize the lab and school program far more than the location. Having a bad advisor or lab will make grad school absolutely miserable. (It’s hard enough even with a good support system.) Talk to your proposed advisors and see who you think will best support your research, and which school will provide you the most tools to succeed.
I lived in Sendai for a year teaching English in 2008. It’s a great city. Not too big, not too small. I prefer living in a place like that over Tokyo. Got me a little scooter to ride around and whatnot. There’s definitely more variety in Tokyo but it can get overwhelming.
That said, find out which school has a program more suited to you and go for that.
Tokyo Institute of Technology?
Has anyone said the TIT joke yet?
It really depends on what is your goal.
If it is just to graduate and get a job outside academia, both will land you nicely a potential CV. So, it does not really matter.
If you are focusing to be in academia, you should focus on the research of the lab you are going to spend your time. A question to ask yourself is “Which one would motivate me the best?”.
Also, since you are in the chemistry field, some big facilities may be also one of the things you should concern. Facility-wise, Tohoku University is going to have its own synchrotron facility (NanoTerasu) in operation soon. If I will use that a lot for my research, I will go to TU.
As someone who’s in early 20’s and lived half of his life in Sendai, I can say Sendai is the most boring city in Japan. There are smaller cities which offers way too much than Sendai.
Sendai is in Tohoku region, so it represents the conservative and rather closed mindset of the region so it becomes a bit difficult.
Sure, you might like it here for the first 2-3 days but then you realise there’s nothing to do here given its size.
Go for Tokyo, and have fun! Good luck 🙂
not sure about your financial background but keep in mind that cost of living (mostly due to rent) is substantially higher in Tokyo than anywhere else.
Tokyo won’t require a car to get around. Sendai might. Just something to think about.