₦airaland Forum

blackbriar:
Entry ban lifted

Now it's closed again due to concerns of Omicron variant of the virus.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211129_24/

Bumping the thread.

@blackbriar Any suggestion for decent Nigerian (or West African) eatery in or around Tokyo?

blackbriar:
Estonia over the third worlds largest economy?

Fair enough, I think Estonia could be a sensible option if you regard it as stepping stone (for example, enrolling master's programme in the very best university there, then apply for PhD position in top-tier universities in high income countries). Heck I know some friends who did the same thing, but by obtaining master's degree in mid- or upper mid-tier Japanese universities to jump to better ones in Japan and sometimes beyond.

OgaLanister:
Thanks alot boss. Please can you share me a link of any of these universities webpage where one can contact the professors directly. Been on that since but got no head way.

I don't know your field, but you can find a few examples of lab webpages (or professor's homepage) in links below. Perhaps none of them are of your field of interest. Just wanna show you what university-affiliated Japanese lab looks like.

https://www.mces.titech.ac.jp/authors/kitano/ (chemistry lab in Tokyo Tech)
http://www.fret.lif.kyoto-u.ac.jp/e-phogemon/index.htm (pathology lab in Kyoto University)
https://sites.google.com/site/yasuyukisawadapage/home (Tokyo University economics professor's webpage)
http://www4.math.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp/~twatanabe/ (Osaka University math professor's webpage)
http://www2.bpes.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~www-met/index.html# (agriculture lab in Kyushu University)
http://www.ifs.tohoku.ac.jp/enerdyn/en/index.html (mechanical engineering lab in Tohoku University)

Once again, Google is your friend.

OgaLanister:
You just calmed my nerves down with this info. Bro, how do one get in touch with the course professors because all these while it's the school's international admission department i have been communicating with via email? No vex oo, just give son of man link.

For graduate school, you can contact the potential supervisor directly. Prior to that, you need to list the ones that are most likely to suit your field and even better, if they publicly announce that they are actively looking for new members for certain project. Most labs in top universities have official webpage and they routinely post these information, not only vacancy but also new publications as well. Mind that graduate studies in Japan are mostly research-based and one needs to be assigned to a lab (and research project supervisor). Therefore, you have to do some research about what projects they are conducting recently. At least you understand and well-versed in the concepts of what these labs are doing to start with.

uchman:
Japan thread is very dull, few posts just because no one volunteers to help others...

OgaLanister:
Is it that there is no Nigerian currently studying in any of the Japanese universities who could guide some of us on how to gain admission into any of the national Universities in Japan for either undergraduate or post graduate study.

From my personal experience, there is indeed very few Nigerians in Japanese universities. It's even easier to bump into other major African countrymen/women here (for example Kenyans or Egyptians, although they are also few and far between). I think it's the same in most other top 12 universities here in Japan. During my 4 years stay here, I only encounter three Nigerians among a student body of 12000 in my university. Knew another guy from other Japanese university during a conference too. I was pretty close to two of these guys and I recall they were the only ones of their kind in the university. They grind all the way to be admitted to and eventually graduate from the university. These folks are bright, passionate, and really hard-working students even by Japanese standard, one even was in the Dean's list.

They cited that it has to do with popularity of universities in Anglophone countries among prospective Nigerians and Japan as a country seems to be extremely foreign in your countrymen's mind. Not to mention that the ministry of education of Japanese (MEXT) and their universities don't know (or fail, or somehow just don't care) how to reach out to recruit more qualified Nigerians. Add that with the fact next to none of those who get in are active in Nairaland (none of the guys I mentioned earlier certainly have Nairaland account, I always ask this question to any Nigerians I encounter here), and voila, you are left in the dark.



I posted a bit of info and tips about the admission for graduate school a few months back. I think you can navigate a little further for other info.

majisuka:
Just an info for you guys from an insider (as well as some Sub-Saharan African students I get along with in the university). Apparently the Ministry of Education of Japan (Monbukagakusho) is trying to increase African student quota in Japanese universities, perhaps as an effort to spread the soft power into the continent. I'd say African applicants are given a little bit more leeway to obtain the scholarship, provided one already has gotten an approval from a prospective supervisor/professor. For the procedures, required documents, and deadlines, you can check out the website of Embassy of Japan in Nigeria (I'm not gonna spoon-fed you guys, I'm busy and there is Google to help you out). The website is here btw https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/study_j/scholarships/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2019/04/17/scholarships_2019_e.pdf

On the other hand, they are decreasing 90% (perhaps even more) of post-graduate scholarships to Asian countries (especially other East and Southeast Asians) that it's almost impossible for them to get one now except if the applicant is truly exceptional or even a superhuman . Basically the are abolishing scholarship for those folks. Till a few years ago they are the workhorses of many labs here (as graduate students), but due to this 'woes', many professors and principal investigators (PIs) are struggling to recruit new people. For example, my PI now has to put a couple of our projects on hold due to lack of new grad students. My friend's lab even got severely downsized and close to disbandment due to lack of manpower. Too bad they are sometimes don't know that they can recruit very good students from Africa but alas very few have connection to do so.

Now it's up to your effort because the next is the hardest part. Please read and study thoroughly some scientific journal articles that suits your academic background and try to come up with ideas. Be sure as well to check the professor's current projects in each lab's webpage (typically in top universities a lab/research group has a functioning and updated website) before doing so. You are also encouraged to check their relevant publications, which are often posted in the website too.

Afterwards, try to contact them in professional manner, that is, introduce yourself and give a brief academic background and explain your plan in the lab and Japan (as well as the research idea you conceive). You are needed to attach your CV/resume along with the first communication e-mail so that the professor can be ascertained that you are indeed willing to join the lab. Be patient to wait for the responses because they are super busy (sometimes up to a week). They only recruit very good (even though raw talents) students with strong grasp of respective field's concept so be very, very prepared. Upon convincing the professor that you are worthy to be the member, you'll subjected to entrance interview and test, which is just as rigorous and depends on down to the policy of the department the lab belongs to. Yes it's easy to get scholarship up to a point you earn trust from the prof but in the test they will try to weed out those who don't have the basic concepts. Some universities have low acceptance rate even for Master and PhD level entrance.

I know you Nigerians are very hard-working given being in conductive situation. Good Luck.

blackbriar:
This is really poor jollof rice by Nigerian standard.
Please next time try the Eba and egusi . It’s purely Nigerian and cannot be below par.

Yeah definitely, they seem very interesting and I like spicy food too. I found that from the patrons in that eatery, the way the dough and stew are eaten is also very unique. I thought it's similar to how to eat Indian thick curry (with naan, chapati, paratha, or kulcha) but boy I was wrong. It seems one has to dunk their fingers directly into the stew instead of using the staple as spoon to scoop out the solid contents of the stew.

I don't know what makes a jollof rice good, I'm a complete beginner in Nigerian cuisine. Does it have to do with the color and spiciness? BTW the jollof rice I had wasn't spicy at all.

Finally had my first plate of Jollof Rice at African Home Touch, Roppongi. There's a lot of other West African (almost all of them are Nigerian and Ghanaian dishes) to choose from but too bad I wasn't in a mood of very adventurous options like egusi or pepper stews with eba sides. I guess it's kinda authentic because the owner is a Ghanaian and she told me that the Nigerian version isn't that far off than its Ghanaian counterpart. For someone unfamiliar with it, the jollof plate itself tasted like a smoky Nasi Goreng (Indonesian black fried rice) with some hint of tomato paste . Would definitely come back if I have chance or happen to be around Roppongi to sample the stews though.

[img]https:///65535/50247359796_09617338a7_z.jpg[/img]

Just in case someone need this info. Kyushu University's Engineering School is looking for 10 new PhD candidates (the program is only 3 years though), including from Africa.

Just in case someone need this info. Kyushu University's Engineering school is looking for new PhD students, including from Africa.

peacefull:
Wow!!
I hope you are enjoying life in Japan

About government scholarship, I hope you know what many Japanese students also face the problem.

Sorry, your English is difficult to me.
I maybe still not understand well what you said
I will read again and I wanna understand well.

Thank you for telling me your opinion.
I appreciate you!
I like to hear what foreigners think about Japan and Japanese.
I can learn many things!

I'm sorry for writing my opinion in difficult English! Next time I will use languages that is easier to understand.
I agree with you, even for Japanese students the government scholarships are sometimes problematic.

NaotoKan:
Furthermore, the birth rate in Japan is plummeting rapidly and according to a recent study published in the Lancet, by the end of this century, Japan's population ditto Spain will be reduced by 50%. Prior to Covid-19, some universities merged due to declining students' applications as a result of low birth rates. With Covid-19 and remote working and studies, more universities will either close or merge especially those in hinterlands. Lest I forget the debt levels of the government and low population of young people to pay it forward as regards to the pension system.

More like stagnating birth rate rather than declining, its TFR (total fertility rate) has been stuck below replacement from freaking 1970s at 1.4-1.5, which is its ratio now. It declined temporarily from 1.4 to 0.9 (!!!) during the economic bubble period in early 1990s though.

NaotoKan:
If Japan is to sustain her strides in development, science and technology amidst the competition from Korea, China, India and in the future Indonesia Nigeria ...

Fixed

NaotoKan:
She's really shooting herself in the foot because with the declining birth rate and disproportionate number of foreign students in language schools instead of degree awarding institutions, it will be hard to attract talents and compete in an increasingly competitive world.

I'm under impression that they like it that way, because language school students don't cost them anything. It's even the students who pay through tuition fees, not mentioning many try so hard to get to Japan by paying (or owing) a lot of money through middlemen/agents.

peacefull:

Are you an international student?

Yes I am. Been almost 4 years in Japan so far.

NaotoKan:
You're right... I've checked salaries in Japanese companies and boy! They are low say compared to Germany or the UK - countries with similar size of economies. Don't you think these reductions have to do with the debt level of the country? Although, the US has a higher debt level but the way her universities are structured differs significantly from other countries even in the EU.

I think it's due to combinations of a lot of factors. Housing cost in Japan (even in and around Tokyo) is cheaper than almost all other major cities in developed world. Perhaps it's the only megacity that isn't experiencing housing crisis, there are more apartment rooms and houses than what it's needed. Moreover, most fresh graduates live with their parents and don't spend that much of money, not to mention transportation and other costs. Unlike in the West especially the US, the fresh graduates aren't burdened by huge student loan (I know a few Japanese who received student loan when they studied in university but it is easy to pay it back in a few years). Despite the low wage, average employees receive relatively large bonuses and various benefits too. Last but not least, corporate taxes in Japan are also higher than most of the world, keeping the companies to spend fewer for wages per employee compared to their contemporaries in the West.

But still, earning 300k yen by just doing menial chores is super outrageous it isn't even funny

NaotoKan:
Another reason could be developed Asian countries' antipathy towards foreign talents in higher education. Singapore is the exception here because of the benefits she accords to foreign scholars.

It still doesn't even remotely justify why they need to take such drastic measure. Not even the likes of both Chinas (Mainland and Taiwan) and South Korea would ever go as much as abolishing the entire scholarships just to keep their populace happy and 'pure'.

peacefull:

Earning 300k by working part-time job??!! WTF
Not even highest-paid entry-level professional jobs in best Japanese companies earn that much

In all seriousness, the government of Japan should invest more on handing out more merit-based scholarships in legit universities to attract more brilliant talents. They also need to reform their archaic graduate-level higher education system to akin to that of Western counterparts, i.e. paying PhD candidates and giving more funding to labs with more international students and professors with global research experiences in other technologically-advanced countries. Recently, instead of enacting sensible reforms they are shooting themselves at their feet, the worst of them is abolishing and stopping almost all government-sponsored scholarships for international students. If you pay peanuts you get monkeys, aside from turning away talents, the graduate students are becoming less and less productive because they have to split their attention to part-time jobs. Instead of attracting top talents, vast majority of the international students here are language school students who spend most of their times in unproductive jobs.

MERCHANDISER:
Which Japanese School can i study Animal science for my masters program

Hokkaido University, their agriculture program is perhaps by far the best in the country. But some provincial national universities have decent animal science/husbandry departments (for example Shizuoka University).

aguizm:
blackbriar please i need your input to this.
Osaka University replied my mail stating that i need a Japanese language proficiency of N1 to be eligible for a master's program in Economics with them. Please bro, can you recommend any other national University where such is not a requirement. I also need a school which is not situated in the big cities of Japan where cost of living is very okay.

Aside from access to part time jobs (if you can't get scholarships), big cities also offer some suburbs with surprisingly low housing cost, which is often just one or two relatively short train ride away from the campus. Let's say, if you study in Waseda University in Tokyo (I think its economic and policy departments don't require Japanese language proficiency, got some friends studied there), you can live in southern part of Saitama bordering Tokyo or Kita-Senju. The downside is that some landlords don't welcome foreigners (or non-Japanese speaking) tenants, although it's not always the case. You may also check out share houses for students or university dorm, which can also really cheap (by Kanto area standard) albeit with expense of privacy for the former.

If they can build appropriate infrastructure like that in Aso Rock, I see no problem they do the same thing to Zuma. Or just too many people being superstitious to the rock?

blackbriar:
The best way to learn Japanese is by going to a Japanese language school, unfortunately there are none in Nigeria.
Japanese is not a language you can learn on your own as a beginner. you need to go through beginners and intermediate class to be able to continue learning it on your own.
for the grammar been totally opposite of English structure in application and meaning to writing in 3 alphabetical systems; katakana, hiragana and alight kanji. Your biggest concern though should speaking not writing.

So, if you read through this thread from the beginning, some people opt to go japanese language schools in japan for studies and look for a job after finishing the language school. you can try this route, but the cost is almost the same as going to a graduate school in Japanese national university for 2 years research masters program , where also japanese language is taught for free.

my 2 cents.

That's too bad. That's a massive opportunity anyhow, one can actually go to study the language in language school in Japan and return to Naija and cashing in by opening his/her own language school.

TheSourcerer:
welcome how are things in Japan, the pandemic I mean.

It's kinda bad because of lack of testing. We don't know the extend the disease is spreading right now and until yesterday everything seemed normal with everyone going around like it's nothing happened. Only tomorrow some local governments like in Tokyo area, Kansai (Osaka and its surrounding area), and Fukuoka implement stronger restriction, although it's not a full lockdown seen in other countries. The worst thing is that I've heard the hospitals even turning some people with symptoms, perhaps in fear of being overwhelmed.

Fk1987:
Okay bro.. Thanks..
I love the country, I will give it a try.. But pls how's their post study used to be like, I mean if am done with my M. Sc there, hope I can stay after my study and get atleast a good job that i can earn , atleast 2000 dollars or more monthly, secondly, how's cost of living there? Ie Like how much is an average self contain there? Pls if you can drop ur email for easy communication or update, I will gladly appreciate Sir or can I drop mine? Thanks bro, I really appreciate.

You can send me PM

Fk1987:
Hi bro..
Happy new month, pls with new conoravirus disease that has entered Nigeria, are you sure prospective study visa will be granted, cos I intend to apply for September intake... Pls ur candid advice will be appreciated.
Thanks..

September is still far away and perhaps the epidemic would die down as it passes summer. Moreover there is still yet no outbreak like that of Italy or Korea in Nigeria (I think it's kinda unlikely due to high ambient temperature and lack of elderly people). I think you can give it a try, as long as they haven't announced that the intake this year is stopped.

moonraker:
lol You speak the Japanese language by any chance?

Yeah. そういえば、moonrakerさんはいつから日本に住んでいるんですか？ (I'm sorry for other nairalanders for posting in Japanese alphabet, but I bet someone already did in this thread)

moonraker:
Lol Blackbriar is an insider. He knows too much.

@ Majisuka: 普通大学院生 is incorrect! Its either 大学生 for undergrad、院生(Graduate). Just sharing!

Nope, as much as I know it's correct. 普通 = ordinary; 大学院生 = graduate student in university (master or PhD student). So it says 'an ordinary grad student'.

NaotoKan:
Thank you both.

@Majisuka: Well, I've a keen interest in Asian politics, culture, economies, way of doing things etc. I've been doing this for more than a decade and it has culminated in my desire to study, live and work in Asia. So yeah, I know quite a lot (from a foreigner's perspective) about Japanese politicians and politics.

You're welcome. It's good to know other's culture (I also travel to other countries a lot and love to learn their cultures, haven't been in Naija tho) but like Blackbriar said please keep the politics thingy for yourself. Even ordinary Japanese doesn't talk about the domestic politics to his/her fellow countrymen a lot.

blackbriar:
My brother, embassy route has been collobied time memorial. I can boldly say any African on mext scholarship in japan is either a relative or kin of an embassy staff. Full stop

Na only school route open to the common man, start mailing dem professors.

Really? That's very shocking because I thought even in Asia's most corrupt countries (which I think won't be too far from that of African's) the recipients are still picked based on merit (in relative terms). Note that most corrupt Asian countries have very small high school and college graduates cohort that are willing to ply their trade in Japanese universities and hence perhaps most if not all the applicants are accepted because quota isn't fulfilled at all. It happened to my friend who is from Myanmar, it appeared he is the only one in his entire class who can speak and understand English (and his university is one of the very best in the country) and thus he was accepted, despite it's later revealed he isn't very competitive compared to other guys in the Japanese university he is now. Had he been a let's say, Vietnamese or Chinese, he might've never chosen in the first place.

But I think even in Naija they would still give it to common guy, provided he/she already secures at least a consent letter or letter of acceptance from the university.

NaotoKan:
My issue with applying to Japanese universities has to do with travelling to Japan to write the entrance examination. From my research, writing the GRE doesn't exclude one from physically writing the entrance examination. Is there a way around it (not having to travel to write the exam)? All the schools I've checked had to do with "travel to Japan to write the exam". So far, Keio University allows international applicants to submit GRE scores, however, it's for engineering applicants which I'm not.

Yeah I feel such frustration too. That's why many Japanese universities are unattractive to prospective students from the other sides of the world. I know some departments that give a one-day take home test to applicants who can't attend the entrance exam (but the problems given in such test are tend to be of higher difficulty), but it's an exception. Perhaps you can enquire and negotiate the department or the supervisor about it if you really are unable to go to the exam site. PhD admission/recruitment on the other hand tend to omit entrance exam and more on CV screening (list of publications, other achievements etc) and much more strict and in-depth interview process.

BTW how do you know Naoto Kan? I'm very surprised someone from very far place like you know him.

regizoch:
Is this applicable to Masters in Architecture?
Which university do you suggest I search for...
I want to start searching for supervisor right away

I think it applies to mostly many fields of science and technology, including architecture. According to rankings published in Japan, Tokyo University and Tokyo Tech are really strong in Architecture, but you can also check out Kyoto, Kyuushu, Keio, Tohoku, Hiroshima, Chiba, and Waseda Univ.

Just another tips, aside from the specific area of interest, it's better to contact the labs with multiple international students (or have long experience dealing with them, they often post the list of alumni and their last known position in their website as well). At least you will find it handy and easier to adapt and the professors in these labs tend to be really proficient in English as many had worked abroad upon returning to Japan.

Wetin dey guys, I've just joined the forum just a few hours ago. Anyone else from or residing in Japan?

igbesachick:
a papaya tree. free organic food. i piled dozens of them under my bed. replenished everyday.

That doesn't look like a papaya tree, more like a breadfruit one.

Just an info for you guys from an insider (as well as some Sub-Saharan African students I get along with in the university). Apparently the Ministry of Education of Japan (Monbukagakusho) is trying to increase African student quota in Japanese universities, perhaps as an effort to spread the soft power into the continent. I'd say African applicants are given a little bit more leeway to obtain the scholarship, provided one already has gotten an approval from a prospective supervisor/professor. For the procedures, required documents, and deadlines, you can check out the website of Embassy of Japan in Nigeria (I'm not gonna spoon-fed you guys, I'm busy and there is Google to help you out). The website is here btw https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/study_j/scholarships/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2019/04/17/scholarships_2019_e.pdf

On the other hand, they are decreasing 90% (perhaps even more) of post-graduate scholarships to Asian countries (especially other East and Southeast Asians) that it's almost impossible for them to get one now except if the applicant is truly exceptional or even a superhuman . Basically the are abolishing scholarship for those folks. Till a few years ago they are the workhorses of many labs here (as graduate students), but due to this 'woes', many professors and principal investigators (PIs) are struggling to recruit new people. For example, my PI now has to put a couple of our projects on hold due to lack of new grad students. My friend's lab even got severely downsized and close to disbandment due to lack of manpower. Too bad they are sometimes don't know that they can recruit very good students from Africa but alas very few have connection to do so.

Now it's up to your effort because the next is the hardest part. Please read and study thoroughly some scientific journal articles that suits your academic background and try to come up with ideas. Be sure as well to check the professor's current projects in each lab's webpage (typically in top universities a lab/research group has a functioning and updated website) before doing so. You are also encouraged to check their relevant publications, which are often posted in the website too.

Afterwards, try to contact them in professional manner, that is, introduce yourself and give a brief academic background and explain your plan in the lab and Japan (as well as the research idea you conceive). You are needed to attach your CV/resume along with the first communication e-mail so that the professor can be ascertained that you are indeed willing to join the lab. Be patient to wait for the responses because they are super busy (sometimes up to a week). They only recruit very good (even though raw talents) students with strong grasp of respective field's concept so be very, very prepared. Upon convincing the professor that you are worthy to be the member, you'll subjected to entrance interview and test, which is just as rigorous and depends on down to the policy of the department the lab belongs to. Yes it's easy to get scholarship up to a point you earn trust from the prof but in the test they will try to weed out those who don't have the basic concepts. Some universities have low acceptance rate even for Master and PhD level entrance.

I know you Nigerians are very hard-working given being in conductive situation. Good Luck.