STUDENTS AT NORTHEASTERN, MEIJI UNIVERSITY IN TOKYO ‘HAVE A LOT MORE IN COMMON THAN THEY THOUGHT’

Gasshuku means “lodging together” in Japanese. The Budo tradition immerses students in a lifestyle of living and learning together for several hours each day.

Karin Kobayashi’s gasshuku moment came during a class where Northeastern students in Boston were quick to raise their hands and actively participate.

“Japanese people hesitate to say their opinion or ask questions in public,” said Kobayashi, a political science student from Meiji University in Tokyo. “In the short time I was here, I tried to behave like an American student—it was so fun because every class is based on interactive communication.”