Yamanashi Prefecture is the part of Japan once known as Kai Prefecture. That’s as in, The Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen, who I covered in a “Profiles of Bushido” post a couple of weeks ago. Put another way, this is the prefecture due north of Mt. Fuji. As a result, there is less rain in this prefecture than along the coast.

A Broad Curriculum

You can find details about everything Yamanashi offers, in English, on this page. Click on a component to see the vast offerings. In just the Division of School Education, specialized services in Japanese and English language education, social studies, mathematics, science, music, art, health, technology, and home economics, are offered. That’s a lot.

In 2002, the University of Yamanashi was merged with a major medical university. Thus, the current University of Yamanashi also includes a vast School of Medicine.

In addition, Yamanashi’s Faculty of Engineering doesn’t just talk the talk of improving society through science: it walks the walk, featuring a “Department of Ecosocial System Engineering” and aiding Japan in its push to be a world leader in environmental technology. More juicy info here.

In The Heartland

Yamanashi Prefecture became part of the Shogunate’s core territory. Over the centuries preceding the Meiji Restoration, it received lavish infrastructure spending. Today, it remains a major segment of Honshu (lit.: “main island,” the main island of Japan) in the heart of the country. With Mt. Fuji to the south, and picturesque lakes from which to gaze at it, Yamanashi is also a quality stop for tourists.

The City of Kofu (甲府市)

Yamanashi’s campuses are located mainly in Kofu, the capitol of the prefecture. Kofu is a city of some 201,184 souls. (The “rural” feel of Sapporo has to be contrasted with its population of 1.6 million! However, Hokkaido itself is far less populated than Honshu, so Sapporo is the biggest game in town there.)

Besides being a Mecca for Takeda Shingen fans (which is a good thing, by the way), the city is full of museums, cultural centers, the Yumura Onsen (onsen = hot spring), and precious gem museums from Kofu’s jewelry industry.

I must admit to having a brief encounter with this industry. Once, I translated something related to an exhibition of Kofu jewelry. At the time, I didn’t even know anything about Kofu, but apparently its jewelry industry was far more famed within Japan than it has been in the modern era with stiff international competition. Government support (public-private partnerships and so forth) has been provided with the aim of kick-starting the industry into greater global recognition. Good luck to Kofu’s artisans!

A full two-thirds of the city’s is actually covered by a mix of mountains and forests. Certainly, this is taking the scenic route.

Overall: A Strong Contender

Yamanashi offers a lot of meat for the potential exchange student. In addition, the natural beauty is a definite plus. Considering how utterly packed Tokyo feels, a city of “only” 200k people certainly can’t feel that crowded, either. Definitely worth a look, especially for serial do-gooders who want to be part of improving the world through education, medicine, and technology.

A Less Crowded Alternative

Recently, I was asked by a Japanese learner from Australia to help him pick a university in Japan where he will study as an exchange student for the entire 2012 year. One of his options is Sapporo University in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.

Not knowing enough about specific universities, I took it upon myself to do some basic research. It’s the least I can do, and besides, maybe other readers would find this interesting?

Sushi, and Beer

Sapporo is considered by some to have the finest Sushi in Japan. It’s also considerably less expensive sushi than you’ll find in Tokyo.

Sapporo is also a famous producer of beer. A large beer factory is another notable tourist stop.

Efficient Modern Transportation

Like most cities in Japan, the government has ensured a modern, efficient public transportation system. The fact that crowds are less of an issue makes traveling around Sapporo cheap, easy, and satisfying.

It’s Cold Up There!

Being a higher latitude than most of Japan, Hokkaido in general, including Sapporo in particular, is colder on average – to some degree – than the rest of Japan. They even have an ice sculpture festival.

Sapporo University

Sapporo offers bachelor degrees in the categories of arts & humanities, business & social science, and science & technology. Its English website can be found here.

Japanese-language reviews of Sapporo University as a tourist attraction have emphasized that it is ten minutes (on foot) from the nearest train station, is surprisingly vast, and is a virtual sea of green. It’s apparently very, very pretty to look at.

Walking around is no problem for tourists because Sapporo University is an open campus, meaning anyone can walk right in, for free, no questions asked.

A City With A Rural Touch

The real attraction of Sapporo University, and Sapporo itself, is that you can experience modern Japan without the usual crush of people. It’s less crowded, more relaxed, and still offers modern civilization, even with natural beauty close at hand.

Of course, being removed from the cultural epicenters of Japan means making some compromises. Certain things will probably be more expensive in Hokkaido than they would be in Honshu. Hotels don’t seem to have free Internet, for instance.

International Connections

The reason Sapporo comes up as a potential destination for overseas study is because it has “sister school” relationships with a variety of non-Japanese universities. So, the university is not lacking in connections abroad.

Overall

Sapporo sounds like an interesting place to visit. Would I want to live there? Speaking personally, I live in a much more rural place, so yes, I’d probably enjoy it very much. The winters might get cold, but the worst cold in Nova Scotia seems roughly equivalent. City slickers may have a harder time adjusting, but I could really use some of that efficient modern transportation on this end. It’s an interesting mixture of nature and people, occupying a different place on the slider than options in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.