Lauren Stirling, 23 September 2026
Farewell from our Short Term Japanese Students
This term the school has been fortunate enough to have a small group of short-term Japanese students study with us.
Here are some final thoughts from three of these boys before they return home to Japan to resume their studies in their own high schools.
Masato’s final thoughts
Hello, my name is Masato. I’m from Japan and I have only stayed in New Zealand for one term. First, I will talk about why I am studying abroad. In short, I just wanted to go somewhere to change my environment and grow my English skills. If I were in Japan during my entire life, I couldn’t expand my viewpoint, knowledge and values. To be honest, I felt a little bit bored when I was in Japan because there is nothing new and special for me. Therefore, I wanted to come here to refresh my mind.
At my school, we had a choice to either come to New Zealand or to go to Australia. I will talk about why I chose New Zealand to study abroad. First, I have been interested in nature. I also belonged to the biology club in my school and sometimes went fishing. New Zealand has a unique, varied, and attractive nature such as kiwi birds, kakapo and pukeko, so I decided to come here. In addition, I played rugby in Japan. Of course, New Zealand is great at playing rugby. Therefore, I wanted to come here, at least to watch rugby games, and take part in rugby games if I could.
During my school life in New Zealand, I enjoyed the differences between schools in Japan and New Zealand. On my first day of school, the final game of the FIFA World Cup was held. In Japan, we couldn’t watch the game once the usual school start time came. On the other hand, in New Zealand, we could watch the whole game even when the usual school start time came and passed. This surprised me very much. Furthermore, the content of classes is quite different between Japan and New Zealand. In Japan, we rarely use our laptops during classes and aren’t given opportunities to discuss with our classmates so much. In my opinion, the content of classes in New Zealand is more interesting than in Japan.
Moreover, I was impressed by the landscapes of New Zealand. I went to Karitane Beach and Queenstown, then I enjoyed the ocean, unique “headland,” and the mountains. In Japan, there are also good mountains and ocean views, but they are not easy to go to both the ocean and mountains, so I was very surprised that I could go to both the ocean and mountains easily.
In addition, I enjoyed playing rugby. Fortunately, I was able to join the Senior Reds rugby team. I took part in four rugby games as a wing and scored twice. Compared to Japan, rugby players here were large and muscular, and the strategy was different. In Japan, we decide what we will do before each set piece and carry it out and move forward little by little. However, In New Zealand, usually, the centre or forward breaks through the line, and the teammates go in to follow up and score a try. I was surprised at this difference.
By the way, if I have to choose one thing I will miss when I go back to Japan, it is definitely New Zealand’s meat. The first steak I ate in New Zealand was a pork steak. It was soft and juicy even though it was low in fat. In Japan, so-called lean steaks aren't very tasty, so I really enjoyed it. In addition, the salmon was also unbelievably delicious compared to Japan. In Japan, there's a culture of eating raw fish, like sushi and sashimi, so basically the taste of fish is better than in New Zealand, but New Zealand's salmon was outstanding. The smoked salmon was fatty and had almost no fishy smell, and it was the most delicious I've ever had. I want to eat a lean beef steak at least once before I go back to Japan.
When I go back to Japan, I want to eat the home-cooked meals my mom makes first. Of course, there are many dishes which taste very good, but there are few dishes which use “dashi,” or fish broth. Almost all of the dishes here have strong tastes, but the dishes which use dashi have mild tastes. I have only really missed the taste of dashi since I have been here.
Overall, I have enjoyed New Zealand very much and I'm satisfied that I was able to do a lot in such a short time. On the other hand, there are many things I couldn’t do due to the lack of time and the restriction on international students such as going to Fiordland National Park, climbing mountains, bungee jumping, and watching penguins. Therefore, I will definitely come back to this wonderful place and am looking forward to seeing you again. I hope to see you again soon!
Yuta’s final thoughts
I chose to study in New Zealand because I had visited this beautiful country six years ago with my family. During that first trip, I was deeply moved by the breathtaking natural landscapes and the overwhelming kindness of the local people. When I decided to study abroad, New Zealand was instantly my top choice without a second thought.
My school life at Otago Boys' High School has been full of great moments, especially during Physical Education class. I really enjoyed playing softball with my classmates. I also had a lot of fun running around the neighbourhood while looking for different checkpoints with my friends. It was a great way to stay active and explore the area together.
Furthermore, I was very lucky with my life outside of school. My host family was so welcoming, and I especially loved the delicious homemade hamburgers my host family cooked for me. Eating meals together always made me feel right at home.
Out of all the places I visited around Dunedin, the most interesting spot was Baldwin Street, famous for being the steepest street in the world. It was much steeper than I ever imagined! Walking up to the top was a real challenge, but when I finally reached the summit, the sweeping view was absolutely stunning.
When I return to Japan, I know I will miss the peaceful atmosphere of Dunedin, the fresh morning air, the beautiful ocean, and the sunsets.
After going back to Japan, I am determined to keep studying English much harder. Spending time at OBHS helped me realize my current English skills and showed me how wonderful it is to communicate with people from different backgrounds. I want to keep learning so I can have even more conversations with people from all over the world in the future.
Yoshiya’s Final thoughts
I am Yoshiya and I am a 15-year-old student from Komaba Toho High School in Tokyo, Japan. The reason why I came to NZ is that classes in NZ have a deep connection with Māori, and I am also interested in what the classes are like. There were some options for me when choosing which school to study at, but then I met my schoolmate, Hiroki, who studied in OBHS last year, and he recommended me to choose OBHS.
In OBHS, I found the classes actually have a deep connection with Māori. For example, in Food and Nutrition classes, I learned about well-being with the Māori concept of “Te Whare Tapa Wha”. It was refreshing for me. Also, since I rarely use my laptop for classes in my school, I have enjoyed making reports and documents on my laptop. In geography, I went to Karitane, Huriawa Pa and Waikouaiti beach for the field trip. I learned about coasts and rivers.
Other than school, I was also fortunate to have visited Baldwin Street. It was not only steep but also very long, so I was really tired when I reached the summit.
I know I will take back lots of great memories of with me back to Japan.
