Photos by Lucas Hong (Rice University), Student Correspondent for CET Japan, Spring 2025
Sakura Season in Full Bloom
One of the most special parts about studying abroad in Japan in spring is hanami, or flower viewing! The sakura trees, commonly known as cherry blossoms, recently started blooming, revealing the most beautiful pink flowers.
Sakura usually begin with white blossoms that gradually deepen in color as the season progresses. Since they only last for about ten days, hanami feels like a holiday in Japan, bringing friends and family together for picnics and celebration.
Discovering Matcha and Houjicha
Since coming to Japan, matcha has replaced coffee as my daily caffeinated drink. It’s delicious, energizing, and available in most cafes—perfect to take with me to lectures!
Matcha in Japan is always incredibly green and fresh, often sourced directly from Uji (the matcha capital). You’ll also find a lot of houjicha (the brown tea), which is just as delicious! Houjicha is a roasted green tea with a nutty, toasty flavor.
One-Hour Escapes: Kyoto & Arashiyama
Osaka is conveniently surrounded by many great places in the Kansai region, like Kyoto and Arashiyama. It only takes about an hour to reach these areas from Osaka, so we like to take small day trips after class and make it back by night.
Kyoto is known as Japan’s cultural capital, so we’ve been able to explore so many beautiful shrines and temples. Arashiyama is a must-see for its miles of bamboo grove. It was amazing to watch the sun filter through the bamboo stalks and cast unique patterns on the forest floor.
Friends and Sunsets In Wakayama
Our CET housemates generously drove us to Wakayama, a beach town about two hours from Osaka. First, we went to Toretore Market and enjoyed fresh seafood. Afterwards, we played on the rocks by the water and then went to a lookout point, where we watched the sunset.
The waves were really rough that day and created dramatic froth as they crashed against the cliffs. It was a stunning view and reminded me a lot of the beaches back home in California.
What’s for Dinner in Shojaku?
Here are some of my favorite bites in Shojaku, where my school—Osaka Gakuin University—is located. The soup is a unique ramen with a creamy, rich chicken broth that’s whipped until it turns frothy. It’s topped with a thick slab of pork belly, green onions, a marinated egg, and bamboo shoots.
The rice bowl, gyudon, is a simple dish of marinated beef, onions, and egg over rice. It’s also super affordable at just 500 yen, or about $3.50 USD. We also had a pizza party with the OGU students. Japanese pizza often features unique toppings like corn, mayo, seaweed, fish eggs, and shrimp!